Yosemite National Park - September 2005

Yosemite is always breathtaking, but we missed the beauty of the waterfalls in spring during this fall visit. Bridal Veil Falls were great, but Yosemite Falls were a mere trickle. Soaring walls of granite are imposing whenever you visit, and the Sierra Nevadas never disappoint. Even at the end of September, visitors to the park were numerous. The shuttles were full most of the time, but we never had to wait for a second one.

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We dined in the elegant Ahwahnee. This wonderful lodge celebrated its Diamond Anniversary in 2002. Something I didn’t know, not being a native Californian, is during World War II the Ahwahnee served as an R&R facility for the Navy. The Great Lounge was a dormitory for 350 men with rows and rows of beds. The Sweet Shop was the commissary, and, of course, the dining room was the mess hall. Wonder if they kept the chef? Ninety thousand service men and women relaxed at Yosemite and 6,752 patients were treated at the Ahwahnee.