Big Trees Lodge: Yosemite, CA
While in Yosemite National Park, Matt and I spent two idyllic nights in one of the loveliest hotels I've ever stayed in - Big Trees Lodge. Roughly forty-five minutes away from the bustling center of Yosemite Valley, the hotel continued our trip back to a slower pace of life and provided a much needed breath of fresh air.
Built in 1876, the Wawona Hotel (also called Big Trees Lodge) is one of the oldest mountain resort hotels in California and represents classical Victorian era resort design. Due to the isolated nature of it's location in the park, the hotel is only open from March to the end of November each year. Ironically, the hotel was first opened to serve tourists coming to see the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, which was unfortunately closed while we visited. I was pretty disappointed to miss them since they would have provided a nice bookend to our Muir Woods experience of coastal redwoods. Oh well - just another reason to come back soon!
Our room was in the adorably quaint Washburn Cottage and faced away from the main hotel - making it feel even more remote and peaceful. Built in 1900, the cottage was originally single story with the second floor added fifteen years later. Additionally, until 1952, there were twenty-six rooms but only four bathrooms. Today there are only sixteen rooms but each has an en-suite bathroom. When we booked, we were given the option of rooms with shared bathrooms so there are still some original rooms available in the other cottages.
Unfortunately, we were so tired from our drive the first night that I didn't manage to get a nice photo of the interior of the room before we disturbed it (front door and patio above and the wider view below taken the next morning). However, this hotel was pretty unusual in that the only "modern" elements in the room were the electric lights and a standing fan - no tv, no phone and definitely no wifi! Matt and I try to impose an occasional "digital detox" when we travel (where we're limited to using our phones as cameras only) but this was a whole other level. Because of the location in the park, the hotel doesn't even have mobile signal so you're truly cut off. IT WAS WONDERFUL.
There is a "wifi" room in one of the other cottages so if needed, you can check in for flights, send an email or two, etc. The first night we were there, we popped in just to let our families know we made it and found ourselves itching to leave as soon as we walked in. There were about fifteen people spread around the room just totally engrossed in their laptops, tablets and phones - which just felt so odd given the setting of this Victorian gem. Fortunately, that was our only wifi visit!
The first morning, jetlag woke me up around seven am so I wandered outside onto the veranda to watch the world wake up. It felt so incredibly revitalizing to just sit and listen to the sounds of the forest as squirrels scampered to the soundtrack of the bird song overhead. I had the whole place to myself for a good twenty minutes and capitalized on this privacy by wandering around for a few photos. I read something ages ago that said a person's stress levels can decrease instantly as a result of standing barefoot on grass and I can confirm that it is a wonderful way to wake up!
Walking around the other side of the cottage, you can see the back of the main building (above). This is where we had dinner both nights since it's the only restaurant around. The second night we were there, we had actually booked to go to the Majestic Dining room in Yosemite Valley but ended up cancelling it in favor of staying put. This decision was partly made because the idea of driving back to the hotel in the dark was decidedly unappealing but also because we were just so content where we were.
After a quick hike and river visit, Matt and I decided to spend the rest of the afternoon out on the veranda with our kindles. We made a quick stop into the Wawona General store for snacks and then settled in for a few peaceful hours. I repeat: IT WAS WONDERFUL. I don't think anything in the world could have dragged us away - not even a visit from one of the 300-500 bears that call Yosemite home.
As the sun set, we got ready and wandered over for dinner. While waiting for a table, we meandered around the main veranda and mingled with other guests. As another delightful throwback, the hotel has a resident entertainer who plays piano in the lounge for several hours every evening. On this particular night, someone had requested a slideshow about the history of the area which he not only presented but also sprinkled in historic tunes to add to the ambiance.
If we get a chance to visit again, I'll definitely add another stay at this unique hotel to our itinerary. While I did find the prices a little high, I think the old fashioned atmosphere and the opportunity to fully recharge our batteries both literally and figuratively was worth it.
Full Details:
Address: 8308 Wawona Road, Yosemite Valley, CA 95389
Phone: +1-888-413-8869
