At the beginning of 2020, I had some lofty plans. Most of those lofty plans involved a lot of traveling, however, this crazy year definitely had other plans, didn’t it? After staying locked down with the “Safer at Home” orders here in California, Nate and I needed to get out of the small four walls of our apartment SO BADLY! We decided where else could be safer
during a pandemic than a national park getaway? Enter Rush Creek Lodge to the rescue! After securing our reservations to Yosemite National Park, we set off for our stay at Rush Creek Lodge, which, in my humble opinion, is one of the best places to stay outside of Yosemite National Park itself! It is literally minutes away from the West entrance of the park, so it is incredibly close and convenient. On top of that, all their amenities and activities make it a fabulous choice, whether you have a family, just a spouse, or are traveling with friends!
Let’s start with the rooms! Rush Creek has a very modern rustic feel, and their rooms are nice and roomy and so cozy. The only thing you’ll notice that is missing is a TV…none of the rooms here have them so it gives you the perfect opportunity to spend real quality time with your loved ones. I loved that they had tons of board games and books in the room to entertain yourself instead; of course, they were sanitized and sealed in a plastic bag so you can feel safe and secure taking advantage of them!
While walking around the property, I immediately noticed how frequently I came across hand sanitizers. Rush Creek Lodge is really taking the pandemic seriously by putting in place their “clean and safe program” that is based on guidance from governmental agencies and industry groups. You can truly have peace of mind that during these times, they are taking every precaution so that you can travel safely with peace of mind.
Of all their amenities, I have to say I enjoyed the pool the most! It is pretty massive and is a wonderful place to unwind for the day or cool off after a day exploring the park. The best part about it is it is open 24 hours a day, so you can go for a late night dip if you so choose. The pool is also solar heated, so if you happen to be visiting in the chillier seasons, you can still enjoy Rush Creek’s pool. If you feel like a drink or a snack, you can satisfy your cravings at their full service pool bar, which is open Friday-Sunday, May through October.
Let’s say you get done with your swim but you still want some outdoor fun….Rush Creek Lodge has plenty other on-site outdoor activities to enjoy, such as their hiking trails, or, my personal favorite, their yard games. I am always down for a friendly game of checkers or Connect 4, especially when its lifesize!
One thing I loved about Rush Creek was the fact that they had fun activities planned each day. During our stay, I noticed some of the activities on offer were a paint night, basket weaving, and tye die. If you want to see me getting my tie dye on, make sure you check out my Rush Creek Vlog!
When you are on the Rush Creek Lodge property, you are kind of in the middle of nowhere, but if you need supplies, they definitely have you covered with anything you could need in their general store, whether you need to stock up on snacks, grab a bottle of wine, have a craving for a latte, or forgot some gear for exploring Yosemite, you can probably find it on site, and I really felt like their prices were very fair considering the fact that you are on a resort.
If you love having an incredible meal when you travel, you can make a reservation at Rush Creek’s restaurant, which is open daily for outdoor seating only. As they are only able to seat outside, I highly recommend you make a reservation in advance, which is what we did for our first night of our stay. You can also order from their menu and take your food to go to enjoy in your room or on the grounds at one of their many seating areas. For desert, head to their activities center and ask for a s’mores kit to make your own s’mores by the fire….the perfect ending to a day at Rush Creek Lodge!
If you want to see more of what Rush Creek Lodge has to offer, make sure to check out my vlog of our stay here, and also, VERY IMPORTANT…make sure to subscribe to my youtube channel!
If you are looking for more ideas on where to travel during the pandemic, make sure to check out this recent blog post for another favorite getaway of mine!
travel where to stay in yosemite
