Fish Camp: 1 night
Tenaya Lodge: https://www.tenayalodge.com
Located near south entrance to Yosemite. We used our points from Hotels.com. Tenaya Lodge is pricey, but well worth a one-night stay. It’s a AAA Four-Diamond hotel. I guess that means it’s a fancy-pants place. But you don’t need to dress up. People are visiting Yosemite National Park to explore and hike.
After checking in early, we drove into the park and explored the area. We used our Gypsy Guide app to help orient us inside the park. A heads up: there are a lot of burn-scar areas and beetle-kill dead trees. I was shocked and saddened to see these areas inside the park.
Tunnel View: Listen to your app and after you clear the tunnel, turn immediately into the parking lot on the right side of the road. You will see El Capitan and Bridalveil Falls with Half Dome in the background.
Visited Mariposa Visitor Center and purchased a Days Hike of Yosemite National Park map to plan out hikes for the next few days.
Wawona Hotel is worth checking out. It’s a historic National Landmark. The old Victorian era hotel has a nice restaurant inside.
Supper at Tenaya lodge: Jackalopes Bar and Grill. First come service so pays to eat early. They feature local wines. We had a Sebastiani Cab. Delicious. Highly recommend the “Caramelized Brussel Sprouts”.
Tips:
- Make sure you don’t need a reservation to get into the park. Since we had rented an Airbnb inside the park (Yosemite West), we didn’t need to worry about reservations.
- Grab the all you can eat breakfast at Jackalopes Bar and Grill.
- If you need a sandwich to pack for a hike, pick one up at the Parkside Deli next to Jackalopes Bar and Grill in Tenaya Lodge.