Yosemite National Park: Tenaya Lodge and Ascent Spa Review

Two miles from Yosemite National Park’s south entrance on Highway 41, Tenaya Lodge is a resort destination that is close enough to enjoy iconic tourism, yet far enough away from the Valley crowds.  Escape the everyday, any season of the year, and enjoy rustic luxury as a couple or as a family.

Lucky enough to be asked to visit on a media trip, even luckier to be able to enjoy it with my best friend my husband, the getaway was magical.  When entering the lobby, you feel right at home with the fireplace burning, comfortable couches waiting for you to relax, and a fabulous bar just steps away offering your favorite spirit!  My husband’s words were something along the lines of “let’s move in, I’m quitting!” and were were there 5 minutes.  It’s amazing how a special location can immediately take all your worries away!

Although we were enjoying a couples’ getaway, I noticed right away how family-friendly the resort was by the kid-sized registration port by the front desk.  Kids walk right up and “check-in” to start their vacation that includes things like kid’s camp, adventure club, and much more!  I look forward to the chance to bring the kids back with us!

So what do couples do first when on a getaway to relax at a beautiful lodge?  Head to that fabulous bar I mentioned earlier!  Jackalopes Bar & Grill offers lunch, dinner, dessert, a great wine and beer list and more inside beneath the antler chandelier or outside by the fire!  We tried the California Cosmo, the Pack Mule {Moscow Mule}, and my favorite the John Muir Mai Tai and were beyond pleased with the service and taste!  You’ll be happy to hear that numerous heart healthy, gluten-free and vegan options are available and dishes are prepared from organic and sustainable sources.Relaxed and still time before our itinerary beckoned us, we headed to our room.  Currently undergoing multi-million dollar renovations, Tenaya Lodge combines traditional alpine decor with Four Diamond refinement in their guestrooms, suites, and cottages.  We enjoyed a 350 sq. ft Premium room with a king bed that melted beneath our backs and we fell back onto it. The upgraded bathrooms are gorgeous with granite countertops and rustic-style sliding {barn} doors that we took photos of!  We even measured because they’re something we’d replicate in our own home! Robes met us on the bed which is always a cozy, welcoming touch that inspires you to shower, relax, and unwind.   A large,overstuffed chair and work desk also fill the room.  The last thing you want to do is work while at Tenaya, but if you have to get something done there’s ample space.  We were on the first floor, so just outside our sliding glass door was a grassy area that leads to the parking lot.  Due to the construction nearby, we didn’t spend any time on the patio, but would have in different circumstances with a cup of coffee in the fresh air mornings.  If you’re really wanting to get away from it all or possibly you’re hosting a bachelor/bachelorette getaway, the Garden and Contemporary Suites are available for guests 18 and older and located on a adult-only floor with a private, ground-floor entrance.

Meeting our group for dinner, we had reservations at Embers, a fine dining restaurant fine-dining restaurant featuring cuisine prepared by Tenaya’s award-winning culinary team led by Executive Chef Frederick Clabaugh, CEC.  Our table was set with wine glasses to pair with each course and hopefully a large appetite! Some of my favorite appetizers in a fresh sourdough bread and lobster bisque, not to forget the eggplant!Dinner consisted of Filet of Oscar, topped with artichoke bottom Dungeness Crab and an Organic Breast of Chicken, white corn polenta and spinach.  My husband and I shared each plate, took bites of each simultaneously, then switched!  Flavors were out of this world delicious.  Dessert was a show for sure when Bananas Diablo is ordered.  Made completely table side, this set the bar {and the flames} high!Not to be outdone, when you light Bacardi 151 the beautiful blue flame is awe-inspiring and makes for a tasty dessert you prefer to drink.Embers asks for adults-only dining, with the minimum age for children of 12.  Mornings call for breakfast at Sierra Restaurant that offers a family-friendly atmosphere and a terrific buffet.

It’s no doubt you’ll be making the trip to Yosemite at some point during your stay and it’s easy with the YARTS system.  The bus leaves and returns from Tenaya Lodge to Yosemite Valley multiple times a day and if you’re ready for an excursion, the concierge is also available to plan your trip to the park.  But, don’t worry a bit about lacking activities around the lodge because there is something all year-round to do!  Winter calls for snow play, sledding, snow-shoeing, snowmobiling, ice-skating, sleigh rides, and skiing.  Spring, Summer, and Fall you can mountain bike, climb the wall, hike, do archery, rock climb, fly fish, pan for gold, golf, horseback ride, white-water raft, or ride the steam train!  Oh just to name a few things!  I was simply giddy to have close to an hour to hone my archery skills and do a little target practice while my husband went for a mountain bike ride!  The rain decided to come down so it scared away a few of the group members and they chose the steam train.  I did have one other person with me as well as the guide.  I loved doing archery in high school and it’s the perfectionist in me to mark it as my go-to activity when I can.  After a few stray arrows I think I ended up doing pretty well!  After dinner one night, we used all our senses with limited sight and did a flashlight hike.  This activity is cool, especially if there’s a clear sky and bright moon and it’s perfect for kids too!Fun, and a welcome challenge, ice-skating during the winter is fun in the rink adjacent to the lodge.  Skate to music at night under the twinkling lights and make s’mores at the large firepit nearby.  I’m proud to say I didn’t bail, so yes I was a bit competitive with my husband, but my legs and feet sure did feel it the next day.  Those muscles used were a bit dormant.

Speaking of muscles, whether you are coming in from a skate or bike ride or just yearning for tranquility, Ascent Spa is a must visit!  You can book a package with your lodging or order a la carte but there is so many options for your mind, body, and soul to choose from.  I never do enough for myself, it’s the nature of being a mother of three.  Each time I visit the spa I tell myself, no I VOW to myself that I do it more often.  Couples massages would be ultimately romantic, but I opted this trip for a Tenaya River Stone Massage.  My calves and back loved it so much and my masseuse was extremely attentive.  My husband received a custom massage for the very first time.  He was sensitive near his neck where he has disc problems, but otherwise thought it was an interesting experience. Amongst the twelve treatment rooms, dry saunas, steam rooms, and fitness facilities you’re destined to find relaxation and rejuvenation around Ascent Spa.  Traveling with little ones is easy when you’re offered two indoor pools and three outdoor pools featuring private cabanas, the Bearfoot Bar, a zero-entry kid’s splash pool with mushroom water features, and new adult-only wading pool!   There’s also a spot for you in one of the five hot tubs across the property, two of these are also for the enjoyment of adults only.  Yes, this is simply nirvana.

I tend to giggle at my husband if he ever suggests returning to the Yosemite area and perhaps camping in a tent.  I’m most likely to tell him, that there’ll be a spot waiting for him in my Tenaya Lodge room for him if he gets…cold.  Our stay was so memorable, each and every part of it, it will be hard to return to the area and not think to book here first.

For more information or to book your stay at the Tenaya Lodge, visit http://www.tenayalodge.com/.

My stay was hosted as part of a media tour and for purposes of this review, all opinions are completely my own.