Best California Inns for Fall Foliage
SACRAMENTO, CA [September 27, 2016]—Parts of Central and Northern California turn ablaze in the autumn months with fiery colors: deep reds, oranges, gold and yellow. Boutique hotels and B&B inns nestled in forests and vineyards throughout the state offer idyllic destinations for exploring fall color with beautiful, winding country routes along the way.
High in the Sierra along scenic the “Golden Chain Highway” (Highway 49), the aspen trees put on a spectacular show from late September through the end of October. Located just off the highway in Sierra City, High County Inn is a four-room mountain lodge overlooking a tranquil pond rimmed by fall colors and an incredible backdrop of the towering Sierra Buttes. The inn provides a great base for hiking and biking around the Lakes Basin Recreation Area and Tahoe National Forest. Nearby, visitors will also find golf courses, winter sports, fine dining, museums, and antique shopping.
Across from Donner Lake in the mountain town of Truckee, the Donner Lake Inn is nestled among over an acre of pine, maple and aspen trees, which provide beautiful fall color early in the season. As the temperatures begin to drop mid-September, the fall colors emerge. Each of the guest rooms feature forest views with window benches or deck overlooking the trees. Each room also has a gas fireplace to enhance the ambience of the season. The inn serves hot spiced apple cider and homemade pumpkin spice cookies or breads each afternoon and there’s an outdoor hot tub open year-round for soaking up the forest views.
Fall in California’s Gold Country doesn’t get any better than at Eden Vale Inn. Indian summers bring pleasant temperatures and autumn’s colors and golden light are on full display amid the inn’s acres of gardens. The foliage in the area begins to turn in October and peaks within the first three weeks of November. The inn features hammocks for lounging beneath the trees, private outdoor soaking tubs for two, and an outdoor fire pit for enjoying the changing season with s’mores and a glass of wine. The nearby Apple Hill harvest festival runs daily through Thanksgiving, and is a great place to pick up a pumpkin or crate of apples.
Also in Gold Country, closer to Yosemite, the leaves will soon be changing colors at the 1859 Historic National Hotel in Jamestown. The inn’s outdoor dining patio is entwined with Virginia Creeper that turns warm shades of orange as the temperatures drop. The surrounding trees also begin their transition to yellow, orange and deep reds. Fall also brings fewer crowds to this charming Gold-Rush era town, where visitors can go wine tasting, take a historic train ride, pan for gold or hike or bike amid the colorful foliage. The inn features beautiful 19th-Century architecture and furnishings, including original the 1859 back bar in the inn’s saloon.
Napa in November is the best place to find fall colors close to the Bay Area. Long after the quaking aspens have gone naked in the Sierras and the Gold Country hardwoods have shed their orange and red leaves, Napa Valley’s vineyards and towns turn out fall’s final show. Early settlers to Napa Valley planted trees to remind them of their homes back east, but the maples, elms, and oaks were used to earlier and colder autumns. Napa’s mild climate delays the changing colors until late October and November, but it pairs well with clusters of ripened grapes and the crimson and gold grape leaves, which turn at the same time. Celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, the Beazley House Bed & Breakfast Inn is Napa’s first B&B and is a warm, inviting base for exploring the fall colors in town and in the vineyards. The circa 1902 mansion is surrounded by half an acre of beautiful gardens and is located within walking distance to world-class restaurants, tasting rooms and the Oxbow Public Market. The inn has 11 rooms, all with private baths. Some of the rooms also have fireplaces and two-person whirlpool tubs.
Also located in downtown Napa, the Inn on Randolph is another ideal base for exploring Napa Valley in the fall. The beautifully-renovated inn features a modern sensibility, heated bathroom floors, luxurious beds and gourmet breakfasts prepared in a gluten-safe kitchen. Guests are surrounded by the gorgeous colors of fall as they walk down the street to the many restaurants and tasting rooms in the area. Just a short drive from the inn, guests can experience the beautiful fall foliage of the vineyards. The best time to visit to see Napa Valley’s changing colors is towards the end of October and beginning of November.
For more information about these and other California inns, visit www.cabbi.com.
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Media Contact: Ranee Ruble, ranee@papermooncreative.net or 503-788-3938
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