Yosemite 2024

A couple of months ago, we discovered a fantastic new jazz venue near Yosemite—The Yosemite Jazz Train. Originally, we had blocked this week for the Soma Jazz Cruise, but after River was born, we decided to skip this one. Our annual jazz indulgence this year was the Dave Koz Cruise to the Holy Land, which was rerouted due to the war in Israel. We moved our reservation to next year when the cruise will be heading to Iceland. I’m hoping to squeeze in some fly fishing while we’re there.

We decided to make a long weekend out of it when we saw that the Jazz Train was right near Tenaya Lodge. Tenaya Lodge was one of our favorite spots when the kids were young, and it’s been 20 years since we last stayed there. We booked Friday through Monday and found two great restaurants to try. I was especially excited to plan a hike for Saturday so I could dust off my Nikon 850 and take some HDR shots of our favorite vistas. The Sunday concert featured the Hiroshima Trio, an excellent band that’s been around since the mid-70s, including award-winning koto player June Kuramoto.

We drove the Synabeggo up on Friday, catching a movie in Oakhurst before changing into some nice clothes for a five-course dinner at The Elderberry House in Château du Sureau. The restaurant was a pleasant surprise, and after a fantastic evening, we headed to our cabin at Tenaya Lodge. We unpacked and made s’mores by the campfire, which brought back memories for Gina of when we stayed here with the kids. I’m looking forward to bringing our grandkids here someday. The area around Fish Camp has lots of small streams and ponds full of trout—perfect for beginners to play with a tenkara rod on 6-12 inch fish. I can’t wait until the grandkids are old enough for that adventure.

Saturday was all about hiking in Yosemite. We parked at Yosemite Village and took the shuttle to the trailheads. The park still feels so familiar after all the years we spent camping there with the kids. We used to go every year when Nick (Gina’s dad) was alive, and he’d share stories about the trails he helped build when he worked for the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s. Nick was a dynamite specialist, and he used to say that most people would get migraines from handling TNT, but he got used to it.

Though the Merced River was low, almost every deep pool was full of trout. We even spotted a dozen fish rising to a hatch beneath the shadow of El Capitan. I didn’t bring my fly rod, but it would have been an easy catch. Next time, I’ll pack the tenkara rod. I also took some high-res bracketed shots of our favorite spots and revisited the base of the Three Sisters, where Mark and I did our first climb. That first pitch seems harder than I remember—I wonder if I could still do it.

That evening, we dined at Embers, another fine restaurant at Tenaya Lodge. We were once again impressed by the food and pairings, and the head chef even came out to chat with us after our meal.

Sunday morning, I explored the fishing around our cabin at Tenaya Lodge. Gina and I hiked along the creek, finding trout in nearly every deep pool. The fish were skittish, hiding in the deepest, most sheltered spots since the water levels were low.

We headed to the Jazz Train around three in the afternoon, where we checked in and enjoyed a nice lunch before boarding the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad. The train took us to the jazz stage nestled deep in the woods. Gina and I set up our chairs under the trees behind the main seating area and enjoyed an evening of beautiful music as the sun set through the Sierra canopy. It was perfect.

On Monday morning, we slept in, checked out around 11, and had a final breakfast at Jackalope’s in Tenaya Lodge before heading home, just three hours away. On our way through Oakhurst, I spotted a great fly shop, but it wasn’t open. The Yosemite Rivers Fly Shop looks like the perfect place to book a guide and explore the local waters next time.