Country inns and lodgings of all kinds are working overtime
nowadays coming up with marketing ideas to call more
attention to their offerings, but one combination in
particular really caught our eye: outdoor concerts at a
historic inn just a half hour from one of the nation's
premiere national parks, Yosemite.

If there's a getaway that seems to hit all the buttons,
this one is it. Outdoor concerts are fun anytime, but
combine that with a unique lodging experience and
unforgettable scenery and you have one of those getaways
that people will travel some distance to experience.

The Groveland Hotel is located in the small town of
Groveland, California, and offers something they call the
Yosemite Courtyard Theatre in which they take their outdoor
patio and convert it to a concert venue a half-dozen or
more times each summer. Over the past few years the
concerts have been so successful that the hotel now has a
big-time venue seating chart on its website where you can
choose exactly which of the 100 available seats you will
occupy.

Yes, it's an intimate setting - but that makes it even
better.

The artists tend to be tribute bands - groups that copy the
appearance and sound of famous bands like the Beatles, the
Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones and, of course, Elvis.
Tickets are reasonably priced, ranging from $15 to $35 a
seat.

According to Front Desk Manager and Event Coordinator Jim
Novak, concert-goers are about evenly divided between
visitors and local residents. Lodging packages are
available if you're staying at the Groveland Hotel, which
has 17 uniquely decorated rooms. The historic inn features
Victorian furniture, plush featherbeds, private baths, a
full-service saloon and free wifi/internet access for all
rooms. This is a bed-and-breakfast inn so, included in your
stay, will be a breakfast that includes a variety of
fresh-baked goods, egg dishes, cereals, yogurt, coffee,
tea, juices and fruits.

The Groveland Inn also has received excellent reviews for
the "California- fresh cuisine" served in its restaurant,
which has also been recognized by Wine Spectator Magazine
for its extensive wine list. The menu includes sales, fish,
pasta and steaks all prepared with seasonal ingredients.

The tiny town of Groveland is on the most direct, scenic
route to Yosemite from the San Francisco Bay area - Highway
120. Drive another 26 miles and you come to the north
entrance of Yosemite National Park.

Another great accommodation in Groveland is the Hotel
Charlotte, also a historic property that was purchased a
few years ago by Lynn Upthagrove and her husband, Victor.
Lynn says they did extensive renovations and that most
everything in the hotel was replaced. The result is a
charming Old West kind of hotel layout that is more
bed-and-breakfast than it is hotel. We enjoyed a stay at
the hotel, where the accommodations were small, but quite
comfortable.

The breakfast that is included with the room at Hotel
Charlotte features pancakes and eggs and several other
items such as cereals and pastries. At night, the breakfast
area becomes a gourmet restaurant where Victor cooks up a
variety of dishes he has mastered while working with
various specialty chefs and by growing up in a restaurateur
family.

The town of Groveland is one of several former Gold Rush
towns in this part of the state and it still has that
Western Main Street feel to it. Across the street from
Hotel Charlotte is the Iron Door Saloon, where it feels
like a bar out of your favorite Western - and where they
serve surprisingly good food. Up the street a piece is the
old Town Jail that has been lovingly restored just for the
tourists to come and view what Frontier Justice was really
like.

On our trip to Groveland, we found it to be a quick and
scenic climb from there into Yosemite National Park. The
Sequoia forests and scenery didn't just start at the
entrance to the park - these special vistas were evident
well before we approached the park boundaries and visible
in every direction.

It's not far from the Highway 120 entrance to the Yosemite
Valley where we soon were enjoying grand views of the rock
walls that have made Yosemite so famous. It's not hard to
see why Yosemite is considered to be the "Crown Jewel" of
the National Park System - the towering granite cliffs are
the result of earthquakes, glaciers and other forces that
have been at work here for millions of years. In all, the
park encompasses about 1,170 square miles of pristine
forests, waterfalls, and alpine lakes, but visitors are
most awe-struck by these walls of granite that dwarf their
surroundings.

Soon after entering the Valley we encountered Bridal Veil
Falls, one of the park's most famous sights and easily
visible after an easy 10-minute walk from the parking lot.
The runoff during the fall season undoubtedly is less than
in the springtime, but even the relative trickle of water
cascading down the sheer rock cliff was impressive.
Visitors couldn't help but be tempted by the stair-step
rocks leading to a closer view of the falls - even though a
sign offers a stern warning that "fatalities have occurred"
climbing on these sometimes slippery rocks.

Further down the road, there it was - El Capitan - perhaps
the most famous of the park landmarks, and a stunner the
first time you view it up close. Even during our off-season
visit, dozens of cars were parked alongside of the road
while their occupants stood by staring upward at this
4,000-foot rock wall. It was difficult to imagine people
actually climbing El Capitan, but they do. As they say,
each to his own.

And so it goes when you're visiting Yosemite - a different
spectacular sight every few minutes as you drive through
stands of Sequoia or Pine trees, stopping at trailheads to
walk even further into the wilderness where you cross
babbling brooks and enjoy numerous sightings of wildlife
such as the Western Gray Squirrels, Golden Eagles or
Peregrine Falcons. Combine that with a historic inn and a
fun outdoor concert and you have the makings for a
memorable California getaway.

AT A GLANCE

WHERE: Yosemite National Park is in Northern California,
about 90 miles east of Fresno and is accessible from
Highway 99 by taking Highway 120, Highway 140 or Highway
41. You'll find Groveland on Highway 120, about 26 miles
west of the north entrance to Yosemite National Park.

WHAT: Yosemite National Park is considered the "Crown
Jewel" of the National Park System and is one of
California's most popular tourist attractions. The variety
of scenery and numerous natural attractions can be explored
for days, even weeks. Add to that an outdoor concert and
you have a getaway experience that is quite unique.

WHEN: Year-round, although some lodgings are closed in
winter, and roads can be treacherous. If you're bothered by
crowds, consider visiting in fall and spring when there are
fewer visitors, yet natural beauty abounds. The Groveland
concerts, however, are only offered during the summer
season.

WHY: Yosemite National Park offers a wide variety of scenic
and natural attractions for all ages. The concerts at the
Groveland Hotel are fun, and the town itself is a charming
place to stay that is a little bit away from the crowds of
Yosemite.

HOW: For more information on the concerts at the Groveland
Hotel, phone 1-800-273-3314 or visit www.groveland.com.