The rooms at Yosemite Lodge are very nice, and are close to Lower Yosemite Falls, one of the main attractions.

The cabins at Curry Village (as well as the campsites at Lower Pines) are much nearer to some of the nicer trails - - including what is perhaps the best hike in the park: the Mist Trail to Vernal Fall and then upwards to Nevada Fall.

This is a popular trail best attempted very early in the morning. The experience is far more beautiful without dozens of other people around. Camping or Lodging near the trailhead offers a major advantage.

Hmmm. If this doesn't conflict with any potential cruise plans, I would potentially be able to go. I'm assuming I will have managed to graduate by then.

oooh, and let's start planning the 2009 trip next week!

Why wait until next week?

Beautiful pictures, Mousepod!!

Ooo!! Those are the things we are going to be doing soon!

I saw Alexs' pictures and I think he went way beyond what I would like to do. Awesome, never a bad shot of Yosemite.

The bummer about Housekeeping Camp is that, if you could be assured no a-holes, the location is awesome and the amenities help to make it convenient and an easier camping trip. We drove in to show the 'kids' the river front locations. They looked awful, all covered up. But, they were deceivingly quiet and clean. I had to remind them if we booked one, right there on the river, we would have to deal with everyone in the camp, probably. Everyone would want to be right there at the riverbank.

I also love Yosemite Lodge over Camp Curry. But, right now that is all that is available. We do have a bath 2/3 nights.

Oakhurst is great. I always do think of Not Afraid there. :)

The burned trees are heartbreaking. How about the signs that tell you where the water level was up to in the Valley?? :eek:

The signs that give you the water level in '97 are also telling you why you might not be able to get a room at the Lodge. Before the flood, there were 495 rooms at the hotel, and since the flood there are 245.

I remember camping in Sonny Meadows in 84' with some kids from a church group. Also rode into Yosemite once, from a campground a few miles outside the gates when cyclists were free to ride in.
The scenery takes your breath away.

Beautiful photos Mousepod.:cool:

True, there is so much more of Yosemite we haven't seen. If you come in/out via Oakhurst, it is great. Fast, you are heading home.

But, if you go out Tioga Pass, well, there is so much that we've only briefly checked out. {the last times we've gone to Tahoe, it has been winter and Tioga Pass closed}.

Ah, yes, that is true about the loss of the lodging. Did you happen to read the green notebook that was in the Lodge room? I noticed {or it is new?} that they have a brief history of the Lodge and how it was when it was opened. The competition between it and Camp Curry and so much more! I hadn't heard any of that before. {wish I had retained more of it, quite interesting}.

Yes, I got the info from the book in the room - I'd never heard the Camp Curry story before, either. According to the story, all of the other hoteliers in Yosemite had to pay 50% of their concession revenues to the guy who ran the Yosemite Lodge, who in turn paid 50% to the government. When the smaller hotels (including the Curry) complained to the gov, their concerns fell on deaf ears. Very interesting...

I agree with ISM that, if you haven't been to the Valley, that is THE place to stay. There really is no other place like it on earth. However, in the summer, after school is out, it turns into a zoo and I head for Tuolomne (plus it is cooler there).

But, since my Brother is so close, I mostly end up doing day trips to Yosemite or going to other, lesser know, Sierra wonders (of which there are many). It would be nice to camp in the Valley in the Springtime. It's been ages since I've done that.

If you haven't done the Tioga Pass road, do it. It's lovely. For us, it starts either starts or ends with the beautiful drive on 395. The Eastern Sierra's are STUNNING - especially with snow.