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Falling Rocks at Yosemite Forces Hotel Ahwahnee Guests to Evacuate

Where: 9005 Ahwahnee Drive [map], Yosemite National Park, CA, United States, 95389

Staying at The Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park will always be a memorable experience. For the folks that can cough up $500+ for a night's stay, they will have the memories of waking up to killer views of the park's granite Half Dome, Yosemite Falls and Glacier Point. Guests will also be sleeping inside a historic hotel, first built in 1927 (nearly prehistoric days for California) and designed during the Arts & Craft movement where everything had to be homemade. ("Machines are evil!" was the prevailing thought of this movement.)

Oh and if the hotel gets evacuated because of falling rocks behind it, that's even more memorable. Kinda. Three hundred guests at the hotel had to be evacuated yesterday after falling rocks, some as big as "microwave ovens", crashed into the hotel's valet parking lot.

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The Ahwahnee Announces Line-Up For Its 2009 Vintners' Holidays

Where: Yosemite National Park, CA, United States, 95389

A few winters ago, we got to go wine and dine during The Ahwahnee’s Chefs’ Holidays. We’d lived in California for nearly a decade and had never made it to Yosemite National Park. Although food and wine is a major motivator to get us to any destination, the prospect of experiencing one of the country’s greatest parks sans the thongs of summer tourists sounded way appealing. It was and now, we’re convinced that Yosemite National Park may be one of the best all-season, outdoor destinations in California.

So, we’re pretty psyched that The Ahwahnee just announced its 2009 season lineup for its Vintners’ Holiday (the wine-centric version of the Chefs’ Holiday) and we’re scheming ways to get in on the grape-fueled action.

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Ahwahnee Hotel Deemed Potentially Unsafe During an Earthquake

Where: 9005 Ahwahnee Dr. [map], Yosemite National Park, CA, United States, 95389

The historic Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park may be unsafe in an earthquake, park officials have concluded. According to the Associated Press, a study revealed the hotel "does not meet modern seismic safety standards and risks partial collapse in a major earthquake." Yikes.

Built in 1927, the structure — with reinforced-concrete walls — may not be strong enough to keep guests safe during a large tremor.

Per the AP:

"Because of the localized structural failures, there is the potential for the loss of human lives," said the study by URS Corp., an engineering and construction company. "The extensive damage that is expected will likely cause the building to be evacuated after such an earthquake."

The retrofit options the consultants proposed would cost between $17.9 and $22.3 million, and would require the hotel to be left empty for two years. Park officials did not say Thursday whether they planned to follow those recommendations, but said the latest cost estimate for the project was in the $20 million range.

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Yosemite's Ahwahnee Hotel in the Line of Fire but Still OK

Where: 9005 Ahwahnee Drive [map], Yosemite National Pk, CA, United States, 95389

Guess what? There are more fires in California today. Ugh, just when we were getting over the devastating Big Sur Fire, another one has flared up.

If you're headed to Yosemite National Park shortly, you may want to rethink your trip. Or at least bring along a smoke mask. SF Chronicle reports that the Telegraph Fire has already destroyed 26,000 acres in rugged canyons 12 miles west of Yosemite, along with 12 homes and is set to get worse as the dry weather continues this week.

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Yosemite's Wawona Doesn't Have Wow Factor But It's Not Bad

Where: PO Box 575 [map], Yosemite National Pk, CA, United States, 95389

Thinking of camping in Yosemite this summer but just can't give up the idea of a comfortable bed to sleep in? The LA Times just had a feature on accommodation in and near the park, and the Wawona Hotel was one of the places they mentioned. It's the oldest hotel in Yosemite and looks pretty grand--it's even classified as a National Historic Landmark.

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Ahwahnee's Little Friends

Where: 9005 Ahwahnee Drive [map], Yosemite National Park, CA, United States, 95389

Things look peaceful in this shot of the lobby of The Ahwahnee Lodge in the middle of Yosemite National Park.

But one guest saw another scene in her hotel room:

The rooms ( $432.00 a night including tax ) are outdated and looked run down. Our bed sheets had many repairs made on them. When turning down the bed I found a few hairs in the bed. We had lots of ants in our room. They did not replace the toilet tissue, we had to go ask.

So despite staying at a luxury lodge, experiences like these remind you that you are still in the mountains among nature's friends...like ants.

Related Stories:
· Ahwahnee reviews [TripAdvisor]
· Henry Alien's photostream [Flickr]

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The Awahnee Hotel in Yosemite: Where Nature and Luxury Collide

Where: 9005 Ahwahnee Drive [map], Yosemite National Park, CA, United States, 95389

The LA Times has a write-up of the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite Park, which was built in 1927 and features an interesting design combo of Art Deco, Native American, Middle Eastern and something called the Arts & Crafts Movement.

Whatever the combo, it works. The hotel has 99 rooms and a 95% year-round occupancy rate. But we are pretty sure that has something to do with the drop-dead gorgeous views it offers in the comfort of five-star luxury (think fluffy white robes, rose petals on the bed and champagne in your room).

An interesting fact about the hotel's history?:

The day after the hotel's opening night -- a private, complimentary celebration for an elite few on July 14, 1927-- hotel staff reported that the guests had stolen a remarkable number of pewter ink stands, valuable Indian baskets, rugs and even bedspreads. Much of the original décor remains, however -- items too large to steal, including linoleum walkways cut into Indian motif inlaid circles, wrought-iron chandeliers and furniture, and stained-glass windows in the Great Lounge.

Related Stories:
· The Ahwahnee makes granite a girl's best friend [LA Times]
· Awahnee Hotel reviews [TripAdvisor]