Charm and History at the Foot of the Sierra MountainsTry the Groveland Hotel for hospitality, fine dining, and even a little bit of the supernatural!By Stephanie A. GillettJust a short drive from San Francisco is the quiet hamlet of Groveland, nestled in the midst of breathtaking Sierra Nevada scenery and rich with Gold Rush history. Driving along Highway 120, we’d have missed the whole town if we’d so much as blinked, but my sister and I were on the lookout for what was historically referred to as “The Best House on the Hill.” Today, it’s called the Groveland Hotel, and we figured if people thought so highly of it in 1849, it was worth a weekend stay today.
The hotel, restored from an adobe hotel built in 1849, and another 1914 Queen Anne-style hostelry next door, originally housed guests to San Francisco’s nearby Hetch Hetchy water project. A porch on both floors wraps around the white-washed building, a throw-back to the character of the gold rush era. Owners Grover and Peggy Mosley have seen to every detail, inside and out, to make sure that their beloved inn retains its historical charm without sacrificing luxury and modern convenience. Their love and care is obvious in every aspect.
Each night at dinner we ordered a different entrée thinking that we would perhaps find one we didn’t like, but we never discovered one. Offerings of fish, poultry, and meat were prepared with skill and creativity. From the crab cake appetizers to the pan-seared New Zealand rack of lamb, each bite was a celebration of taste and texture. Breakfast, however, was the meal that forever endeared us to the Groveland Hotel chef. Scintillating, fresh-baked breads were cut to the perfect size so you could sample each flavor without getting full—apple, banana, cinnamon, and chocolate chip loaves, breads made with fresh blueberries, mouthwatering and light on the tongue. While they did not habitually brew iced tea for their morning diners, the staff was happy to prepare a glass at my request on our first morning there—and every morning thereafter, my tea was waiting for me without so much as my uttering a word. Hotel guests were abuzz with delight during our second breakfast, and diners at the next table reported that a honeymooning couple packed up and left quite early that morning, because they’d had a run in with the hotel’s infamous supernatural resident. The young lady refused to stay a second night. Apparently, neither of them was aware that Lyle was a fixture at the Groveland Hotel who seemed to make himself known at the most inconvenient times.
Even in the off-season, the inn offers mystery dinners, seminars on how to run your own bed and breakfast, and other activities that make a wonderful hotel experience even more delightful. Their up-to-date website offers details of their upcoming events. My sister and I decided to try the bed and breakfast because of its close proximity to Yosemite National Park, and ended up deciding that the inn was the best part of our visit to the Sierras. Those travelers in search of a relaxing weekend of food, fun, and maybe even a little supernatural adventure won’t be disappointed when they check in at the Groveland Hotel. For information on the Groveland Hotel, please see their official site at http://www.groveland.com/ For information on Yosemite National Park, please visit their official site at http://www.nps.gov/yose/ Images provided by Stephanie Gillett |
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We walked into the bed and breakfast and immediately felt out of place. Certainly this wonderful inn, only 23 miles from the gates of Yosemite, was meant for lovers and honeymooners, not two sisters on a girls-only getaway. Perhaps there was another place more suitable? No, no. Our host, Grover Mosley, assured us that we would very much enjoy our stay, as their guest list included people from all walks of life. We were to find out that this was very much the case, that the hotel attracted people young and old, families and couples, and even one restless ghost that visited frequently and left many of the visitors with a lasting impression.
Our room, the Hetch Hetchy suite, was at the back of the hotel with a door opening directly out to the garden. The fabrics and décor made it feel like a cozy English cottage, with an overstuffed sofa and a functioning fireplace in the sitting room, and a four-poster bed piled high with comforters, blankets and pillows. The details made it feel personal. 
Chocolates were left on the dresser, accompanied by a handwritten note from the housekeeper. A journal sat on the table in the sitting area, filled with short quips and tales from other temporary residents of the suite. A teddy bear was waiting for us on the big king bed, tucked in amongst the throw pillows and eager to be hugged. My sister and I obliged!
While the room was so inviting we weren’t anxious to leave, the inn’s common areas provided relaxing areas where you could sit, read a book, watch a little television, and talk with some fellow travelers. Kids were never at a loss for something to do, with a wide variety of areas where they could play and explore the property, and adults could while away a few hours at the authentic gold rush saloon located right near the dining room. My sister and I sat for a few moments at the wooden table, drinks in hand, and caught a few minutes of a hockey game before we ventured into the dining room for our evening meal. 
Lyle’s Room is on the second floor, its claim to fame being that the miner passed to the everafter in his sleep in 1927, with his tool of the trade, a box of dynamite, tucked under his bed. Today, Lyle makes his presence known to the occasional hotel guest by knocking items off the dresser, turning the shower on, and in one vividly described journal entry, actually pushing a female guest right out of bed. Nearly every staff member has a tale of Lyle to recount to anxious guests, some of which are delighted by the prospect of running into the apparition. The idea of a Lyle-spotting brings travelers to the inn each year, but my sister and I weren’t upset that we missed having an encounter of our own.