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Headed for California’s Gold Country and debating where to stay? There are chain hotels and motels sprinkled across these Sierra foothill towns, but staying at a historic hotel or inn offers all sorts of pleasures — and the occasional ghost sighting, of course.
Here are nine wonderful options:
Imperial Hotel, Amador City
Victorian elegance — four-posters, day beds and Oriental rugs — meet modern whimsy in this renovated Mother Lode hotel, just a few minutes drive from the Shenandoah Valley wine country. The brick walls date back to 1879, the beds are soft and inviting, and the trompe l’oeil doors on the wardrobes made us grin.
Like many historic hotels, this one is a no-TV zone, but the AC is top notch and the people-watching superb. Survey the small, cheery town from the big, bright balcony upstairs, or grab a perch at the hotel’s atmospheric bar and restaurant. Breakfast — French toast with maple syrup and fresh fruit on our visit — is included in the tab.
Details: $129-$195. 14202 Old Highway 49, Amador City; www.imperialamador.com
National Hotel, Jackson
The National Hotel‘s colorful past, complete with poker games, ladies of the night and rough-and-tumble Gold Rush clientele, dates back to 1862. These days, it offers a luxurious mix of Old Western pizzazz, Victorian-era glitz and modern comforts, thanks to a major renovation a few years ago. You’ll find antiques and ornate carpets from its Victorian heyday, along with Egyptian cotton linens, flatscreens and, in some rooms, soaking tubs.
New executive chef KC Brown — who hails from the Charlie Palmer restaurant empire — oversees the fare at the hotel’s Stanley’s Steakhouse & Bar.
Details: Rooms start at $75 for a twin, $250 for a king suite. 2 Water St., Jackson; www.nationalhoteljackson.com.
St. George Hotel, Volcano
Built in 1862 on the spot where two previous hotels, the Eureka and the Empire, had burned to the ground, this hotel was given its name in a bid to “thwart the demonic Fire Dragon.” The historic hotel’s 22 rooms are outfitted with brass beds, handmade quilts and period furniture. And the grounds, with its rolling lawns, shaded patio and wooden swing, are perfect for lounging.
Three ghosts are thought to haunt these hallways: an old prospector, a lady of the night and a young, sopping wet child. Or perhaps that’s just what visitors think they see after enjoying a cold one (or three) at the hotel’s Whiskey Flat Saloon.
Details: Rooms run $55-$209. 16104 Main St., Volcano; www.stgeorgevolcano.com
Union Inn and Pub, Volcano
These days the Union is run by Mark and Tracy Berkner, who also own Plymouth’s Taste restaurant and Rest Inn. But the walls of this B&B date back to 1880, when it was built as a boardinghouse for gold miners. There are four charming bedrooms upstairs, each outfitted with comfy beds, flatscreen TVs, iPod docking stations and complimentary Wi-Fi, plus a small lounge with fresh coffee and board games.
Downstairs, you’ll find the Union’s exceptionally tasty pub, with a menu that ranges from Volcano burgers and fried chicken to gnocchi with pesto and summer vegetables.
Details: $97 to $152. 21375 Consolation St., Volcano; volcanounion.com
Hotel Charlotte, Groveland
This century-old, historic inn lies half an hour from Yosemite’s northern entrance in the charming Gold Rush town of Groveland. Today, it’s owned by Jenn and Doug Edwards, who have been renovating the 12-room hotel and its cottages room by room since they bought it in 2012, installing bamboo floors and updating the furnishings and bathrooms, while retaining a winsome sense of the wild west. Each room at the Hotel Charlotte has its own personality and plenty of historic charm and creature comforts.
Now, the Edwards family has done the same with the historic Groveland Hotel just up the street. Both hotels are pet-friendly.
Details: Rooms start at $179. 18736 Main St., Groveland; www.hotelcharlotte.com.
Fallon Hotel, Columbia
Built in the 1850s, this grand Gold Rush treasure in California’s Columbia State Historic Park means you can immerse yourself in 19th century life — visit the blacksmith and Wild West shops, check out the museum displays and take a stagecoach ride — then spend the night in a historic hotel straight out of central casting — but with air-conditioning, cushy mattresses and a pocketbook-friendly price tag. And also, maybe, ghosts.
The Fallon’s 15 antique-filled rooms vary in size from very petite to large and airy, each with twin or double beds boasting brass or carved wooden headboards. Nearly all the guest rooms have their own small bathroom, with sink and toilet. Showers are down the hall. And its sister inn, the City Hotel, is less than three blocks away.
Details: Fallon Hotel rooms are $66-$127. 11175 Washington St., Columbia; www. parks.ca.gov/?page_id=28005.
1859 Historic National Hotel, Jamestown
Want to pay your tab with the gold you panned during your stay? There’s a scale on the bar so you can weigh the gold dust in your haul. It’s all part of the ambience of this Old West inn and saloon, which has been charming guests since 1859. Nine restored guest rooms boast antique furniture, including Victorian brass beds upgraded with pillow-top mattress.
Breakfast is included, but you’ll also want to dine at at the hotel’s charming, seasonal restaurant, with its lovely vine-covered patio.
Details: $140-$160. 18183 Main St., Jamestown; www.national-hotel.com.