An Unexpected Pleasure

The anticipated 4 hour drive from Sequoia National Park to the south entrance of Yosemite National Park was nearly doubled by detours caused by fires. We had booked several nights in the southernmost part of Yosemite, anticipating park excursions from that location, but were thwarted by fires, and restorations in the sequoia groves which closed them to visitors. As is often the case, initial disappointment turned to its own kind of pleasure.

Big Trees Lodge, known until 2016 as The Wawona Hotel, is a National Historic Landmark, and is loaded with Victorian-style charm. The cottage complex where we stayed was built in 1876-77, and retains the big porches and large lawns that encourage lounging without agenda. Fires had been raging for several week quite close to the nearby town of Wawona, and we could smell the burn and see pink-tinged skies. At night, very tired firefighters came to the hotel to eat quickly, sleep lightly and rise early to refuel their trucks at the bottom of the driveway. There were signs of appreciation for their efforts in nearly every yard in town, acknowledging them as the heroes they are.

We spent our last morning there walking to The Pioneer Yosemite History Center, constructed as a small frontier town. The smokey morning mist provided a lovely setting for imagining frontier life as extremely pleasant, unlike its certain reality.