My husband, daughter and I decided we needed to getaway for a few days.
I’ve always wanted to stay in a bed and breakfast inn, and I remembered hearing about an old historic mining town, named Julian, in the mountains east of San Diego, Ca. There is a grand old historic hotel there, called the Julian Hotel. www.julianhotel.com
It was built in 1897 during the gold rush years and is the oldest operating hotel in southern California. The beautifully restored rooms are appointed in Queen Anne and Victoria period furnishings. Appropriate for the era and setting.
Staying there was very low-key and relaxing. There were no TVs, or phones, so we spent some time in the parlor playing Scrabble, reading and actually talking to each other (imagine that). Also, eating yummy homemade breakfasts and afternoon tea-time, were a real delight.
I was looking through the history of the Hotel and was interested to find out who had registered and stayed there. A few of the renowned were… F.Scott Fitzgerald, C.S. Lewis, George Jessel, E.A. Poe (son), Debbie Reynolds, Willie Shoemaker, Johnny Cash, Admiral Nimitz, Jimmy Dorsey, Tom Jones, Gladys Knight, Richard Chamberlin, Dan Ackroyd, John Ritter, W.T. Corbusier (sooo not his style, the wife made him go, ha!) and so many other notable names.
Also, a friendly ghost, of the original owner, has been said to “tuck you into bed” and his footsteps were heard ”walking the halls” and also the “smell of his cigars”, have been reported. We did not have an encounter though, (darn, that would’ve really been something to write about!)
Anyway, we had a fabulous few days of, turn-of-the-century living. I could really appreciate the simpler, less chaotic pace of life back then. If you ever get a chance to stay at a B and B, do so. It’s like visiting your Great Grandmother’s house, handmade quilts on the beds, lace on the windows, squeaky wood floors, well worn antiques , and the smell of fresh apple pie baking in the kitchen, really, ( Julian, is renowned for it’s Apple-Everything).
Sometimes you don’t have to go far, or for a long time, to get a real change of atmosphere. This was close by, but it felt like 100 years away.
Have you ever been anywhere like this? We’d love to hear about it!
(click on pictures to enlarge)
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1. I love B& B’s! I am so looking forward to going on a little trip in the beginning of Sept. to a B&B in Cambria. Julian is a wonderful little town, quaint and sweet. I have added the Julian Hotel to my list of “must stays” for future vacations. Thanks for sharing!
Lidy
by Frenchgardenhouse — 8/19/08 at 10:51 am #
2. Hello Lidy,
Thanks so much for dropping by.
You will love Cambria. (Cambria is about half way between L.A. and San Francisco on the coast). What a beautiful drive up the coast. We stayed in Cambria and visited the Hearst San Simeon Castle…don’t miss that for art and architecture.
You’ll love the Julian Hotel for a really calm and relaxing getaway. Take some books ,a good appetite, and maybe you’ll get “tucked into bed”. LOL.
Write back soon and tell us about Cambria.
by Cathy — 8/19/08 at 12:51 pm #
3. I have stayed at a few B&B’s with a group of girlfriends…
Always an interesting experience….I love to learn the history of the area.
One in Eureka Springs Ark. had notes on everything….”Don’t sit here” “Turn water on to the left”…It was crazy.
One in St Charles MO was a wild crazy quilt of design styles….PICK ONE!!!!
The food was always good….
Beds…all different!
Worth doing…
Thanks Cath for sharing your fun trip…it brought back lots of memories.
by Julie — 8/19/08 at 8:47 pm #
4. Hi Julie,
Thanks for sharing your B & B experiences. They are all different and all have their own unique styles and personality. That’s what makes them so fun. It’s like staying with long lost relatives, instead of walking into cookie-cutter rooms of chain hotels.
I love all the quirkiness in each original room. It’s just plain fun and comforting to stay in one.
Yes, the food is sooo good…I think it’s the atmosphere that adds a bit more FLAVOR to everything.
Thanks for your thoughts !
LYC.
by Cathy — 8/21/08 at 11:40 am #
5. Hi Cathy, I love B&B’s…we actually just stayed at one of our favorites in the Adirondack region of New York State… http://www.mooseriverhousebb.com It is full of history and antiques as the owner is the great-grandson of the DeCamp family who settled the Town of Thendara (near Old Forge) I am sure there are so many beautiful places like the one you featured in your blog as well in California…I have been to Lake Tahoe skiing and loved that area too. It is hard to believe summer is almost over…I am glad we both got away to visit some of this countrys great B&B’s….I live close to Canada and a town called Niagara-on-the-Lake (wine country) There are fantastic B&B’s over there..oh well, we can at least dream!!! Keep writing these get blogs…I really enjoy reading them…loved your one on the beach too…take care Margie
by margie — 8/25/08 at 10:49 am #
6. Hello Margie,
I guess you needed a break from all that decorating and went to a B & B for a little rest. LOL. The one you went to sounds wonderful. I’ll check it out on the web. There’s always such great history to most of the B & Bs.
It sounds like you had a great time. I bet it’s beautiful where you live in New York. Niagara-on-the-Lake sounds dreamy. Near the falls I guess?
What fun places these B & Bs are, I plan to go to more. So homey, you feel like one of the family when you leave. Thanks for adding to the topic.
How’s the dining room coming along? What did you decide to do?
Thank you so much for your nice comments as usual. I’m glad you’re enjoying the posts.
Write back soon friend!
by Cathy — 8/25/08 at 5:04 pm #
7. Dear Cathy: Yes, Niagara Falls is about 40 minutes from my house and I was actually born and raised there…we did take a break from the diningroom project because my husband is refinishing the inside of all of our windows and that has been a project…I have my paint samples and my daughters want me to lean toward a shade of green rather than blue? I have about 2 weeks to decide because he will be ready to paint about then…I also wanted to mention 1 more B&B I ran across in a town called Upper Lake California… Northern California go to http://www.TheTallmanHotel.com it looks fantastic…I have just started collecting Heron Paintings for my house in Florida and when I saw the one hanging there it took my breath away…I love the rooms there and the style they decorated it in.. Maybe someday you can visit there….Margie Fitchlee
by margie — 8/25/08 at 10:31 pm #
8. Dear Cathy: The Hotel is called The Tallman Hotel Upper Lake California…but the web-site is actually http://www.tallmanhotel.com
I wanted you to check it out…if I lived in California and in close enough driving distance I would definately try to make it there…the yellow walls in the entrance look much like the ones I have now in my newly painted livingroom…the other room behind the entrance looks a deeper shade of yellow but that heron picture really makes a statement…I love this Hotel….enjoy Margie
by margie — 8/26/08 at 9:31 am #
9. Hi Margie,
Wow, that’s quite a boutique hotel! Love the decor. The rooms are beautiful. That yellow entry with the 2 chairs, table and heron painting is lovely. Is this your style of furnishings as well? It sounds like all your decorating is coming along beautifully. Now, you’ll have to make a trip out to Calif. and stay there for a lot more great inspiration LOL. It’s quite a bit away from where I live but it would be worth the trip to go .
You know, there’s probably hundreds of these B & Bs and boutique hotels all over the country that you never hear about. Think of what we’re missing!
Thanks for sending the site…It’s a winner!
Write back soon and tell us what color you decide to paint the D.R.
All the best to you.
by Cathy — 8/26/08 at 6:20 pm #