Pines Resort on Bass Lake and Yosemite
By Susan R Norton
 Have you ever thought of having a vacation of your extended
family, a chance for cousins to bond and all to relax and get together at
something other than a holiday. I had heard of them and a few years
ago, I decided to try one, then another, then another. As a mother to two sons
with families that have given me five grandchildren, I began the adventure by
renting a four bedroom house on nearby Balboa Island, California. The next year
we went to Club Med, Ixtapa, then Palm Desert, California.
This time we went to The Pines Resort, right on Bass Lake
in the Sierra Mountains and just fourteen miles outside of the southern entrance
of Yosemite National Park. One son brought his precious bass
fishing boat and for a modest fee we kept it in a reserved slip at the marina
that is part of the resort. We used it several times every day: early morning
slow cruises, water skiing, rental inner tubes and banana boats, early morning
and late night “catch and release” bass fishing fun times.
The Pines Resort has 84 two-story chalets, some with
kitchens and fireplaces. They are sprinkled among the pine trees above the lodge
and are cozy and family friendly. Some even have magical
views of the lake through the branches. Others have tree trunks growing up
through the balconies. Near the check-in area, there is a grocery
store, bakery/pizza/ice cream shop, gasoline pump with very reasonable prices,
and several souvenir stores.
 
Down by the lake there is a separate building with a sports
bar and grill and a more formal restaurant, Ducey’s On The Lake. Next
to these are the pool, Jacuzzi, cabana for food and drink service, a
gazebo for weddings and a full service boat marina and watersport rental store.
Other amenities include a laundry, beauty salon and spa, tennis courts, a
sightseeing tour boat and a floating platform just off the beach.
 
On our second day there, we decided to get up at 5:30 AM
and hit the road to Yosemite. This was our shot at this fantastic
National Park and we didn’t want to miss a deer or even a squirrel. It was worth
it. We were all mesmerized as we entered the valley floor. After touring the Ansel
Adams museum, we took off for a three-mile hike to Mirror Lake. It was a dry
sand lake because it was summer but the backdrop of mountains was superb and the
hike was really a fun trek. We spotted yellow and black striped caterpillars,
shiny iridescent blue bugs, squirrels and deer. To see
a lot of life and beauty of this world, you have to do it on foot and close up.
The little ones were in animal heaven and the grown ups not far behind. I had
forgotten that being with children was like reliving your own childhood. I think
this vacation took ten years off my life.
 
After this magical time, we met up with the other half of
our family group that didn’t want to get up quite so early. We met at
the famous Ahwahnee Hotel for lunch in their 5 star restaurant. The hotel with
its massive granite exterior and its gigantic living room with huge fireplaces
was built in 1927. It was fun to wander in and out of the many
parlors but the ponderous restaurant was only average and the service was below
average. However, the hotel alone is definitely worth a walk through. We were all eager to get back to our beach and boat and for some of us, a
nap.
The next day we were out again, off to the Yosemite
Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad. My two year old grandson alternated between
yelling, “train” and “steam,” but the four mile jaunt was pretty much lost on
the rest of us, probably since we had spent the day before in Yosemite. We vowed
to spend the rest of our days at Bass Lake.
Our last night was the perfect ending to a wonderful
vacation. The hotel sponsored an evening of “Jazz On The Lake” and smorgasbord
to die for. Both kids and grownups were lured onto the dance floor by the great
music. When the band took its breaks, our five party hearty children left the
dance floor for the grass lawn next door and played under the latticed wedding
arch.
It was a perfect finale to a perfect week, and we all
staggered off to our beds for our final night’s sleep among the whispering
pines. We may have been heading home tomorrow but we all knew we would be back.
GUIDEBOOKS:
The Pines Resort – (800) 350-7463
www.BassLake.com
Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite – (866) 875-8456
Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad – (559-683-7273
www.ymsprr.com
Guided Fishing Tours on Bass Lake – (800) 585-WAVE
Yosemite Trails horseback riding – (559) 683-7611
www.YosemiteTrails.com |
