Fifteen years ago, Ted and I had been dating for only a few months. We'd been spending every moment we could together, and the forthcoming weekend was to be one almost like any other-flying somewhere romantic in his Cessna 210. He'd told me we were headed to Carmel, but I began to notice that instead of flying our regular route along the coastline, we had worked our way inland. I watched him curiously as he circled and landed at a tiny airport in Mariposa in the western foothills of the
Sierra Nevadas. Soon we were off for an hour's drive along a winding road lined and glowing with the vivid reds and golds of autumn-into Yosemite National Park. Ted had reserved a room at the historic Ahwahnee Hotel, and that evening, the maître de met us at the doors of the huge, cathedral-like dining room. He showed us to the special table Ted had reserved, a single table, the only table at the base of an immense, twenty-foot arched window with a spectacular view of the hotel grounds and the forest and Yosemite
Falls spilling down the dark, gray granite cliffs beyond. I found out later the table is called the "Queen's Table", and I felt exactly like a queen being led to her throne. The setting was beyond romantic-it was a masterpiece.
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Yosemite Ahwahnee History
By The Yosemite
News Research Staff
Open since 1927, The Ahwahnee is one of America's most distinctive Registered National Landmarks. The magnificent Ahwahnee is unparalleled in magnificence and charm. The hotel was designated a National Historic Landmark on June 2, 1987.
The Ahwahnee accommodations include 123 guest rooms (99 in the main building and 24 cottage rooms) and 4 parlor rooms. These rooms are the top-of-the-line in-park Accommodations. Ahwahnee rooms feature comfortable furnishings including upholstered chairs, televisions, refrigerators, bathrobes, hair dryers and bath amenities. Some rooms have king-size beds.
Each room is accented with original Native American designs and is ideal for those guests who desire more service. An Ahwahnee Parlor is a sitting room (without a bathroom) adjoining a hotel room. Guests may book a parlor in conjunction with the adjoining room to create a suite, however, parlor rooms may not be booked separately. Each parlor has its own unique decor. Ahwahnee Cottage Rooms are located in a wooded setting on The Ahwahnee grounds. Guests
enjoy all the services and facilities of the Ahwahnee.
The Ahwahnee provides concierge service, bell service, valet parking, turn-down service, room service, daily in-room ice service and afternoon tea served in the Great Lounge. The Ahwahnee Dining Room, Great Lounge and Solarium are just steps away from any guests' door.
The hotel houses a unique gift shop, The Ahwahnee Lounge, swimming pool, and a vast lawn. Evening activities also include enlightening interpretive slide presentations. Also, a historic tour of the public areas takes place every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. MORE INFO |
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We ordered dinner and Ted insisted on four courses, saying he wanted dinner to last a long time. He reached for my hand. "Diana, what I love about our relationship is . . ." He stopped when the waiter arrived with our first course, then began again, picking up where he left off. What followed through three more courses was a whole discourse on exactly what he loved about the way we had come together, who we were together, and what we
could become together. He had prepared this speech like a closing argument. I was thrilled. When the desserts were in front of us, he took my hands and looked into my eyes. "So . . . will you marry me?" I was flooded with a sense of the absolute rightness of what was happening, just as twenty-six years earlier I'd known that marrying my late husband Paul von Welanetz was exactly the right thing to do. "I would love
to marry you!" When we returned this year to celebrate our anniversary we discovered a reservation for two would be available in December at the legendary Bracebridge Dinner, a three-hour pageant of drama, music, heraldry, and sumptuous seven-course dinner. It recreates the traditional English Christmas feast based on Washington Irving's 1820 tale The Sketch Book about Christmas Day at Bracebridge Hall in Yorkshire, England. This tradition
began shortly after the hotel was opened in 1927, and the program, re-written by famed photographer, Ansel Adams and others, is still being performed today by an elaborately costumed 100-plus cast featuring Christmas carols, Renaissance and Middle Age music, court jester, trumpets and revelry before Squire Bracebridge, his family, and 325 fortunate guests. One of the most sought after Christmas events in the world, it was once held only on Christmas
Eve with tickets available only by lottery.
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Rising some 23 feet above the floor in the Great Lounge are elaborate stained glass window works refracting early morning and late afternoon sunlight.
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We arrived to find our accommodations were a cozy cottage in the hotel's surrounding woods blanketed by a light snow, and the dinner lived up to our highest expectations. Once again, the Ahwahnee proved to be the perfect romantic getaway. Reservations for the Bracebridge Dinner this coming December will make the perfect Valentine gift-it happens that the first day for making them is February 7, 2005. There are now eight performances and dinners, which will be December 15, 16, 18, 19, 21, 22, 24 and
Christmas Day. Tickets are $300 per person, and lodging packages are available at both the Ahwahnee and Yosemite Lodge. I promise you one of the most glorious holiday dining experiences of your life! Call Yosemite Reservations at 559/252-4848, or go online at www.yosemitepark.com. Meanwhile, serve a Valentine supper near a cozy fire of one of the best of the seven courses-this delicious and bracing winter vegetable soup! Follow it with creamy Stilton cheese and vintage port.
WARM CAULIFLOWER VICHYSSOISE
For about 1 gallon, or 16 servings
(Freeze any extra, or share the bounty!) ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large Spanish or white onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 cups celery root (celeriac), peeled and diced
2 cups parsnips, peeled and diced
1 cup chopped leeks, thoroughly rinsed
1 to 2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 cup white wine or dry Vermouth
1 large head cauliflower, outer leaves and core included, coarsely chopped
3 quarts vegetable stock
2 cups (1 pint) heavy (whipping) cream
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and coarsely diced
Salt and pepper to taste Sauté the first seven ingredients in an 8-quart stockpot, over medium heat, partially covered, for 10 minutes. Add the white wine, cauliflower and vegetable broth; bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 20 minutes, until cauliflower is very tender. Add the potatoes and heavy cream and cook about 15 minutes longer until potatoes are very tender. Remove bay leaves and let soup cool. Season the soup with salt and pepper, then puree in small batches in blender or
food processor. Strain to remove any lumps and reheat to serve or transfer to storage containers. (Like most soups and sauces, the flavor is best the second day.) The Ahwahnee serves this with a drizzle of chive oil and a crouton made of cheesy polenta. |
