Travelogue: Yosemite trip 2014

Last week, we visited Yosemite National Park after 3 years. We had booked our rooms at the Tenaya Lodge, near the south entrance to the park.  The establishment derives its name from Chief Tenaya of the Ahwahneeche tribe, who was killed in the valley, in a dispute, in the summer of 1853.

We drove a little over 3 hours from San Jose to reach the lodge in the quiet of the evening. We had already dined on our way at Fresno in a Persian restaurant called Aria. The rack of lamb I ordered was soft, juicy and complemented the saffron rice marvelously. I like it when I enjoy my food, it gets me into a very agreeable mood.

We registered ourselves as guests and found our way to our room which was on the ground floor. A sliding door opened into the lawn and the outdoor swimming pool. I discovered later that there was some drilling scheduled during the day for reconstruction of the premises. We had a neighbor named Paula. She barked a lot. Very suspicious of strangers.

The next morning we had our breakfast at the buffet; then we got dressed and headed for the park. You get a 7-day pass for $20 and an annual pass for $40. Through the curving roads, we entered the Wawona Tunnel, turned a sharp left at the end of it and parked at a vista point to get some pictures.

We drove down further to see the Bridalveil Falls up close. After a short walk, we reached the base of the falls. I sat on the rocks and enjoyed the mist on my face. The Ahwahneechee tribe believed breathing in its mist improved the chance of matrimony; I will have to remember to relay that to all my marriageable friends.

I have come up with a feasible explanation for the belief: when you are sitting at the foot of the falls,  happy in the embrace of nature, with a goofy smile on your face- people tend to think that you are friendly and strike a conversation. If you are both looking for love, chances are, it could lead to something.

(to be continued)