Best Lodging: Gold Country, CA

Expertise Provided By: “Best Places Northern California”

Emma Nevada House

Famed Nevada City B & B built in 1856 and named after childhood home of 19th century opera star Emma Nevada, the six bedroom house features private baths and a deck for full breakfasts. Some rooms have fireplaces and/or Jacuzzis.

Red Castle Historic Lodging

Four-story 1860s Gothic Revival beauty near downtown Nevada City, lovingly restored with original materials. Five-room bed and breakfast includes a three-room suite with two bedrooms and a sitting room. Six-course gourmet breakfast featuring authentic 19th century recipes.

Deer Creek Inn
B & B

Three story restored Nevada City Victorian perched on the banks of, as you might guess, Deer Creek. Verandas, formal dining room, and rose garden, the site of numerous wedding proposals.

Piety Hill Cottages

Nine nifty Nevada City cottages clustered around a courtyard and garden. The former auto court offers a breakfast basket delivered to your door, an outdoor spa, and barbeque grills.

The Holbrooke Hotel

The Grass Valley hotel where Mark Twain, Black Bart, and three U.S. Presidents slept celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2012. Mixing and matching old and new, the 28 rooms feature gold-rush era furniture and wireless Internet. The Golden Gate Saloon “is the best bar on Main Street.”

Near-Great Trivia: Mark Twain, who entertained crowds at the venerable Nevada City Playhouse, and rested his head at The Holbrooke Hotel, has been famously recreated by actor Hal Holbrook in his 50-years running one-man stage show. Alas, Holbrook spells his name differently than the Holbrooke Hotel. It’s almost a classic bit of historical trivia, but it’s not. So… never mind.
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