Our 1st B&B and it was in Placerville of all places

 

Truth be told and this should come as no shock to any of my regulars, but a Bed and Breakfast in the middle of fire country would not be our typical choice for a getaway. But as luck would have it, one of my husbands oldest friends was tying the knot. 

And a Holiday Inn just wasn’t gonna cut it for me. 

Mainly because I was going to be spending a decent amount of time doing me…(Chris had groomsman responsibilities) which left me with ample time to entertain myself. And the Mommy in me was thinking SPA. I’ve got no problem being on my own…as long as there’s a SPA. 

With that being said, obviously Holiday Inn was Holiday Out. And after an extensive hour and a half search, I came up on availability at a quaint, peaceful looking Bed & Breakfast called Eden Vale Inn. Finding a place on a weekend during wedding season is no peace of cake, especially out in the middle of the country. But we lucked out and booked a nice room overlooking the entrance to Eden Vale Inn. Located in Placerville, it was about a 2.5 hour road trip, leaving our home in the Bay Area.

Eden Vale Inn asked us for an honest GoogleReview so here’s what I wrote:

“Leave your kids, the suburbs and your worries behind. Out here there’s nothing but peace and quiet. Our suite was the Gray Pine and for inquiring minds, this room overlooks the entrance to the inn. Robes upon request, as are the masseuses. Yes! There is absolutely an on-site spa room where I thoroughly enjoyed a deep tissue massage before a soak in our giant tub.

The Gray Pine. Our suite for the weekend.

The on-site spa room.

You are in the middle of the country, so Uber and DoorDash are not going to be your best bet. We ended up using a cab service to shuttle us to and from a Wedding we were attending. Keep that in mind! Breakfast is a set menu every morning and it was OK. I’m not big on eggs so I ended up not eating breakfast the second morning. I didn’t realize we wouldn’t be able to choose what we wanted, and I was secretly disappointed. I wasn’t there on the day waffles were being served. lol. There was a shared kitchenette where we could store the drinks we brought, and any food if we wanted to.

Nice robes on request.

Eden Vale has a private pond with a row boat.

The grounds at Eden Vale Inn

 The bed was of the utmost comfort, which is probably like the most important detail. The shower was just as fabulous as the outdoor tub. The room was incredibly welcoming, serene and very cozy. And the views, just wow. Lovely grounds and a nice welcoming staff.

Our room was quite nice. Very peaceful.

The outdoor tub on our deck was crazy deep. Crazy. It was wonderful.

Actually really good well water at your disposal.

The lovely grounds of Eden Vale at sunset.

 OK, so what’s an honest review without some cons right? I mean nothing major, but details matter. With that said, the towels were rough. Literally. Like sandpaper. So do yourself a favor and bring your own bath towels because I think they might not use fabric softener, which is probably to conserve. Getting out of that nice dual head shower or that nice deep, soaking tub and using a rough towel is no fun! Kind of ruins the experience, ya know? Not for nothing but considering I think we paid $500 plus, for our second night there, I mean fluffy towels should be a no-brainer...maybe the towels are better in other rooms. I don’t know. All I know is our towels were bad enough for me to mention it.

 And before anyone, cops, an attitude, I am California born and raised. So fire season is not something I am a stranger to. With that said, I don’t know if I needed a post-it on my candle, telling me open flames were prohibited. I get it. We are surrounded by dry timber. I thought the “no open flame policy” was for the outside deck area…I know I’m not the only one who brings travel candles for ambience. And while I did acquiesce to their request on the post-it, obviously, I was slightly annoyed. But since we are guests on someone’s property, we threw away our $200 candle.… I’m just kidding! Lol

 Just a minor nuisance but yeah, leave your candles at home if you’re going to stay here. AND yes…my responsible self never left the room with the candle lit. It was blown out anytime we left… I noticed they also unplugged my hair straightener, which, for the record was also off. But something tells me their paranoia about fires is more than the average bear...understandable. 100%… I just admittedly have to say it felt like my mom came into my room while I was gone lol! Leaving notes and unplugging straighteners…mom, that you? Okay I’m done. You’ll love it here. Just leave your candles and bring your towels and you’ll be good!”

When Eden Vale responded to my review, they didn’t understand that my candle was brought along more for the SCENT than the mood lighting aspect. I should note they do have an exquisite lighting situation, lending to customized lighting in your room and bathroom. A nice detail. Candles aren’t necessary for mood lighting. BUT I like my room to smell how I want my room to schmellll. Ugh, I digress. The likelihood of us staying there in the future is slim. Mainly because we aren’t out that way very often. But if you ARE out that way, I would definitely stay there. 

Considering the surrounding alternatives, trust, this is your best bet if you follow my recommendations.

We were here for a wedding nearby, so here I am all dolled up!
Dress by Bec & Bridge

My ever-so-perfect luggage for this trip.

I’m haphazardly using one of their towels for my hair. Their robes, however are perfect.