President's Day Weekend in Yosemite National Park

We made our reservations on the Friday before we left and, luckily we found a cabin available online. Yosemite lodging is very difficult to get when most visitors make reservations far in advance. We wanted our own bathroom and this cabin was the only one meeting this criterion in the entire park. The per night charge was $130.

Check-in was a difficult process. We didn't realize that registration does not begin until 5pm. Fortunately, we were able to check-in at 4pm but it wasn't what we expected. The registration clerk had arranged at the desk for us to have two beds and we arrived to find only one. We went back to the check-in desk and found out there were no more cabins available with two beds. They promised to bring a rollaway that evening. Gee thanks!

The room's decor was very rustic. Plaid drapes and old-style furnishings. Thankfully, the stationary bed was comfortable but the rollaway kept folding up on my poor friend. The bathroom was large and handicap accessible. There is little counter space in the bathroom aside from a tiny shelf over the sink.

The walls are very thin and you can hear conversations going on in the adjoining cabin. The sound of our neighbor's toilet flushing almost brought us to tears. Everything became funny after check-in. We didn't know what to expect next from our crazy cabin.

The cabin is centrally located in Curry Village and only a short walk over to different eateries and a convenience store. The winter ice skating rink was directly across from the cabin. We could hear the music until about 9:30pm; a relief from the quiet of the night (aside from the neighboring cabin). Quiet hours are strictly enforced from 10pm to 6am.

The Mariposa Lodge was a very nice surprise at $65 for a Saturday night.

Our room appeared to be newly remodeled and very clean. The rooms are spacious and minimally decorated. The beds were comfy and well spaced from each other. They still use keys to the rooms instead of slide cards. My only complaint would be the low water pressure in the shower.

The grounds are well kept and parking was available right in front of our bottom floor room. All of the local restaurants and bars were walking distance from the motel.

Amenities include a pool and spa, brewed coffee in your room, air conditioning, HBO and VCRs, telephone and refrigerator. Rooms are wheelchair accessible and small pets are welcome.

All parking and room access is secluded from the highway. There is plenty of parking, and it's free.

The food court opens for breakfast at 6:30am. You can order pancakes, French toast, or waffles. You name it and they have it for breakfast. At 10:30am, the grill flips it sign over and begins to offer made to order lunch and dinners until approximately 8:30pm.

The food court operates cafeteria-style and the line for the grill is usually the longest. There are various stations serving hot breakfast, Italian pastas and pizza, grilled items, pre-made salads, fruits, vegetarian and non-vegetarian entrées, desserts. Close to the entrance is a coffee bar to order espresso drinks and other java offerings.

Many of Yosemite’s eateries close in the winter so choices are limited. The Curry Village food court is the slowest and busiest in the park. Skip it and take the shuttle to the Yosemite Lodge Food Court. The food is really good and everyone will find something they like to order.

For visitors looking for an easy hike in Yosemite, the walk to Mirror Lake is the one for you.

The paved portion of this one mile hike is leads to the main pool of Mirror Lake. A dirt path takes you to the larger pool. The paved portion begins to incline near the lake but is still labeled handicap accessible. The walk will take approximately two hours round trip.

The journey to the lake takes you along the waters of Tenaya Creek, offering exceptional views of Half Dome and the woodlands in the eastern edge of Yosemite Valley.

To get there:

Take the free park shuttle to stop 17 and follow the signs.

Ride your bicycle or rent one during the summer at Yosemite Lodge. Bicycles are allowed on the trail until the incline begins; many safe bike racks are provided at this point. Walk the rest of the way. Just remember to take note of the number on your rented bicycle since they all look the same.