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Backyard Garden Oasis Bed & Breakfast Inn
Categories: Bed & Breakfast, Venues & Event Spaces
24019 Hilderbrand DrPO Box 1760
Middletown, CA 95461
(707) 987-0505
- Hours:
Mon-Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
4 reviews for Backyard Garden Oasis Bed & Breakfast Inn
The Backyard Garden Oasis gives comfort, privacy, and yummy food at prices comparable to local hotels, plus you get a delicious, homemade breakfast.
Michael and I just spent a few days here for our delayed honeymoon/first anniversary getaway. It's out in the middle of nowhere so don't even think about booking this if you don't have a car. But the secluded area is worth it if you want to enjoy the Calistoga area but relax away from the tourists at the other hotels in town. It's about 15 miles of windy road north of Calistoga and the drive made me nervous a bit but it's not so bad after you drive it a few times.
There are only 3 cottages at this location which makes for a nice, quiet stay. They are literally in the backyard of Greta the proprietor's home. There are flowerboxes on each cottage and flowers all along one side of the property. The yard is lush and green, with a garden from which Greta makes delicious homemade garden salsa and a yard large enough to stroll in or have a seat and sip tea in. She's got her own apple trees from which she made homemade apple muffins.
Did I mention Greta's a fine cook?
We stayed at the "Aquarius" cottage and enjoyed it very much. There's a firm king-sized bed, satellite TV, closet, mini-fridge, and large bathroom with a huge two-person-sized shower. You're provided bath robes which would come in handy to wear between your cottage and the hot tub at the back of the main house, if you thought to wear said bath robes :-). The hot tub was a nice touch and gave us a gorgeous view of the night sky that you forget is out there when you live in a city. I mean, seriously -- we saw the Milky Way and shooting stars and at least a half dozen satellites slowly orbiting Earth, the sky was that clear.
Greta leaves your breakfast in your mini-fridge for the following day during the week and cooks fresh breakfast for you in the main house on weekends. I thought the weekday breakfast would be ho-hum but it was more than enough and tasty -- fresh squeezed OJ, avocado and sliced boiled eggs with her garden salsa on a bed of fresh greens, a couple pastries, flavor-packed mini-apricots, a selection of teas and coffees, and fresh cream for your coffee or tea. On Saturday, we enjoyed her fabulous French toast with fresh strawberries. Sunday, she made us the fluffiest veggie egg frittata and muffins with chopped melons and peaches (I think). We had two helpings and didn't need to stop for lunch.
Greta herself is super-cool: very laid-back, sweet, and -- you can tell -- a loving person. It was easy to chat with her during breakfasts and on the porch at night. I also like her attitude toward nature and conserving resources. Plus she's a trained massage therapist who contracts with one of the fancy spas in Calistoga. I didn't get a massage with her myself as we already had appointments in town but if there's a next time, I'll certainly give it a try.
The only reason I'm not giving it five stars is that for the purposes of comparison, it hasn't got all the super-posh amenities you'd expect of a five star hotel, although for what it is, I'd give it five stars, if that makes any sense...
(Note that there's no digital cell phone reception right on the property at least with Sprint but turning off my cell phone and avoiding analog roaming charges was central to relaxing, anyway.)
People thought this was:
- Useful (4)
I loved this place! It has a beautiful backyard and the innkeeper, Greta, has an amazing garden. It was so nice to just sit on our little patio and enjoy being outdoors. The cabins are very quiet and private. Breakfast was delicious and even included some nice summer veggies from the garden. Really perfect for a weekend getaway.
Note: I wrote this review for tripadvisor back in 2007, didn't realize I hadn't put it on yelp also!
I've been heading up to Harbin Hot Springs for the last couple of years, and I really don't know how I didn't find out about this place sooner. The rooms are spacious, private, and great. The atmosphere is very down home unlike some froo-froo B&B's where you're afraid to touch anything and you're overwhelmed by too much lace. It was so relaxing just hanging out on the deck watching the quail play in the garden. The breakfast was absolutely incredible.
But all of these great things pale when compared to the hospitality and personality of the owner, Greta. She makes you instantly feel at home and practically a part of the family. It was a real pleasure talking to and getting to know her, she's a wealth of information. I will definitely be coming back here in the future!
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
Greta is one of the best inn keepers out there today. The lodges / cabins were so comfortable - it was great just to be indoors when we had the monsoons over this past weekend. The gardens and the practices with which she runs the inn are biodynamic and sustainable. I was fortunate to be able to get a massage from Greta - her technique was to the point and extremely helpful. I have to say that the only down side was the road into the place - over Highway 29 is one windy and somewhat hair raising path.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
