Side trip to Yosemite--stay where?

[happysmyly]

Greetings! We are headed to DLR and to visit family in San Diego mid May - my mom wants to drive back through the central valley (Hwy 99) and then do a side trip/drive through Yosemite. I was thinking that we should stay in the Fresno area and then take the 41 up into Yosemite and then drive around.

Is this a good plan?
Any suggestions for good (inexpensive) places to stay? Any places we should avoid?

Thanks for your help!! Have a great day!
Liz

[ScooterL]

I can't help you with recommendations of places to stay, but I think it's a good plan! You might also see what you can get in Oakhurst - that's further up 41, and is only about 1:20 to the Valley instead of 2 hours from Fresno.

[Pakey]

Honestly, I'd probably choose to stay at Chukchansi Resort and Casino which is north of Fresno in the Coarsegold area before you get to the Oakhurst Area.

I'm not a gambler but we have been there for dinner a few times and it's a very nice resort.

If you are wanting to stay in Fresno there is a Holiday Inn Express Suites on 41 at River Park which will put you on the north side of Fresno. There are a lot of food places in that area.

[happysmyly]

Thank you for those suggestions... I will definitely be checking out the casino--we're not gamblers but those are usually nice places to stay with good amenities And we'll check out Oakhurst too... the shorter drive to Yosemite--the more time to look around - and remember past trips there. My grandpas helped build the road there and we used to camp there every year when I was a kid.
Thanks again!!

[disneyfaninaz]

We stayed outside of the South entrance into Yosemite at the Tenaya Lodge in Fish Camp. We stayed in a cottage with 2 queen beds and a fireplace. It was a very nice resort. The resort is 10 minutes outside the entrance to the park.

[Mary Jo]

I agree with staying near the resort, either in Coarsegold, Oakhurst, or Fish Camp. Besides the Tenaya Lodge they have the Apple Tree Inn.

You can also stay at a cabin in Redwoods in Yosemite (redwoodsinyosemite.com) that is located 15 minutes after you enter the national park. The cabins are located near Wawona Lodge, and are about 45 minutes from the valley and Glacier Point.

[disneyfaninaz]

Originally Posted by Mary Jo

I agree with staying near the resort, either in Coarsegold, Oakhurst, or Fish Camp. Besides the Tenaya Lodge they have the Apple Tree Inn.

The Apple Tree Inn was recently acquired by the Tenaya Lodge and is now operated by them. That is where we stayed, The Cottages at Tenaya.

[ScooterL]

Originally Posted by disneyfaninaz

The Apple Tree Inn was recently acquired by the Tenaya Lodge and is now operated by them. That is where we stayed, The Cottages at Tenaya.

Yes, I was surprised to see that when we went through there! Apple Tree Inn has been there a LONG time. What were the cottages like?

[disneyfaninaz]

The cottages were very nice. Our room had 2 very comfortable queen size beds, a small desk, a small table w/2 chairs, an armoire, a gas fireplace, microwave, and refrigerator. The only thing that my DH did not like was the low water pressure in the shower. The room was of good size and very quiet. It also had a separate french door out to the side of the cabin. The cottage that we were in had 3 private rooms in it. One on each side and one upstairs in the middle.

There was a bit of a walk back to the main lodge, but it wasn't bad and well lit. I loved waking up and looking out at and smelling the pines.







I would definitely stay here again.

[marvel]

We stayed right nearby at Rivers Edge or something similar, it had the river passing by the back of the rooms, it was awesome, maybe it was River View, sorry can't be more specific it was a few years ago. Not sure the price, but we cannot wait to get back there some day.

[woody73]

Last week we stayed at the Yosemite Lodge. Great location, just a short walk to Yosemite Falls.

Woody

[splash5]

We are booked into the Yosemite lodge in a couple of weeks. How was the hotel? Did it have air conditioning? What was the weather like in Yosemite? Thanks Woody.

[woody73]

Originally Posted by splash5

We are booked into the Yosemite lodge in a couple of weeks. How was the hotel? Did it have air conditioning? What was the weather like in Yosemite? Thanks Woody.

As they say in real estate: location, location, location.

The Yosemite Lodge is well situated in Yosemite Valley, just a short walk to Yosemite Falls. Once we arrived, we did not need to drive anywhere. There is a free bus system (there's a stop right in front of reception), and we rode it to the Ahwahnee for brunch.

YL is very basic. Our room had a ceiling fan. The weather was clear and sunny, 80's during the day, 70's at night.

Woody

[ScooterL]

Originally Posted by splash5

We are booked into the Yosemite lodge in a couple of weeks. How was the hotel? Did it have air conditioning? What was the weather like in Yosemite? Thanks Woody.

The hotel does not have air conditioning in the rooms, though the restaurants, stores, etc. have it. They have free wireless internet, and all of the rooms have phones and TVs. Some of them have small refrigerators (the deluxe rooms). It's not a Sheraton or a Marriott - in terms of furnishings and stuff it's more like a Holiday Inn. The buildings are old, and although they've tried to keep them in good repair, you're likely to find some cracked tiles, leaky faucets and other things that aren't as pristine as you might like. And it IS in a wild area, so you might have critters in your room...they try to keep the mice out, but there's only so much that they can do. We always keep our food in plastic storage containers. And don't forget the mosquito repellent - the Lodge is close to rivers and meadows and the mosquitoes can be bad, especially in the morning and evening. But we still find the Lodge to be quite comfortable, and you can't beat the location!!!!

The weather in July can be very hot - in the 90s during the day, though it cools off into the 60s at night.