Saturday September 14, 2019
Our Murphys Trip – Food, Fun, Good Times!
Recently, the Venue Vixens were invited by the owner of Dunbar House Inn and Event Property, The Victoria Inn and Crestview Pond Estate to tour these venues and to spend the night at the Dunbar House Bed and Breakfast. Of course there was serious work to do… but there was also “play time!” We had the pleasure of the company of Visiting Vixen, Brianne of Brianne Purcell Photography, who never stopped snapping pictures. Thanks Brie!
The drive from Sacramento to Murphys takes less than two hours, so our first stop was Amador Vintage Market, located in the historic hamlet of Plymouth, CA. Vixen Vendor, Beth Sogaard Catering, is the owner and creative genius behind the market deli and is a MUST stop on your way to Amador wine country, or in our case, heading a bit further to Calaveras County. We picked up our staples for munching in the car and for an afternoon happy hour. The staff also created a dynamite gift basket for our host, containing their famous truffled potato and tortilla chips, hummus and cookies. Sweet!
Upon arrival to the bustling gold country town of Murphys (first established in 1848), we were greeted by Michael (owner) and Christopher (marketing director) who suggested we get settled before we toured the property of Dunbar House. With six charming rooms, each decorated and styled differently, we selected our individual room and then started the site tour of the Inn. Built in 1880, the architecture is beautifully Victorian, the grounds are lush and green and we fell in love with the porches and the awesome chairs. This venue would be very romantic for a wedding, or anniversary celebration. Or, we see a bachlorette gathering, but also Dunbar House is a convenient arrangement for a corporate meeting or team building event.
We said our farewells to Michael and Christopher, until the next morning when we would have a second site tour, and headed to the Inn’s kitchen to pour the wine we brought and bust open the Beth Sogaard Catering goodies. A quiet happy hour was held in Kendra’s large suite before we dressed for dinner. The wonderful benefit to the location of Dunbar House is the close proximity to EVERYTHING! We walked out the door, and just two blocks down Main Street, we dined at The Victoria Inn… the sister property to Dunbar House. We decided to eat in the courtyard because the evening was warm and beautiful. As is our custom, we order a ton of individual items on the menu and share. Seriously delicious cuisine at this restaurant!
After an excellent night’s sleep (note: the sheets and pillows are superb at Dunbar House), we were excited about the breakfast created by the in-house cook, Beverly. The items on the side board would be enough for most, but then she asked what we would like specifically… made to order! From French Toast to Pancakes to Omelets, eggs any style, fried potatoes – the works! Dee-licous!
Once breakfast was completed and we were stuffed(!) Michael and Christopher re-joined our group and took us to see another wonderful Murphys venue, Crestview Pond Estate. This is a private estate tucked back into the forest, with lovely landscaped grounds and a restful, beautiful pond. Angels Creek flows through the property and makes for sweet, relaxing sounds. The overall feeling is of nature and being removed from the hectic pace of our work-a-day life. (Catrina found the perfect porch swing for chillin’)! The estate house has sleeping arrangements for 12 people (3 separate cottage accommodations). Perfect venue for a relaxed wedding (which could be very glammed), or a wonderful yoga retreat, or corporate function.
So now that our tours were completed, we said goodbye to our hosts and were let loose to roam Main Street Murphys. Such a cute town to shop, explore, eat… and we were told there are 21 wine tasting rooms on this half-mile street. We may or may not have stopped in one, or two, or… We enjoyed the varied shops and the architecture of the historic and rustic buildings. Believe it or not, we had room for one last food item so enjoyed salad and pizza for lunch before hitting the road to return back to Sacramento, driving through Calaveras wine country.
To read the Feature Review of Dunbar House Inn on our website, click here and for Crestview Pond Estate, click here, for more detail and lots of photos.