Rural Bed & Breakfast Retreats

Specials & Packages:
Motorcycle Deals

How I Became an Innkeeper: Groveland Hotel

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CABBI Cookbook Recipe: Amaretto French Toast

Special Deals for Motorcyclists

Zoom into the Inn at Locke House, you’ll find safe parking for your bike, a barn workshop just in case you have to tinker, amenities to lighten your load, and even laundry services if you’re on a long trip. The innkeepers’ son races, so they personally know what bikers appreciate. The inn’s location in Lockeford is perfect for exploring the Sacramento River Delta and the Sierra Foothills. Take 20% off a two-night stay Sunday through Thursday or 20% off your second night Friday through Saturday during the month of May. (And remember to ask for your Thomas Jefferson!)

If you’re planning a two-wheeled trip along the legendary Pacific Coast Highway, Elk Cove Inn & Spa has a deal for you. The Elk Cove Inn knows it’s hard for bikers and cyclists to know in advance just how far they’ll travel each day, and the inn can accommodate. Call the inn in the morning or just stop in and ask what is available. Travelers on motorcycles and bicycles will receive 25% off the room rate midweek or 15% off on Saturdays. Included are a gourmet champagne breakfast, complimentary afternoon wine and "make your own" cocktails with appetizers and a welcome basket of wine, homemade cookies, and fruit. The inn also has a full service European day spa to help you relax with a 10% discount on all treatments. Our ocean front inn has easy access to the beach and plenty of safe, off-street parking.

For all the “Easy Riders” out there, roll up on your Road Bike, and stay at Hillcrest House B&B! Motorcycle enthusiast and Innkeeper, Ann Callahan shares all her insider tips of San Diego’s picturesque back roads. ”Guests love scenic road maps with a “Local Rider’s”
perspective on cool places to rest; have a burger, and a cold one!” Included in your room rate: Well lighted, secured, off-street parking, breakfast, and “Motorcycle Friendly” local road maps.

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Groveland Hotel
by Peggy A. Mosley

Becoming an innkeeper was never something I imagined myself doing. After an exciting career which required extensive travel (13 years with the U.S. Air Force as a computer programmer/
systems analyst and 27 years as a manager at Lockheed Missiles & Space Company), I was preparing to retire to our Sierra Foothills home in Groveland, California, which is a half hour from Yosemite National Park.

I began thinking I should find something to do because otherwise, I would grow very bored. That something was getting a real estate license. While sitting in my broker’s office in Groveland one gray Sunday afternoon in December 1989, she mentioned that the old Groveland Hotel was coming out of foreclosure. I had been coming to our second home since 1978, but I had never been in this old hotel. I suggested we go look at the property.

We literally pulled the boards off the doors to get in. The property consisted of two buildings that had been closed up for three years: an 1849 adobe and a 1914 Queen Ann. We toured both buildings twice; they were the filthiest, nastiest, smelliest buildings I’d ever been in. On the second trip down the old staircase in the adobe, a light went off in my head and a vision appeared of exactly what this place could look like. This would be the dining room of the restaurant… and off to the right by the main entrance is where the lobby would be… and then here’s where the kitchen would be, and we could have guest rooms upstairs, perhaps with a parlor and fireplace. Then the other building could be all guest rooms.

I knew then what my new career was going to be: an innkeeper! I barely knew how to spell it, much less how to do it, but I had great faith. I went back to the office and wrote up an offer on the property. I called my husband and told him I’d just bought us a hotel. He screamed, “What?” We closed escrow in May 1990.

Cash flow suddenly became important. I relied on my years of business travel to guide me in what I would like to find in a property just outside Yosemite.

Over the Memorial Day holiday in 1990, some friends, our three sons, and their families helped us by spending five days cleaning, painting, restoring old systems to operational status, putting down new carpet, and filling 15 guest rooms and 8 bathrooms with antiques. The former owners had removed even the sinks from the rooms; nothing was left except the walls.

We had our first guests in June: four young women from Ireland who smoked pot in their non-smoking room. It was quite the intro to innkeeping.

Then it was time to find out how to run an inn. Thank goodness for Pat Hardy and Joann Bell, who were the founders of the Professional Association of Innkeepers. These two ladies were the most patient, caring souls I’ve ever known! There was no question too silly or stupid for them. They literally led me by the hand through our first year or so of owning the property. Armed with a solid business plan and a new million-dollar SBA loan, we were ready to conquer the hospitality world!

I discovered the California lodging organizations and became involved in them, learning from conferences, seminars, educational materials, member resources, etc. The California Hotel & Lodging Association (CH&LA) and California Association of Bed & Breakfast Inns (CABBI) have been major resources, as well as participation on boards for our Chambers of Commerce, Visitor’s Bureau, Lodging Association and other trade organizations.

Now almost 20 years later, I can say this one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done, and probably one of the best decisions I ever made.

Rural Bed & Breakfast Retreats

NORTH COAST

Wake to a delicious breakfast topped off with apple pie and the bucolic sights of a working farm at the Farmhouse B&B at RiverBar Farm. Five hours north of San Francisco on California’s remote North Coast, Peter and Sharmon Kenyon operate a farm stay/bed and breakfast on 18 acres in Humboldt County. The Kenyons raise cattle, sheep, pigs, chicken, turkeys, ducks, and geese. The farm is a short drive to the scenic, redwood-lined Avenue of the Giants.

Brewery Gulch Inn offers the beauty of a rural setting with the convenience of being just a mile from the historic town of Mendocino. The inn is a designated Audubon sanctuary and a number of species can be enjoyed from the deck, which also offers ocean views. Produce harvested from the inn’s organic garden and other local sources are used to create the sumptuous breakfasts. Arrangements can be made for horseback riding on the beach, kayaking up Big River, hiking, and biking.

