Bass Lake, California
Updated: May 28, 2022
When I hear my mother shout "It is time to pack our bags!", I know she just booked us a trip from her time-share. This time our travels took us to Bass Lake, California. From there we drove to Yosemite, Mariposa Grove, Ahwahnee Hills Regional Park, and other locations.
Bass Lake was beautiful and we had a wonderful time. One of the hardest parts of this trip was seeing the devastation from the wildfires and drought. The lake receded far enough to create a large beach area and trails to walk along the water, that was not there prior. Every night we took a sunset stroll along the beach; this night we were blessed with a full moon.
Index
Where we stayed
One of my favorite luxuries of being a RCI time-share owner, is all of the different locations that we get to visit! This time there was a week available in Bass Lake and my mother made the decision to book it. It is always fun to vacation new locations and stay at new accomidations. The WorldMark Yosemite Bass Lake is where we stayed this time, through RCI. Anyone can book at this resort through their favorite booking site, such as TripAdvisor.com or Expedia.com.
What drew my mother to booking the week at Bass Lake, was the distance it was from Yosemite, Mariposa Grove, Ahwahnee Hills Regional Park, and other hiking spots. The roads all were clear from traffic due to it being the off season. Our trip was from March 11th through March 18th.
Where: | Miles Away: | Driving Time: |
Yosemite Village | 48 miles | 1 hr, 30 min |
Mariposa Grove | 16 miles | 30 min |
Ahwahnee Hills Regional Park | 14 miles | 20 minutes |
The nightly walks
On the first night, we decided to explore and go for a sunset walk. We explored the beach, while walking the paths people, animals, and nature had created. There has been a drought and the wildfires have led to the water levels being lower than usual that time of year. This reduced water level has made it so some of the bouys in the water were just a reach away.
We made the walks a nightly ritual; a sunset stroll to explore and enjoy the fresh mountain air. On our trip to Yosemite we made a stop and purchased two new hiking sticks. We made use of these every night during our walk, as we walked in the sand, across small streams and the incosistant terrain. It was one of my favorite parts of the trip. Listening to the quiet mountains, feeling the cool breeze on my skin, and the quality time with my mother.
Dinning on the lake
No matter where we vacation, food always becomes one of the most important parts of our experience. Having delicious restaurants near by is something that we search for when we book our vacations.
Ducey's on The Lake
This night we were craving rich flavors and seafood. Ducey's on The Lake had sound like the perfect place to dine, and we were not dissapointed. The 8 minute drive around the lake to reach Ducey's from where we were staying, was a relaxing one. We were starving from the day and could not arrive quick enough.
"Great food, great view and a welcoming staff; what more could we of asked for!?" - C. Miller
My mother ordered the Fresh Catch of the day. For the evening we went, the fresh catch was halibut. She had the choice of the compliments to go with the halibut. She went with the classic rice pilaf and vegetable medley. The halbuit was baked to perfection; flakey with a firm but tender texture. The micro-greens and vegetabiles complimented the flavors nicely.
The Seafood Pasta was the dish I chose; however, there were some modifications made from the origional dish. I am severily allergic to olives and their pasta is made with olive oil. The chef was understanding and informed me that he was able to substitute the linguini noodles with white rice. It was the perfect suggestion and I was greatful for it. The white rice soaked up the rich flavor of the garlic tomato cream sauce, leading to each bite being rich with flavor. The seafood included salmon, shrimp, scallops, crab, with a tomato caper salsa. I savored every delicious bite!
After Eating at Ducey's on the Lake we went to watch the sunset from the pier. The sunset was beautiful. We were able to see how low the water is on this side of the lake, as the docks were half in the lake and half beached on shore. As we watched the sunset, we saw a few kayakers enjoying the same view but on the lake.
Casa Velasco Mexican Restaurant
You cannot go wrong with enjoying Mexican food from Casa Velasco! The salsa was delicious, the food even better, and the staff made the experience memorable!
When we pulled up to Casa Velasco Mexican Restaurant, as per usual, we had ravishing appetites and could not wait to enjoy our meals.
The Chili Verde Enchiladas that my mother had was delicious. The pork was tender, falling apart and the sauce was excellente, made with smoked green chili pepper and has a tangy tomatillo flavor.
The Shrimp Zucchini dish that I ordered was flavorful and exactly what I desired after a long day. The shrimp sautéed with onions, bell peppers, tomatoes and zucchini chunks. I enjoyed this meal with warm corn tortillas.
