Miles from Nowhere is just fine in Upper Lake County
By: Stephanie Levin
Tags: Getaway, California, Lake County, North American Stories, Wines

Story by Stephanie Levin

Photos by Stephanie Levin, Karen Misuraca, and John Sundsmo

We, who live in the Bay Area, have a tendency to boast about our place on the planet. You know the hype: great chefs, culinary creativity, culture galore, three recycling bins, green bike lanes, entitlement…need I continue? To escape all this glamour, I’m constantly scouting for a weekend escape to settle myself, simplify my senses, get away from it all. Alas, Upper Lake County, cloaked in natural splendor and grace with just enough elegance rubbing elbows with salt of the earth people, is that place.

Antique store on Main Street

As the curvaceous, country road wends past granddaddy oaks and verdant hillsides, a slice of old California emerges when the state was truly golden and agriculture, not development, dominated large swaths of land. Prior to Prohibition, vineyards thrived here, and today small wineries once again have asserted their claim. The valley is a rich tapestry of agricultural and viticultural delights of family-owned businesses. The landscape has a physical effect on visitors; pulses simmer down and the relaxation response kicks in. No one is in a hurry here.

Moseying down Main Street is a redolent jaunt of bygone eras: a bakery, a deli, an antique shop, a red barn, the Blue Wing Saloon and Cafe, and the historic Tallman Hotel, all within a yawn of each other.

Tallman Historic Hotel

The Tallman Hotel, which has been restored from the original 1890s building, seamlessly blends the best of the past-historical delights and polish with the refinement of the present– classy comfort with state-of-the-art environmental amenities. The historic hotel reigns like a romantic jewel over the street. I chose one of the four garden rooms; impeccably decorated with just the right touch of sophistication, yet comfortable enough to curl up in one of the armchairs and read. Though not all rooms have the wooden Japanese soaking tub in the enclosed patio, mine did. At night under a constellation of stars, I savored country silence while soaking in the warm water, a perfect elixir for sleep.

Blue Wing Saloon and Cafe entrance. Photo: Courtesy Karen Misuraca

The Blue Wing Saloon and Cafe sits across the fountain-filled courtyard from the Tallman, so guests enjoy afternoons and evenings chatting with friends or simply sipping a glass of fine wine on the colorful Adirondack chairs before a delicious dinner. A schedule on the front of the Blue Wing Cafe announces musical events, and Sunday brunch usually draws a crowd of locals to enjoy music and the food. This isn’t the crank-up the music crowd; it’s music of a mellower era, and it’s not uncommon for everyone to sing along. On my Sunday visit, local musicians Gloria Strasburg on vocals and Dan Coffin on guitar entertained. I savored the ambiance, music of a softer genre-think Joan Baez, Crosby Stills, Nash, Young, and Dylan- yet, mellow enough to converse, beautiful enough to turn heads; the best of an unpretentious Sunday afternoon.

Blast to the past with musicians Gloria Strasburg and Dan Coffin

Although one could sit in the large rocking chairs on the porch of the Tallman Hotel, or an Adirondack in the garden, Upper Lake County beckons with a bevy of activities from outdoor options to olive oil and wine tasting.

Main Street may not kick up its heels at night, but there are rare and insightful people to meet for those who like to stay close to town. It was over cocktails that I met brothers Daniel and Javier Salmon, established goat-cheese producers in the region. The brothers immigrated from Peru with their family decades ago, bringing with them the family secret of producing fine cheese. I promised a peek at their Yerba Santa Goat Dairy on my way out of town, and Javier promised a cheese-making tour.

The brothers, Daniel and Javier Salmon, Yerba Santa Goat Dairy

The region’s wilderness offers unspoiled outdoor opportunities, both on land and water. Clear Lake is the county’s largest freshwater lake noted for both fishing and boating. For an insight into the natural wonders on the lake, take Eyes on the Wild nature tour in a pontoon with regional naturalists as your guide, or paddle and explore the sloughs or waterways. If you’d rather go by foot, there are numerous hiking trails from aerobic to gentle near Clear Lake, or if you are lucky enough to arrive during wildflower season, to coin the late Tom Petty:” You belong among the wildflowers.”