Traisping around the Ahwahnee Hotel

Yosemite Trekker @ thecityedition.com ----- Post #17 - June 8, 2010

In this case, a stone's throw away may be too close for comfort. While parks superintendent Stephen Mather took fire into consideration in the specs of his building plan, he evidently didn't give enough thought to that crumbling wall of granite towering above.

Traipsing Around the Ahwahnee Hotel

Cont. from Page 1

Not originally envisioned in the hotel decore, the stained glass art was needed to block out the not-so-elegant steel gerders visible through the high-walled windows. (The hotel was built from steel and concrete because of the grim history of other hotels burning down inside national parks.) Underwood also designed to hotels at the Grand Canyon North Rim and Zion National Park, and was considered a master of "Parkitecture" - a rustic fusion or art deco with rock and timber (or in this case, steel painted to look like timber). If you have a moment, contrast the look with Mary Jane's Coulter's desert designs described in my post about the Grand Canyon.

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Parkitecture meets the Louvre. On the right is one of Jennifer Dyson's stained glass creations doing its job of covering up the big Oops.

At this point, you're probably grabbing a pen to write me a thank-you letter for all the life-changing trivia. It's not necessary. I picked up most of it during the docent tour offered a few times a week at the hotel. It's time well spent, too. And if you're one of those people who walk into high-class digs and keep looking over their shoulders for the security guard, the tour will make you feel right at home.

A meal in the Ahwahnee dining room is a must on your trip. Just about every head of state in the last half century has dined here. If you can't afford dinner (or didn't bring your black tie), there's always oatmeal for breakfast. That will only set you back $5.

But don't get too comfortable because the location of the Ahwahnee is precarious. When that rock slide happened here on 8/26/9 I managed to snap a few photos at the foot of the deluge, even as the dust wafted on the air.

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Rockslide causes hotel evacuation. I took these photos about 40 minutes after the disaster. Read the post.

Apparently, rock slides were never really an issue before that day. Queen Elizabeth II didn't have any reservation about booking all 99 rooms for a weekend in 1983. Judy Garland was known to sit at the piano late at night during her heyday, playing until the night manager got on her case. And a host of other luminaries - everyone from Gertrude Stein to Haile Selassie and the Shah of Iran - have passed a cozy night or two at the 4-star hotel. Today celebrities often just show up without a reservation - called a walk-in - and the Ahwahnee staff still dutifully rolls out the red carpet (such as it is...).

Looks like a bingo game at the Knights of Columbus. The decore of the Ahwahnee bar today likely has Ackerman and Pope turning over in their graves.

On this sunny day in June, this is one way to enjoy the maddening crowd. The hotel also has a pool, tennis court, and a huge lawn for playing croquet.

I almost forgot to mention the most important thing there is to know about the Ahwahnee. That would be the free wireless network you can find here. Not an easy feat in a national park. One note of caution: Thieves stake out the hotel from time to time in search of high-end bikes left outside unlocked. It's easy pickings, so always treat your wheels like they're a 3-year-old toddler.

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