With the advent of the automobile almost
a century ago, the opportunity for folks to explore the nation grew
exponentially. No longer would a
trip to Yellowstone or Yosemite involve securing camping tarps to buckboards
and locking down the homestead for three or four months. Crude emigrant trails became rustic
roads that would evolve into concreted (and numbered) highways. The spectacular red rock country of Utah
would be but a few days’ drive from almost anywhere. Likewise the Grand Canyon and the Tetons, the Great Lakes
and the Great Smokies. And
California’s redwoods.
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| (c) Benbow Inn |
In those early days, lodging may still have been strapped to
the Hupmobile’s bonnet or pulled behind as an early travel trailer. But soon, enterprising folks dotted the
west with elegant hostelries offering sophisticated accommodations and fine
dining in some of the most remote corners of our land.
Over time, things would continue to evolve and routes like
the old US 40 over Donner Pass would become Interstate 80 and those elegant
inns would fall into disrepair as motel chains with numerals in their names
offered much less for much less.
Still, some of the grand hotels of the early twentieth century
still stand – a few refurbished to reassume their former glory.
How many times had I cruised north
on US 101 passing the Benbow Exit just south of Garberville and said to myself,
“I’ve gottta check that out?” The
answer? Too many.
A period neon sign pokes through the trees where US 101
crosses the south fork of the Eel River.
The sign simply says “Benbow Inn” and is laced with an arrow pointing toward
a 20s era hotel perched on a flat above the confluence of the south fork and
its east branch tributary. It’s
easy to fly by the exit. Try not
to.
Designed by Albert Farr, a Julia Morgan contemporary, and
completed in 1926, the Benbow Hotel became a popular wayside for those
traveling the new Redwood Highway between San Francisco and Eureka. (Ms. Morgan designed and built her
little haven just down stream – tours are available.)
Entering the heavily timbered lobby, we are informed that
tea and scones are offered: “Please relax and the bell will carry your bags to
your room.” Glancing through the
shadows of the vast room, simple pleasures and ornate works combine to beckon
the road weary to rest: soft chairs, a welcoming fire, and that tea.
A great and elegant dining room affords views of the river
and a bridge. A varied and
inviting menu complements those views, as does an extensive, multinational wine
list. The service from staff
recalls the earlier era as well.
With the first sip of a north coast Pinot, we downshifted into a
relaxation mode that wouldn’t leave us even two days later as we departed.
Across the historic lobby is an even-on-a-February-Thursday
hoppin’ saloon with a large selection of spirits and warm vibe. Stepping out onto the patio with a
little nip of really good hooch, it is easy to imagine yourself engaged in
conversation with Spencer Tracy, Alan Ladd or even Herbert Hoover or Eleanor
Roosevelt as a full moon dances across the waters only a few yards away.
Early on, energy for the enterprise was provided by a small
hydroelectric facility built just below the confluence. A concrete, steel and wooden structure
tamed this small section of the Eel.
The pool backed up both the south fork and the tributary forming what
became known as Benbow Lake.
Likewise in 1931, a modern rock and concrete bridge spanned
the becalmed east branch, it’s lovely arch accenting the stream view from the
terraced hillside upon which the old hotel sits. Just add a canoe and, say, a Mountie. (Yes, Nelson Eddy once
stayed here.)
The desk clerk shares directions to
interesting walks in and near the grounds adding, “This is one of those places
where you could do absolutely nothing for a few days and not feel at all guilty
about it.”
Indeed: the comfortable, historic rooms, the crackling fire
in the lobby, the manicured grounds edging a whispering Eel River – it takes
little imagination to feel you’ve shucked your 1920s duster, taking a break
from the old redwood highway, and if you never got back on that highway, it’d
be more than okay to stay right here.
o0o
Notes:
The historic hydro dam was breached about a decade ago owing
to both fishery and seismic concerns.
It is scheduled to be imploded sometime during the summer of 2016. Understandable, but too bad. The relic, as it sits now, is a fitting
testament to the ingenuity of those pioneers of tourism early last
century. The dam site is a short
walk from the Inn.
A fine day may be spent enjoying the redwood groves and
trails along the famed Avenue of the Giants, about a dozen miles north on US
101, using the Inn as a home base.
Sojourning so is highly recommended.
The Benbow Inn website contains details about the old gal’s
colorful history and its impact on the region. Accommodations. Prices and menus are listed. It may be accessed at: http://www.benbowinn.com/
© 2106
Church of the Open Road Press
Looks like an awesome vintage hotel. Would love to take a road trip there
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