The Ahwahnee Lodge

The Awahnee Lodge in Yosemite is another of the beautiful big lodges, similar to El Tovar in the Grand Canyon, Furnace Creek in Death Valley, or the Yellowstone Lodge.  This spectacular lodge's dining room is as grand as any we have seen.  The ceiling in the dining room was thirty feet high, with huge beams held together by steel lashing shaped like arrowheads.  Indian motifs were painted around the edges othe ceiling, the floors were painted with similar motifs, and the chandeliers were huge.

We were fortunate to sit in the back near a window that allowed the wonderfully fresh air to billow in.  We had views of California dogwoods and other California plants, all while enjoying a nice lunch.

This was not the view, but the pink dogwoods were just down the road.

What I don't understand is why the name has changed to the Majestic Yosemite Lodge  Yes, it is Majestic, but it has been the Awahnee Lodge forever.  For some reason, when the vendor for the park changed to Aramark, the name changed.  One of the waiters said something about intellectual property and money - it didn't make sense to me.  How does one change the name of something so historic?

Anyway, it was a beautiful place to eat and we enjoyed ourselves immensely.