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Antoinette May
Riding High With Santa In The Mother Lode By Antoinette May Every day is Christmas at Sherrie Lockhart’s house—which also happens to be her hotel, the Avery. The Avery (in the tiny mountain town of Avery) is celebrating its 150th year as a hostelry. A halfway house between the Murphys’ gold fields and Calaveras Big Trees, the historic inn once hosted both Black Bart and President Ulysses S. Grant. Today it’s a haven for skiers on their way to Bear Valley. Hotels with history are plentiful as bulbs on a Christmas tree in the Sierra foothills, but the Avery is unique. It just happens to be Christmas central every day of the year. When Lockhart bought the place in 1992 and moved from the San Francisco, she brought her lifelong love of Christmas with her. “What do you do with 13 Christmas trees?” she asks, then answers, “of course I brought them with me.” The same is true of the ornaments that Lockhart’s mother had given her every Christmas since she was a little girl. What better venue for them than an authentic Victorian hotel? Lockhart’s first Christmas at the Avery was straight out of Dickens. People came from miles around to enjoy the authentic ho! ho! ho! ambience. Then came January, February, March. The tree was still up. The stockings still hung by the chimney with care. When August rolled around it was moment of truth time for Sherrie Lockhart. She didn’t ever want to take down her decorations and she didn’t need an Ebenezer Scrooge wake up call to realize that Christmas can be celebrated all year round. Each of the inn’s five bedrooms are furnished with heirloom antiques and Christmas trees. The two dining rooms are filled with more lights and trees. DORRINGTON Take your mittens, your muffler and your boots to the Dorrington. This is the place to build snowmen and throw snowballs. A stay at Dorrington’s cosy inn is a bit like going to visit Grandma. You’ll find stockings hung by the chimney with care and a giant Christmas tree. Built in 1852, the hotel was once a stage coach stop. It’s been delightfully restored with homemade quilts, brass beds and authentic antiques. An added attraction is the very excellent Northern Italian style restaurant where you can meet and mingle with locals. Big Trees State Park, less than a mile away, is a true winter wonderland. MURPHYS Another kind of holiday magic is currently going on at the Tree House in Murphys. Linda Strangio, otherwise known as “The Tree Goddess,” also celebrates Christmas every day of the year. Currently her store |
is ablaze with color. There’s a vibrant purple and red tree, an exotic amber and copper one, but they’re only two of 28 bedazzled trees and there are thousands of ornaments. Many of the decorations are museum quality, each is an exquisite gem. It’s difficult to imagine leaving the store without buying at least one. There are fairies and celebrities—imagine Marilyn Monroe and Pavaroti—angels and Santas, elves and teddy bears. I couldn’t believe a whole tree covered with frog ornaments. They’re adorable and so Calaveras County. Directly across the street from the Tree House is Murphys Historic Hotel, a another delightful inn dating from Gold Rush days. Though centered in a rapidly burgeoning village, the hotel is a true time trip. Step inside and you’re back in 1856; but hurry, the 29 antique-filled rooms are expected to fill up fast. Christmas dinner at Murphys Historic Hotel is a holiday tradition in the Sierra Foothills. As a newcomer to the area going there for the first time last Christmas, I understood why. My husband had turkey, I had lamb, both of us were delighted. We loved the decorations, enjoyed the carolers and elves did the dishes. IRONSTONE VINEYARDS Ironstone, the Mother Lode’s big gun winery, is hosting two holiday events this year, a brunch and a concert. The Dec. 5 brunch is a triple header. Brunch at 11 followed by two silent movies, “Big Business—1929” and “The Night Before Christmas.” Dave Moreno will accompany the films on the winery’s famous pipe organ from the Alhambra Theater in Los Angeles. “Sounds of the Season Family Christmas,” a concert featuring the Singing Nuns, will be presented Dec. 19. The concert, beginning at 4, will be followed by a holiday supper. SAN ANDREAS Is it possible to avoid the malls and still find special gifts for the people you love? Yessss! “Affordable Gifts of Art,” sponsored by the Calveras Arts Council, could be the one-stop answer. Gift selection—priced from $8 to $108—will run the gamut from small oil paintings, carved and painted gourds to ceramics and prints. The show will run through January 3. The gallery at 22 North Main, San Andreas is a gift in itself. Main Street is “darling”—preserved just as it was during the height of the Gold Rush. MOKELUMNE HILL Mokelumne Hill, the consummate Christmas card village, is holding an open house Dec. 19. The event is an old fashioned block party with everyone invited. It’ll begin with tree trimming at 3 p.m. in the town park on Main and Center. Across the street at the Double Springs Brewery, kids from everywhere will |
be making cookies. Up the street at the Keskydee, an antique shop, hot mulled cider will be dispensed and the Hotel Leger will be serving cookies and coffee with more adult Christmas cheer available. Ed Cline who lives next door to the Leger Hotel, will open his historic home (once a saloon and brothel) for gingerbread house decorating. One of the most historic hostelries in the Mother Lode, the Hotel Leger has been the hub of town activity since 1851. The bar is the town living room—everybody goes there. The décor is Victorian with comfy couches and magnificent stain glass windows that came ‘round the Horn. The hotel underwent a major renovation two years ago when Ashley Canty, a Bay Area interior decorator teamed up with her parents, Jane and Ron Pitner to buy the place. The newest member of the Leger team is master chef Ray Jurnich who’s planning an elegant five-course New Year’s Eve gala. Guests will dance to the music of Alias. The Leger is currently offering a December special which includes a two-night stay, dinner for two, lunch for two and complimentary champagne for $249.
THE BASICS Beginning in Mokelumne Hill, off hwy 26, and winding southward along hwy 49, then east to Murphys, enchanting lights on seemingly every home or business are magic beacons against the misty grays and browns of winter. Ghosts of Christmas Past—miners, bandits, fandango girls and school marms—warm and welcoming in the shadows, remind us of holidays long ago. Hotel Leger, 8304 Main St., Mokelumne Hill (209) 286-1401. Affordable Gifts of Art, open daily from 10 to 3 at 22 Main St., San Andreas. (209) 286-1676. Ironstone Winery, 1894 Six Mile Rd., Murphys, (209) 728-1251, ext. 29. Murphys Historic Hotel, 457 Main St., Murphys, (209) 728-9335. The Tree House, open daily from 10 to 6, at 448 Main St., Murphys, (209) 728-0500. Dorrington Hotel, 3431 Hwy 4 (209) 995-5800. The Avery Hotel, one block south of Highway 4 on Avery Hotel Rd. Phone: 209 795-7372.
PICTURES
1) The Tree House in Murphys has
the Christmas spirit all year round.
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