In the heart of Sonoma’s Russian River Wine Country, the Farmhouse Inn and Restaurant is a luxury inn near Healdsburg offering sophisticated comfort and elegance on six acres of gardens. Savor a sublime, farm-fresh breakfast and then relax by the heated pool or pamper yourself with a relaxing massage. The Farmhouse’s renowned Michelin-starred restaurant and spa are on premises. From the inn, explore the Sonoma Coast, redwoods, and the region’s famed wineries.

SACRAMENTO AND NORTH GOLD COUNTRY

Escape to Capay Valley and enjoy a relaxing getaway at an 1898 farm house located on a 142-acre working ranch. Capay Valley Bed & Breakfast is only a short drive from Sacramento or the Bay Area and just a ridge away from Napa Valley. Take a tour of the inns’ on-site zoo and see a variety of farm animals as well as more unusual animals like llamas and zebras. Capay Valley also offers many other activities such as hiking, rafting, and hot springs.

Located amid a working citrus orchard, the Flower Farm Inn is an inviting, turn-of-the-century farmhouse filled with antiques and fresh-cut flowers from the garden. Outside, take a peek at the whimsical “gypsy chicks” chicken and gather some eggs. Wander through the orchards and sample fruit from the trees. Tour the gardens filled with well-tended antique roses and other blooms. Enjoy a game of bocce ball, horseshoes or croquet on the lawn. The farm also has a nursery and coffee house on site.

SIERRA MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS

Nestled among the forested wilderness of the Sierras, the McCaffrey House B&B in Twain Harte is a destination for all four seasons. From the inn, travelers can explore historic gold mining towns, the pristine Emigrant Wilderness, Yosemite National Park, Dodge Ridge Ski Resort, and numerous lakes and rivers. Each day’s breakfast is served in a country-style setting with views of the forest, birds, wildlife, and rays of sunshine or snowflakes in flight.

Another four-season mountain getaway in the Sierras is the Arnold Black Bear Inn. Nestled among the trees, the 5,200 square-foot timber frame inn boasts a spectacular great room with a large rock fireplace and 25-foot ceilings. The guest rooms are well-appointed with king beds, fireplaces, flat screen LCD/satellite television, and in-room refrigerators. The inn’s location serves as a great base for exploring the Calaveras Big Trees and the spectacular Ebbetts Pass Scenic Byway.

Set on 11 acres of oak trees in the foothills of the Sierras, the Restful Nest Bed & Breakfast entices travelers from around the world to experience old California hospitality with the flavor of Provence. The inn and its grounds provides a relaxing milieu with a range of amenities including a barbecue pit, picnic area, swimming pool, spa, and fishing pond, which is catch and release. The inn is located 40 miles from Yosemite National Park in Mariposa.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MOUNTAINS

At the Alpenhorn Bed & Breakfast Inn, guests will discover a place designed to meet the needs of the most discerning guest. Located on nearly two landscaped acres of alpine forest between the Village and the Snow Summit Ski Area, the inn features guestrooms with fully tiled showers and separate whirlpool bathtubs for two, spa robes, fireplaces, phones, king or queen feather beds, televisions and VCRs, and private balconies.

PASO ROBLES

The Dunning Ranch Guest Suites are located on 40 acres in one of the fastest growing touring and wine producing areas in the state: Paso Robles and the Central Coast region of California. Co-located with the award winning Dunning Vineyards, this property is nestled in the heart of west side Paso Robles wine country. The two-suite inn offers vineyard views, private winemaker tasting and tours of our family Estate Winery along with in-room continental breakfast for all guests.

Also in the heart of the Paso Robles wine country, Carriage Vineyards is set on a 100 acre ranch with 28 acres of vineyards, 850 olive trees, and a Carriage House displaying 18 antique carriages. Enjoy a horse-drawn carriage ride through the vineyards or go for a hike on the ranch. The tastefully decorated rooms offer views of the vineyards, hills, stream, and woods. After breakfast, take Grape Ed 101--a fun, one-hour tour and course in planting and maintaining a vineyard.

CENTRAL COAST

Amid acres of pumpkin fields in the sleepy coastal town of Half Moon Bay, the Pacific Victorian Bed & Breakfast is a Victorian style inn located just a block and a half from the beach. Slip away from the city while still enjoying all of the comforts of modern amenities. The inn features private baths with whirlpool tubs, luxurious linens, in-room televisions, DVD players, and more. From the inn, guests can go for a stroll along the sand and enjoy the rural coastal scenery.

Nestled among lush flower and strawberry fields along the Pacific Coast bike route between Santa Cruz and Monterey, Flora Vista Inn is a restored 1867 farmhouse offering romantic rooms, sweeping vistas, homemade breakfasts, and two clay tennis courts. The inn is also a short walk from spectacular beaches.

In the enchanting village of Cambria on California’s Central Coast, the Ollalieberry Inn is an 1873 Greek Revival set on the banks of the Santa Rosa Creek. Inn offers a peaceful and private oasis, yet it’s just a short walk to fine restaurants, shops and galleries. Rent a bike to explore the area’s scenic back roads or walk along the beach. The inn is located six miles south of Hearst Castle and is a short drive to Paso Robles wine country.

Goodman House
Amaretto French Toast
Makes 6 servings

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CABBI Cookbook online at www.cabbi.com/cookbook or peruse recipe collections at our new, Online Recipe Box at www.cabbi.com/recipes.