To the
Ahwahnichee Indians, glacier-carved
Yosemite Valley
was a Sacred Place imbued with mysterious spirits. You may feel much the
same as you gaze around at the massive granite domes, plunging waterfalls, fast-rushing streams,
and meadows sprinkled with wildflowers. Walk into the highlands and peer
over rock faces at views so all-encompassing they’ll make you dizzy.
Discover bountiful lakes, groves of Giant Sequoias, forests of pine,
fir, and hemlock. Not to mention the wildlife!
Truly,
Yosemite is one of earth’s glories. Any single landmark—Half Dome, Royal
Arches, or El Capitan, say—would place it firmly in the guidebooks. But
nature went overboard here, bestowing extravagant gifts. Everywhere you
look you find yet another wonder: Yosemite Falls, Sentinel Dome,
Washington Column, Eagle Peak, Cathedral Rock, Clouds Rest, Glacier
Point…
A summer
honeymoon here,
when
visitation is at its peak,
might
be a wee bit
crowded—Yosemite
is a perennial favorite on the list of Top 10 most-visited National
Parks, and most visitors come in summer. But
in fall, winter, or spring Yosemite makes for a gorgeous honeymoon
getaway.
In fall the
cottonwood and oak leaves turn rich gold, standing sharp against the
gray granite walls of the Valley. Mornings are brisk; days are clear,
brilliant, and still warm; nights are cool. Take an all-day
horseback ride in White Wolf. Bicycle to Mirror Lake. Pack a picnic
lunch and hike to the top of Yosemite Falls.
In
winter, snow often covers the Valley floor. It’s easier to see
wildlife at this time since leaves have fallen from the trees. You can
snow-shoe or cross-country ski into the woods, try out the downhill
slopes at Badger Pass, or go ice skating in the outdoor rink. Sitting
around a fireplace with a hot mug of cider is heaven after a day in
the snow.
And then
there's spring. Meadows so full of sparkling wildflowers you’d think a
giant had scattered the contents of a jewel chest. Birds singing happily
in the warm sun. The roar of wild waterfalls. Lie on your back and watch
the leaves grow. Take a pack trip into the mountains. Go climb a rock.
As for sleeping,
two choices stand out, and both are excellent honeymoon choices:
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The
Ahwahnee
Hotel, completed in 1927, is most people’s idea of the perfect mountain
getaway. High cathedral ceilings, hardwood floors, massive stone
fireplaces, and old Indian rugs and baskets make the hotel at once elegant and
cozy. The Great Lounge, with a walk-in fireplace on each end and
floor-to-ceiling windows, is a wonderful spot for late-afternoon tea.
And from the graceful, candle-lit dining room you’ll have a view of
Glacier Point and Yosemite Falls.
Far more
isolated is a former stagecoach stop, the
Wawona Hotel, located at
Yosemite’s southern tip on the banks of the Merced River. Built in 1876
(it’s California’s oldest mountain hotel), the Wawona’s verandas
overlook lush meadowland and forests of pine and fir. Amenities include
dining, swimming, tennis, a nine-hole golf course, and horseback riding.
