We live in San Francisco and hadn't really considered staying somewhere so close to home, figuring it wouldn't feel like a real getaway to go somewhere only twenty minutes from our house. Wow, were we wrong! From the minute we drove up the hills through Mill Valley and reached the top of the road leading to the Mountain Home Inn, we couldn't have felt further away from everyday life.
The inn is incredibly striking as you drive up to the parking area yet looks deceptively small. Because it's built atop the hillside, the rooms are hidden from street view and hug the slope of the mountain facing San Francisco Bay and the lush, deep green vistas of Mt. Tam.
Once inside the rustic yet stylish lobby/gathering area, we found a beautiful bar, comfortable banquettes and tables for lounging around with a drink, and views so distracting it was hard to know which way to look. The inn also provides a huge selection of current, varied magazines and newspapers for guests to thumb through or take back to your room, as well as complimentary Peet's coffee in the afternoon as well as in the mornings.
The inn obviously has a gem of a chef and cooking staff judging by the pitch perfect breakfast included in the price of your stay. Peet's coffee, individual teapots of traditional teas or herbal tisanes and freshly squeezed orange juice are lovely touches, although the breakfast choices themselves steal most of the attention. With a huge selection to choose from, we managed to decide upon a wonderfully creative and flawlessly executed ham and onion hash on a bed of sinfully rich grits served with sourdough toast and preserves, as well as a top notch french toast strewn with ripe strawberries and maple syrup.
After a meal like this, a hike was definitely in order as our friendly and professional waitress advised, and the staff was prepared for all levels of requests for directions, including maps and explanations of which paths were for easy walks and which were more strenuous. Sam at the front desk couldn't have been nicer or more helpful, and Justin, the manager, has a lovely, easy charm and an attentive, calm manner. You know you are in great hands with the pros running the Mountain Home Inn.
Our room was Number 5, which I highly recommend. Not only is it spacious and cozy at the same time, but the views from the room as well as from the long wooden deck outside (with a table and chairs for reading, drinking coffee or just pondering the beauty of the forests and silvery bay) are beyond description. You really need to see for yourself to understand how easy it would be to lose yourself here and never want to go home.
Our room had an extremely comfortable king-size bed, extra pillows and robes in the closet, and a perfectly stacked bunch of logs for a fire that needed no more than a match to begin blazing and crackling instantly. All night we laid in bed with the doors to the deck open to the crisp air, only tearing ourselves away from our books and the warmth of the bed to throw another log or two on the fire. The inn bills itself as "tv free," and for those of you who read that and wonder if you might be bored or miss your favorite shows, I can say that television will be the last thing on your mind as you listen to the snap of the logs in the fireplace or wonder what kind of bird it might have been that you just heard outside your window.
I can't understand why this fabulous place is not more well known among locals. It has it all: unparalled views; utter solitude and quiet; fantastic food; and beautiful and comfortable design. We returned to San Francisco determined to spread the word among our friends and to return again as soon as possible. The only negative to the Mountain Home Inn is knowing it is so close to home and not making time to get back there again as soon as you can.
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