By the time I realized that we did not take any photos of our plates, it was too late. We had dived in and there was nothing to photograph any longer; compliments to the chef!
Lunch Sandwiches
Deli Delicious
Before each trip, we would pick up a sandwich from the Deli Delicious located in Oakhurst California. Both my mother and I would order from this deli again. It was clean, the sandwiches were delicious, and the customer service was wonderful.
We enjoyed the Avocado, Cucumber and Sprouts sandwich:
"Handcrafted Sandwich on a Toasted French Roll with Fresh Sliced Avocado, Sprouts, Fresh Sliced Cucumbers, Provolone and Whipped Cream Cheese. Served with the Works." - Deli Delicious Website
Places we explored
Yosemite
The drive to Yosemite was beautiful but in horrific way. There were beautiful views of mountain ranges that were once hidden by thick lush tree's that were burnt down during the wildfires. To see how baren the mountain ranges were hit my heart in a way that I did not expect. We lost our cabin in a wildfire during the 2015 Butte Fire, but the majority of our tree's were spared. This was not the case here.
As we continuted the drive, it was a clear beautiful day. We did not come across many cars or other vacationers during most parts of our drive.
Once we made it to Tunnel View Outlook, we were ecstatic! From there we could see Half Dome, El Capitan, and Bridalveil Fall. We finally had made it to the beginning of our destination, and could not wait to see more.
Then we saw smoke; the week we were visiting they were performing a prescribed burn.
Though the prescribed burn was not a part of our plan, we still drove to Yosemite Village and explored the Village Store. When the smoke became too bothersome, we concluded that the scenery we witnessed during our drive was enough for our adventure this time, and chose to head back to Bass Lake.
Mariposa Grove
The day we went to Mariposa Grove, we were looking forward to seeing the giant sequoia tree's. My family and I have a thing about seeing large beautiful tree's. They are living history, and we were close to some of the longest living today. Some of the sequoias there can be up to 3,000 years old!
The shuttle that takes you up to the trailhead was closed for the season still, and without taking the shuttle it is a partly uphill mile hike to the trailhead. We decided that this was not the trip for that kind of hike. From there we decided to drive around and see what was near by.
Wawona Store
We stopped by the Wawona Store near Mariposa Grove, to see what souvenirs they had to offer. This is where we purchased our Yosemite National Park hiking sticks that, we are absolutely still enjoying today. The quality of these hiking sticks surpass the one I had currently owned. It has a cork handle that is comfortable, compression adjustment in two locations for desired height, and it is made from sturdy 6061 aluminum (which is usually used for flooring, stairs and ramps). 10/10 would purchase again.
Pioneer Yosemite History Museum
Near the Wawona Store is the Pioneer Yosemite History Museum, where we chose to enjoy our lunch. We puchased sandwiches at Deli Delicious prior to heading on our way to Mariposa Grove.
Our lunch was enjoyed by the South Fork Merced River, on a picnic table that was shaded by the surrounding trees. Listening to the river run while we ate was peaceful.
The bathrooms near by were very clean; which is a very important piece of knowledge to have when traveling this area!
Ahwahnee Hills Regional Park
When we first arrived here, we decided to enjoy half of our sandwiches and found a picnic table. It was relaxing and had a view of some trails. It could be hot sitting in the direct sun during the summer time, but for this day it was perfect.
After we enjoyed our sandwiches from Deli Delicious, we began on our afternoon walk. It was beautiful and could not have wished for better weather. The clouds made for an added ambiance, while we enjoyed hearing the sounds of birds chirping and nature around us.
During one part of our walk, we had the privilage to watch a rider work with their horse. It was fun to watch in the distance.
Our walk totaled at about 2 miles. There were pleanty of trails to have the walk go further and walk for a longer period of time.
Would we book this adventure again?
To do this trip again, we would conduct further research on:
What prescribed burns are happening in the area (Yosemite had a prescribed burn this trip, which the heavy smoke made it difficult to enjoy Yosemite Village).
What is open during the time of year we would be arriving
Other than that, the trip was a wonderful excape from the suburban life we live at home. The fresh mountain air, hiking with minimal people around, and the great food we enjoyed, was overall a memoriable experience. I look forward to our next adventure and see where it takes us.
Until then, I hope you get to enjoy some fun adventures yourself! If there are any places you recommend in the Bass Lake area or questions about places mentioned, comment below!
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