Six Romantic Choices: “LET’S GET AWAY FROM IT ALL” By Antoinette May

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways—or at least six of them. Is anything more romantic than a get-away? I don’t think so! Let it snow, rain or blow, what difference does it make when the vibes are warm, intimate and relaxed. Happily—with Valentine’s Day fast approaching—an enticing smorgasbord of choices wait within easy driving distance.

At Columbia’s City Hotel, cold weather is actually an incentive. The delightful inn with its 3 star dining room, has a tempting midweek offer—your room rate is the low temperature of the day you arrive.

Built in 1856 and restored in 1975 by a combined effort of the State and Columbia College, the City is an on-the-job training center for hospitality management students. The enterprise gives a whole new spin to the term “attitude.” The City’s staff really wants to please. Besides being catered to, guests enjoy warm, cozy rooms filled with antiques and arguably the Gold Country’s finest restaurant.

California’s best preserved town, located below the snow and above the fog, Columbia offers a variety of activities. Guests may take stage coach rides, pan for gold and go antiquing in quaintly restored shops; and, weekends, Columbia is a theater town. Upcoming offerings are “Sweeney Todd” and “Annie.” Looking for thrills and chills? There are also murder mystery weekends and ghost walks.

KENSINGTON PARK HOTEL

From the City Hotel to The City itself, it’s all about location, location, location. In San Francisco that can’t get much better than the Kensington Park, literally yards away from Union Square. You can walk to the theater, shops, galleries –anywhere you care to go.

Tired of all that? Return to the Kensington, a spiffed up 1920s hostelry carrying on in the traditional British style, and enjoy tea and sherry around the grand piano. The somewhat Gothic lobby—the hotel was originally a very posh Elks Club—is shared with the neighboring Post Street Theater. You needn’t leave the building for first class entertainment. There’s an on sight restaurant as well, the ultra romantic Farallon, a Jules Verne fantasy come to life.

Guest rooms, which start on the fifth floor, have lovely views of Nob Hill. They’re large and handsomely furnished with polished mahogany subtly accented in soft blackberry and muted green with thoughtfully appointed marble and brass bathrooms. If you want the full treatment, book one

of the “Royal” suites which contain canopy beds, fireplaces, Jacuzzi, and wet bar. On the ninth floor, croissants, tea and coffee are served round the clock.

THE FOXES

Did the Foxes Inn get its name because of being, well . . .well, foxy? Sutter Creek’s stunning gem of Victoriana certainly qualifies. The Foxes is the last word in B and Bs, full of wit, dazzle and surprise. The gorgeous many-faceted crystal chandelier over a claw-footed bathtub is an example Actually, a canny pair of two legged foxes—Min and Pete—saw potential in a rundown building and transformed it into a showplace.

Present owners, Bob Van Alstine and Jim Travnikar carry on the tradition. Gourmet Magazine named the Foxes the “most elegant Gold Country inn” and America’s Best Online has designated it not only the finest in the state but one of the ten best in the country in 2003 and 3004.

A wealthy merchant’s manse during the 1850s Gold Rush days, the residence has been restored to its former glory. Each spacious room is a sumptuous retreat to share with someone special. Accommodations include a bountiful breakfast served on a silver service to each room or by reservation in the lush gardens. Guests select a breakfast time and choose their menu from a variety of tempting selections.

Should you care to stray from this oasis, Sutter Creek is the Gold Country’s charm central, a Carmel in training. For now, call it antique heaven. The town boasts several charming restaurants—Susan’s Place is especially good—but its special distinction is the Sutter Creek Theatre. The theatre opened March 5, 1920 featuring D.W. Griffiths’ Heart of the World, starring Lillian Gish. It’s a gem —every seat a good one—unequaled anywhere in the Sierras. Something—live theater, concerts, or vintage films—is happening there all the time.

MONTEREY HOTEL

Monterey is different from any other city in California. It’s a surprisingly “foreign” place where one can savor mystery and mystique without having to struggle with exchange rates or whip out phrase books. Internationally recognized for its stunning seascape, Monterey also contains a treasure trove of historic architecture dating back to old California.

The century-old Monterey Hotel, with its opulent façade, is an enchanting example. The hotel has been restored to its original Victorian splendor, with hand-carved furnishings, polished wood floors and leaded glass chandeliers.

If you can tear yourself away from all that,

you’ll appreciate the hotel’s convenient downtown location—along the Path of History, studded with adobes dating from the 1790s when Monterey was capital of the Spanish territory of California. Among the golden oldies is the Stokes Adobe, a world class restaurant not to be missed, housed in a grand old adobe dating to the 1840s.

THE DELTA KING

The Delta King is a real riverboat that once plied the waters between San Francisco and Sacramento. During the 1920s and 30s—the height of Prohibition—passengers enjoyed liquor, jazz and gambling . Today the mighty King no longer cruises but still floats and remains a lively place to spend the night.

Rooms are inviting—for something really special, consider booking the Captain’s Quarters, a super suite in the boat’s bow, once the wheelhouse. The Pilothouse Restaurant has good food and pretty waterfront views. An added plus for this getaway is the Delta King Theatre. This critically acclaimed group, which performs in an intimate, 115-seat theater in the ship’s bottom deck, performs six new shows a year.

Back on shore, you’re right in the middle of old Sacramento, a National Landmark, with 53 historic buildings that include eight museums.

THE DORRINGTON

Take your mittens, your muffler and your boots to the Dorrington Hotel in the Sierra foothills. It’s one of those “baby, it’s cold outside” kind of places, a snug haven from which to sortie out to build snowmen, throw snowballs or visit Big Trees National Park, a true winter wonderland, less than a mile away.

And, when the weather outside is frightful, the inside is so delightful. Built in 1852, the hotel was once a stagecoach stop. It’s been well restored with homemade quilts, brass beds and authentic antiques. An added attraction is the hotel’s excellent Northern Italian style restaurant where you can meet and mingle with the locals. Perhaps cold, frosty nights even add to the pleasure of wintertime dining—at least they do at this very special dining spot.

THE BASICS

CITY HOTEL 22768 Main St. Columbia 1-800 532-1479 www.cityhotel.com

KENSINGTON PARK 450 POST SAN FRANCISCO 1-800 533-1900 www.kensingtonparkhotel.com

FOXES INN 77 Main St. Sutter Creek 1-800 987-3344 www.foxesinn.com

MONTEREY HOTEL 406 Alvarado St. Monterey 1-800 727-0960 www,montereyhotel.com

DELTA KING 1000 Front St. Old Sacramento 1-800 825-5464 www.deltaking.com

DORRINGTON HOTEL 3431 Hwy 4 Dorrington (209) 995-5800