Pioneer Yosemite History center in Wawona
We planned to go into the park on Rte 140 from Merced, but it turned out that the road was closed between Mariposa and El Portal. All right, detour through Rte 140. We took a break in Oakhurst where we had a leisurely lunch. You cannot push too much when you've got a 4-year-old in tow. :) Our son has been everywhere we've been to, and we're so lucky that he is good on the road. He doesn't need a DVD player or games in the car to stay entertained. He is totally content just looking out of the window and watching the changing secenaries. Both my husband and I grew up road-tripping a lot, so we would proudly say, "Oh, it's in his blood...!" Ok, enough bragging from a silly parent! :P
There is a Visitor Center in Oakhurst, and we found it very helpful. We didn't do an extensive research on the park or accommodation facilities in the area before we left, so we stopped by the Visitor Center for information.
Wawona Hotel
People there were very friendly and helpful and gave us a lot of suggestions about good places to visit. Also, for the accommodation, they recommended a lodge by Bass Lake (located just north of Oakhurst). Staying by a lake sounded nice, so we booked the place for the night...
By this time, it was mid afternoon, and we didn’t think there was enough time to go to Yosemite Village area which would take a good hour drive from the park entrance. So we did go into the park, but went only to Wawona. We strolled around Pioneer Yosemite History Center. This is like an outdoor museum with a collection of historic buildings including a ranger’s hut from the old days.
We also walked to the historic Wawona Hotel. This hotel was built in 1879, and it looks like it. I heard that rooms don’t have air condition, a telephone, or a TV. Lots of rooms have shared bathrooms. Staying here must give you an idea what it was like to stay in a hotel back in 1880s. We didn’t stay here this time, but I’d love to give it try some day!
We were a bit tired from all the driving for the last few days, so we decided to check in the lodge a little early and have a relaxing evening by the lake... However, this lodge or the lake were not quite what we were expecting (See below). We should've done a bit more research, I guess. We live and learn. Ha-ha!
