by Lyndon Bell
A quietly cool combo
Silence. Deep, brooding, introspective silence.
Legendary saxophonist John Coltrane once said that he
did most of his writing at 3 a.m., because that was
when the world was its most sere""
At that time, he said, the
world was so peaceful, he
could hear the music
swirling around inside his
brain.
Had he ever visited the
Yosemite Valley where, in
winter, the stillness enfolds you,
he would have written all day. The
tourists long gone, you're free
template the majestic beauty around you at your very own cle. Overall, it handled rather nicely. I was partic-
ularlv impressed by the way it comported itself during one of
pace.
the
area's biggest snowstorms in some time. New for 2001, our
This tranquility, resplendent in its seasonal garment of
Santa
Fe was equipped with all-wheel -drive and a 181-horse­
snow, can spark some powerfully spiritual, transcendent
power V6. Though there were six inches of ice between our
moments.
tires and the pavement, the Santa Fe never once spun its
Just pondering the creation of such a glorious place gives
wheels. There were quibbles, though. For instance, being 6-feet
one pause, particularly given its scale. Consider for a moment
Yosemite Falls. At 2,425 feet, it is just under a half mile high, tall, 1 could have used a bit more legroom. It would have been
nice, too, if our model had the optional heated seats. Heated
making it North America’s tallest waterfall. Immediately across
exterior mirrors aren't even an option. But considering our LX
the valley floor is Bridal Veil Falls, as towering as a 62-story
model’s base price of $22,494, including destination charge, it’s
building. Indeed, there is no other place on earth where two
cataracts of such magnitude reside so close together. Then pretty well equipped.
Anyway, we parked our Santa Fe, Hyundai’s "sport-
there are those spectacular granite formations — El Capitan,
cute”offering, at Tenaya Camp, in California near the southern
Sentinel Rock and, of course Yosemite’s icon, Half Dome,
entrance of Yosemite National Park.
which alone climbs to 8,842 feet.
Tenaya Camp is a family-friendlv, AAA, four-diamond hotel,
Combined, they reach more than one mile into the sky. It is
with its comfortable rustic decor and grand, roaring fireplace
truly a spectacle to behold.
Winter visits feel particularly significant, for it was snow and in the lobby, (hey, we were roughing it in style).
A bit of trivia: some of the first rangers to oversee the park
ice that created the valley’s wonders. Until about 10,000 years
were African Americans. As early as 1899, the Buffalo Soldiers
ago, the Yosemite Valley was buried underneath a glacier.
of the Sierra Nevada traveled to Yosemite from California gar­
Those glacial movements eventually sculpted intricate granite
formations, producing some of the most captivating waterfalls risons on a route first laid down in 1891.
In fact, park ranger
on the planet. By
and naturalist Shelton
any measure, the
Here's information to get you started.
Johnson is leading a
ages it took to
Yosemite National Park can be reached using California highways 120,
seminar retracing the
spawn these won­
footsteps of these sol­
140 or 41. It is a four-hour drive from Los Angeles or San Francisco. The
ders was certainly
diers. Walkabouts during
nearest
airport
is
in
Fresno,
Calif.,
50
minutes
south
of
the
park.
Winter
worth the wait.
the seminar, to be held
snows can require the use of chains for two-wheel-drive vehicles.
Our mount for
May 12 and 13, will
For general park info click on www.nps.gov/yose, or call (209) 372-
this adventure was
explore,
among other
0200. Call (888) 514-2167 to reach Tenaya Lodge, or visit www.tenay-
Hyundai’s
very
things, where these men
alodge.com. For seminar information call (209) 379-2321.
capable Santa Fe
lived and worked.
sport-utility vehi-
Vhv Can't We all Just Buckle Up?
April/May 2001 ©