A MIDWINTER'S ROMANCE THE AHWAHNEE OFFERS LUXURY IN THE HEART OF YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK.Byline: Story and photos by Bill Becher Correspondent YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK Yosemite National Park (yōsĕm`ĭtē), 761,266 acres (308,205 hectares), E central Calif.; est. 1890 as a result of the efforts of conservationist John Muir. Located in the Sierra Nevada, it is a glacier-scoured area of great beauty; Mt. - Say Yosemite to most folks and they think breathtaking vistas, big summer crowds, tent camping and hot dogs over an open campfire. But there's another option: The elegant Ahwahnee hotel - which is particularly inviting in winter, when the crowds are gone. Built in 1927 to lure influential guests to Yosemite National Park, this 99-room hotel with 24 cottages provides guests with a decidedly upscale experience in one of the most beautiful places on Earth. The name Ahwahnee, American Indian American Indian or Native American or Amerindian or indigenous American Any member of the various aboriginal peoples of the Western Hemisphere, with the exception of the Eskimos (Inuit) and the Aleuts. in origin, means land of the gaping mouth, descriptive of Yosemite Valley's canyons - and visitors' mouths when they first see its scenic wonders. The hotel's architect, Gilbert Stanley Underwood Gilbert Stanley Underwood (1890-1960) was an American architect best known for his National Park lodges. Born in 1890, Underwood received his B.A. from Yale in 1920 and a M.A. from Harvard in 1923. , created a perfect blend of Craftsman and Art Deco art deco (ärt dĕkō`; är dākō`, ärt) or art moderne (är môdĕrn`, ärt) styles nestled in a meadow in the valley. Rooms have views of Half Dome, Glacier Point Glacier Point is a viewpoint above Yosemite Valley, in California, USA. It is located on the south wall of Yosemite Valley at an elevation of 7,214 ft (2,199 m), 3,200 ft (975 m) above Curry Village. , Royal Arches and Yosemite Falls Yosemite Falls Two waterfalls, Yosemite National Park, central California, U.S. Formed by creeks tumbling into the Yosemite River valley, the upper falls drop 1,430 ft (436 m) and the lower, 320 ft (98 m). . Six stories tall with three wings, the hotel is faced with native granite and dyed concrete, which was poured and formed to resemble redwood boards and beams. Floor-to-ceiling windows in the public rooms bring the dramatic scenery indoors. The interior furnishings are based on American Indian and German Gothic themes with hardwood floors, wrought-iron chandeliers and hanging rugs. Guest rooms at the Ahwahnee are comfortable and well-furnished, but it's the communal spaces that make this hotel special, along with the setting. The original plans called for a 10-story hotel with 350 rooms. Subsequent construction was never completed due to the stock market crash of 1929, so the hotel is left with outsize out·size n. 1. An unusual size, especially a very large size. 2. A garment of unusual size. adj. also out·sized Unusually large, weighty, or extensive. public rooms. Guests can sip complimentary afternoon tea and nibble Half a byte (four bits). (data) nibble - /nib'l/ (US "nybble", by analogy with "bite" -> "byte") Half a byte. Since a byte is nearly always eight bits, a nibble is nearly always four bits (and can therefore be represented by one hex digit). on cookies in front of the massive fireplace in the Great Room, or read a book in the Solarium, or relax in the Mural Room. Gourmet food is part of the Ahwahnee experience - the hotel hosts a series of vintners and chefs' dinners in the fall and early winter. But good eats Good Eats is a television cooking show created and hosted by Alton Brown that airs in North America on Food Network. Likened to television science educators Mr. Wizard and Bill Nye, Brown explores the science and technique behind the cooking, the history of different foods, are available year-round. Executive chef Terry Sheehan, who was once Donald Trump's personal chef, oversees a varied menu that includes such delicious main courses as onion seed-crusted beef filet and crispy-skin salmon with baby bok choy, corn shoots and shiitake mushroom Noun 1. shiitake mushroom - edible east Asian mushroom having a golden or dark brown to blackish cap and an inedible stipe Chinese black mushroom, golden oak mushroom, Lentinus edodes, Oriental black mushroom, shiitake caps. The winter season has only a few weeks more to run, but if you can hastily plan a trip you'll avoid the crowds and get good deals. The Ahwahnee's Romance Package, for example, is priced at $919 for a two-night stay. It includes dinner for two in the romantic Ahwahnee dining room, a welcome bottle of sparkling wine with keepsake glasses, gifts at nightly turndown service and a slightly extended checkout (1 p.m.). The package is available seven days a week through April 15. Or, if you stay longer and avoid weekends, you can save on the standard $348 room rate by booking a special shrinking rate. Through the end of next month, a special beginning rate of $299 decreases $20 each consecutive night up to five nights. This means you're paying only $219 by the fifth night. This package is available Sunday through Thursday. In Yosemite, winter recreational activities include hiking, sightseeing tours, interpretive programs and photography walks. For the more energetic, there is also horseback riding, ice skating at Curry Village and, at nearby Badger Pass, snowshoeing snow·shoe n. A racket-shaped frame containing interlaced strips, as of leather, that can be attached to the foot to facilitate walking on deep snow. intr.v. , snowboarding and skiing. Free shuttle bus service is available to locations in Yosemite Valley and Badger Pass. THE AHWAHNEE Where: Yosemite National Park. Rates: Brochure rates from $348 per night. That rate will rise to $359 on April 15. Information: (559) 252-4848; www.yosemitepark.com. CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- 2) Among the memorable experiences offered at the 76-year-old Ahwahnee hotel, above, is a meal in the stately dining room, above left. |
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