NATIONAL PARK PRESENTS: If you've been to a beautiful and peaceful nature spot, you likely dread the moment you're driving away. You can't believe the weekend went so quickly, and you didn't get to half the things you wanted to do. And the thought of the hustle and grind awaiting you, and the emails and phone calls, can make you a bit blue. That's when the "I'll bring the park with me!" ideas start to kick in. You want to leave all of the natural things in place for others to enjoy, so no souvenirs there. But perhaps you start trawling the gift stores and hotel shops looking for the perfect item to remind you of the weekend you wish had lasted longer. Thanks goodness places like Yosemite have online shops full of gifts and such that summon the weekend you wish you were still on.
AHWAHNEE DISHWARE: Probably our favorite items on the Yosemite site are the pieces of china from the Ahwahnee Hotel. There aren't many hotels nowadays that still have their own signature dishware, but there was a time that all fine lodging establishments, as well as trains and train stations, had their own designs on their dishes. Very elegant stuff.
OTHER ITEMS: A water bottle, a calendar, and Badger Pass tickets round out the gift section. Nope, we haven't yet invented a way for Half Dome to go home with you, but you can extend that peaceful feeling of being in the valley a little longer, or do it for someone who loves the area, via a sweet Yosemite gift or two.
