Overnight Stop at Felton CA
First leg of a Pacific Coast Highway road trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Planning to spend the night at Santa Cruz. No reservations made ahead of time, so I just have to poke around and find a place to spend the night. A few minutes north of Santa Cruz lies the mountain town of Felton, nestled in the majestic Redwoods. I really didn't have the time for detours, but Felton looked just so perfect on the map - 15 minutes away from both Monterey Bay and Santa Cruz, that I couldn't resist the thought of spending the night in such a peaceful setting, with multiple options for a detour early in the morning - Monterey, Carmel, Pebble Beach, Capitola, Davenport and all of Santa Clara Valley - All within half an hours' drive. And you dodn't even have to take a winding detour for some sightseeing. Even closer to Felton are attractions like Roaring Camp, Big Trees Railroad, Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, and of course the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. So Felton it was for the first stop on the first leg of this epic journey.
After poking around a bit and asking around for a suitable place for an overnight stay, I was directed to the Felton Crest Inn B&B, which, it seems, was supposed to be the finest that Felton, CA had to offer. And it certainly lives up to the reputation. Situated in a secluded clearing sandwiched between a state park and camping grounds, and just about obscured and lost among the tall Redwoods. From the inside, it looked even more like a retreat built by a highly successful writer or artist, with a living room adorned with luxurious sofas and chairs place strategically around a Victorian fireplace. The dining area, with a seating capacity of six, looked warm and comfortable, and I was already looking forward to the next morning's breakfast. The whole place has a slightly unreal look, with the late afternoon sunlight streaming in through the large windows and the dense Redwoods in full view. It was like a place lost in time. I was already thankful I hadn't oped to stay in one of the Santa Cruz hotels.
The Sundeck room I took was equally luxurious, with a king size bed, fluffy pillows and cushions, work desk and chairs, cable TV with a VCR and a video library, wi-fi and broadband internet, a spacious bathroom with jacuzzi, tub and seperate shower. The dark wooden furnishings and the dated portrait on the wall above the bed, the spotless white linen, the vase with fresh flowers and the Redwoods still visible out of the window made it seem almost like home. This place looked less like a hotel than any place I've ever stayed in. Absolutely no noise or disturbance, and the air was so fresh, you felt like taking deep breaths over and over again. I was going to need a short walk in the trails leading out of the Inn after dinner.
Info: Felton Crest Inn - 780 El Solyo Heights Drive Felton CA 95018; (831) 335-4011
