When desert dwellers head to the mountains for pine-studded peace and quiet, plus a chance of snow, they can stay at an Idyllwild bed and breakfast whose past incarnations have included a dentist’s office and home, a propane office, possibly a home for boys, and a stagecoach stop.
Strawberry Creek Inn Bed and Breakfast’s main building dates to the 1940s, built by a family named Thomas, according to Rodney Williams, who with his partner, Ian Scott, took over the property in 2004. The house was also a restaurant, with an antique shop upstairs, Williams adds. It was turned into an inn in the mid-1980s, with a courtyard wing added shortly after opening. A cottage on the property was built in 1935 as a private home. It was recognized during the Idyllwild Historic District survey as a classic example of local residential architecture of the time, Williams says.
The B&B’s nine cozy, individually decorated rooms plus a historical cottage can be seen as you enter from the southern end of Idyllwild. In winter, the main building sparkles with tiny lights among the snow, looking like a gingerbread house. In spring, the creek gurgles below and visitors can meander along a footpath to Community Park to work out at exercise stations. In summer, the inn’s central location makes it ideal for guests attending the jazz festival or outdoor concerts. In autumn, the patio is a quiet spot for a glass of wine among falling golden oak leaves.
PHOTO BY RAMON C. PURCELL PHOTOGRAPHY
Strawberry Creek Inn looks like a gingerbread house in winter, with lights.
Scott and Williams arrived in Idyllwild after 15 years in Los Angeles. Williams was a health actuary who wanted to escape “the chaotic life in corporate Los Angeles” by studying cooking at night for “therapy.” He never planned to own an inn but when the couple arrived here, it became his dream and he became the chef. Scott became a supervisor at a Palm Desert rehabilitation facility and a nurse at Idyllwild Arts Academy. Now, they plan to simplify again, with a move to Oregon. Another Idyllwild innkeeper is buying the business, Williams says, “though, I don’t think much will change.”
“Our guests have been our joy,” Scott says. “Most come from Palm Springs or Palm Desert to escape heat in the summer or play in snow in winter. They come from all walks of life and such diversity.”
PHOTOS BY JULIE PENDRAY
ABOVE: Rodney Williams’ recipes appear in a cookbook, which was the result of a movie, From Grace, filmed on the property in 2009. RIGHT: In autumn, the patio is a quiet spot for a glass of wine.
Guests enjoy fresh eggs in the morning from the B&B’s 20 hens, plus honey from two beehives. Scott says the honey changes its taste slightly depending on the wildflower season.
Williams’ recipes appear in a cookbook, which was the result of a movie, From Grace, filmed on the property in 2009 and produced by Breadline Productions of Los Angeles. “Food became a character in the movie,” Williams says. The story involves three couples that come to the mountains to escape their lives but find they are are closer than they realized.
The inn operates with hypoallergenic and environmentally friendly aspects such as composting, natural cleaning supplies, and a no-pet policy. Pets are allowed at Strawberry Creek Bunkhouse, also owned by the couple, a mile north on Route 243.
Strawberry Creek Inn Bed and Breakfast, 26370 Route 243, Idyllwild, 951-659-3202; www.strawberrycreekinn.com
PHOTO COURTESY OF RODNEY WILLIAMS
Guests enjoy fresh eggs in the morning from the B&B’s 20 hens, plus honey from two beehives.