I occasionally have difficulty putting my thoughts into words, and this is one of those times. I don't have the right words to describe how lovely the Bear Flag Inn is, though I will say that I would happily give BFI ten stars if I could.
We stayed in the cottage on a Sunday/Monday, and got a great rate for our 2-night stay. There was plenty of room for the BF and I to relax, and I think it would be great for a small family with a couple of young kids. The bedroom has a queen bed that I think might have been comfier than our bed at home. The claw-foot tub was big enough to sit down and soak in, but not so big that it took an hour to fill, and the water was hot and shower pressure was right on. The little heart-shaped patio is a nice bonus, and actually big enough to spread out on if you want to sleep under the stars amidst the sweet aroma of blooming roses and jasmine.
Wake up in the morning to the sun shining through the lace curtains and head on over to the big house for a full breakfast. Monday morning's breakfast consisted of eggs Benedict (*YUM!*), and Tuesday was waffles with fresh local strawberries. Huge, sweet, strawberries nestled in a dollop of fresh whipped cream, atop one of the fluffiest, most perfectly golden waffles I've ever eaten. And I think if given the opportunity my hunny and I might have eaten a whole platter of the eggs benedict. Breakfast also came with a huuuge fresh fruit platter (mostly local except the pineapple I think), fresh-squeezed OJ, and locally-roasted coffee. The eggs, I almost forgot. They keep chickens and have a few running around the place (say Hi to Bootsy, she's a cutie), and the eggs are FRESH.
The icing on the cake is that they grow grapes on the property, and they work with a local winemaker to produce their own cab/sauv AND the owner also does some home-brewed beer. I didn't get the chance to try the beer, but the cab has a wonderfully smoky undertone to it and isn't too dry.
The cherries in the icing on the cake are the owners themselves, Dennis and Marge. Very down-to-earth, it almost did feel like we were staying with friends for the weekend. They were very solicitous in making sure we had everything we needed without being too hovering, and they do a great job of making you feel at home. Even if I didn't stay here on my next trip to Calistoga I'd still drop by to say hello and share a bottle of wine.
Now if only I could afford to move into that little cottage... read more