After years of having my vacation to Yosemite being postponed for various reasons it looks like it will finally come true this September. With my wife coming along, (one who expects the comforts of home), names of hotels/motels in or around Yosemite would be greatly welcomed. My wife's idea of roughing it is black & white tv. Please pm me with suggestions. TIA.
I had a wonderful little lodge that I stayed at in Lee Vining - I think it was the Mono Inn. I'll dig around when I get home and get the name right. It is right on 395, a few miles up the road from the Tioga Pass, and has views directly across the road to Mono Lake. No TV in the room at all, so that may kill it for your wife, but they do have a great little restaurant (AMAZING breakfasts made to order). Rooms were cheap too - about $75 a night. It puts you within striking distance of Yosemite, Mono Lake, Bodie and Lundy Canyon. If you're there in September it will be a bit early for fall color in the aspens, but Lundy Canyon is definitely worth the side visit.
Outside the park, my favorite is Yosemite View in El Portal, just outside the Arch Rock entrance. Right on the Merced River.
Sorry Pat. I don't have any suggestions, just take a lot of photos. Hopefully, kjsphoto will see this thread and respond. He lives pretty close to Yosemite.
I'll second the Yosemite View in El Portal. Decent hotel, close to entrance. This is were I usually stay when I am at the park alone.
However, there is not much to do within walking distance of the Yosemite View so if my wife is along I've found it very useful to stay in the Valley. That way when I take the truck in the morning to go shoot and good light prevents me from returning for breakfast my wife can go for a hike on her own and only be a little annoyed with me. Makes the extra cost of the in-park lodging well worth the cost. We often stay in the Curry Village which is nice but not fancy. I've also found the Ahwahnee Dining Room to be very good for making up with my wife after I've been out shooting all day.
When the whole family has been along we've rented a vacation home in Fish Camp. It's a 45 min drive to the Valley but you can rent a house and yard for the whole family to enjoy.
The Yosemite Lodge in Yosemite Valley, or the Ahwanee (very $$$) The Wawona Hotel in Wawona. There are cabins at Camp Curry (in the valley) Outside the park coming up 41 there is the Marriot in Fish Camp. There is also The Narrow Guage Inn which adjoins the Sugar Pine & Big Trees steam railroad a little closer to Oakhurst (where you'll find the David Ashcroft Gallery, btw) Ducey's at Bass Lake is certainly within striking distance, but to really enjoy Yosemite, stay inside the park f possible AFTER Sept.1st, when the crowds start to thin out! If you plan on visiting before then head straight for Tioga/Tuolumne and avoid the valley! (or visit Seqouia/ Kings Canyon) Coming up 120 from 395 you'll find plenty of places in Lee Vining (Ansel's family runs the Mono Inn IIRC) and right outside the park entrance is the Tioga Lodge. These suggestions require reservations!
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White
We stayed at the Wawona. Very pleasant hotel, resonably priced, but a bit far from the valley, about 45 min one way, so 1.5 hours driving each day. If I did it again I would stay in the valley. The Ahwanee (sp?) is very nice and pricey, but how many times will you go to Yosemite.
Coming from the south, there are a number of reasonable priced motels in Oakhurst.
When I visit for photography trips, I get up before sunrise and stay out past sundown. I like having my accommodations (Curry village) nearby handy and find the 30-45 minute drive to/from El Portal a hassle. So if your emphasis is on photography (as it should be), you should try to stay inside the park. If you want stay in the valley your choices are Cabins at Curry Village $ (no tv), Yosemite lodge $$, then the Ahwanee big $$$'s.
my two cents
http://www.yosemitepark.com/Accommodations.aspx
Steve
As has been stated here, if the intent is to photograph Yosemite Valley, then staying in the valley is the way to go. Since your wife's idea of camping is b+w TV, you'd be limited to Yosemite Lodge and The Ahwahnee, which are the only facilities in the park that have that ammenity. If she can forego the television and a telephone, the Curry Cabins with bath are the most affordable. For reservations at any of these options, go to www.yosemitepark.com While you are on that site, you can peruse the many other options (Wawona, tent cabins in Tuolumne, etc. that each offer their own charm, but with less emphasis on luxury).
There are other options out of Yosemite Valley. The most common spot is the Yosemite View in El Portal, which a number of people have mentioned. The rooms are similar to the quality of those at Yosemite Lodge, but lower priced due to the distance from Yosemite Valley and lack of other activities.
Not mentioned thus far are the many B&Bs, such as those at Yosemite West and Foresta. Yosemite West has condominiums and B&Bs, with a 1/2 drive to the valley. Foresta is much closer, and has fewer choices, but some even offer a glimpse of the valley. http://www.4yosemite.com/
On the East Side, Murphy's Hotel seems to be the favorite haunt of photographers. It is VERY basic and enjoys the hum of traffic on 395, but the Mono Cone is across the street and Bodie Mike's, which sports later hours makes it possible to catch a meal after photography. The property Scott Davis is referring to is the Tioga Lodge on Highway 395, which recently was rennovated and reopened.
The Mono Inn, is a restaurant (excellent) and gallery operated by Sara Adams, Ansel's grandaughter. She also has a small cabin northeast of Mono Lake that is available for weekly rental. http://lodging4vacations.com/mono-lake-vacation-rental/
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