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This was definitely a budget accommodation given its location. Other accommodations in the area cost twice as much. I reserved it through booking.com and got quite the deal.
The establishment is an older one and the rooms are at best basic. I liked that our room was clean despite the vivid won out walls in certain areas. Two well made queen beds, clean sheets.
The bathroom had clean, but won towels. Soap and smaller amenities like ironing board, a microwave which I though was genius, it gave me the opportunity to warm up my baby's dinner as well as hot water for my tea.
A refrigerator for our drinks and baby food. The TV was a little old, but it was functional and had HBO. We really did not need to watch TV as we were there to commune with nature. But for the TV addicts, you are well taken off.
Morning breakfast was included, again the most basic breakfast: coffee, tea, fruit juice with 4 choices (cranberry, orange, guava mix and apple). Hot waffles made on spot when requested, and some croissants.
We requested a roll in bed, and were glad to get it brought it. I though it was a great bonus that the hotel did not charge us extra for it; our gratitude to management.
All in all, I highly recommend the hotel. It has everything you need. If you are not a fussy traveler, this place will save you money and put you right in the middle of the action in the park. Access to the village center where you can shop and go to redcurrants.
Unique Quality: Good price
Fresno Flats
Outside of Erna's
PORTION OF 54 MILE LUMBER FLUME
LARAMORE-LYMAN HOUSE, CIRCA 1870
Hello
We live in the UK and are planning first self-drive trip to California. Our planned 14-day circle route is LA-SFO-South Lake Tahoe-Oakhurst-Las Vegas-LA.
Chose Oakhurst as sounds nice and would like to do gold planning at nearby Coarsegold so seemed a good place to stay. Can anyone suggest a good driving route from S/Lake Tahoe to Oakhurst and then on to Las Vegas as looking at maps we don't know which roads are advisable to take in early April because of possible bad weather. Or if anyone can advise a better itinerary as maybe we are doing too much driving.
Also do you have public holidays there over Easter weekend (for example Good Friday 9th April, Easter Monday 12th April)? If so, will Las Vegas be heaving with people over that weekend?
Thanks
Rusty
Easter is not a major public holiday in most parts of the U.S., so you shouldn't have any particular problems with unusually heavy traffic, shops being closed, etc.
Hi Rusty,
I agree with Peter, Easter and Good Friday are not big holidays here in the US anymore. However, many schools have a Spring Break and the breaks are often still tied to Easter in many places, either the week before or the week after. So there will be heavier traffic because families will be taking vacation. Vegas is always heaving with people. I'm not sure you'll really notice that much of a difference.
By good driving route, do you mean fast or scenic? I asume you mean scenic, but check the road closures before you start a scenic drive in April. We've received a lot of snow in the Sierras this winter, and some road may still be closed.
Most scenic from South Lake Tahoe: South to Sorenson's and Markleeville (see my page on Markleeville for things to do), take 89 to 395, take 120 and drive west on 120 through Yosemite. Check road closures. This road (120) is closed in winter. In Yosemite, take 41 to Oakhurst.
If road is closed, go south from Lake Tahoe to 88, go through Kirkwood to 49. Drive through all the quaint Gold Rush towns to Oakhurst. This is also incredibly scenic and will be open because it is at a much lower elevation.
Most scenic from Oakhurst to Vegas, take 41 to Fresno and I-99 to Bakersfield. Take 178 east to 395 north to Olancha. Take 190 west to Death Valley, Drive through Death Valley to 127 south to 15. When you reach the 15, go east straight to Vegas.
If you don't have time for Death Valley, when you get to Bakersfield, take 58 to Barstow, then get on the eastboard 15. Not as scenic but a good deal faster.
Have a great trip!
karen
Thank you Karen - really helpful. Out of interest, what is the best way to check whether roads are closed? Can we do it on the internet from here before we leave? What about when we are in the US and without internet access?
Would you be able to give a rough estimate of driving time using your scenic route from South Lake Tahoe to Oakhurst and then from Oakhurst to LV?
Finally do you know much about the gold panning at Coarsegold? I have e-mailed them to ask whether it has to be booked in advance and how much time to allow for it but they have not replied. If you don't know, don't worry as I can e-mail again.
Thanks again for all your help.
Ruth
Hi Ruth,
Yes, there is an excellent webpage for road closures. I should have included the link in my last note. It is
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/wo.htm
Let me know if this link does not work for you. You just plug in the name of the highway. For instance if you enter 120, the page that comes up tells you it is closed right now and where it is closed. You'll need a good highway road map to use with it.
On driving time, if you go through Yosemite (which I am skeptical about because I really don't think 120 will be open yet), it will take you all day. Plus you will not want to drive right through Yosemite without making some stops.
Through the gold rush towns on 49, total driving time could be about 6 hours. You'll want to stop at some of those towns, so allow more time.
From Oakhurst to Vegas through Death Valley will definitely be an all day drive. The quicker way will take a good part of the day - maybe 6-7 hours.
I don't know anything about gold panning at Coarsegold. That's a new one for me!
Karen
this site may be of some help to you ( www.budgetravel.msnbc.com ) also check out ( www.towd.com )
sorry it has two t,s ( www.budgettravel.msnbc.com )
Karen
Thank you again. The link to the website works fine. However, will probably play safe and plan the other route you suggested through Gold rush towns to Oakhurst (quicker too). Any one you recommend stopping at (say for lunch)?
Also, sorry to be ignorant but when you give these numbers for roads, what type of roads are they? Also, what do you call motorways over there?
Thanks
Ruth
Hi Ruth,
I think you are wise to go to Oakhurst by way of the Gold Rush towns in April. That is much more of a sure bet. And the towns and countryside are so charming and scenic!
The only specific lunch recommendation I can give you would actually be a little out of the way, because once you get on the 49, you'd have to turn north to Sutter Creek for a short distance. Sutter Creek is a gold mining town almost due west of South Lake Tahoe. My husband's family came over from Serbia in the early 1900s to work in the gold mines, and my husband's grandfather purchased the Palace Hotel restaurant (and sold it a few years later). It is still there in the main part of Sutter Creek, and so is the original decor. We always eat there when we are in Sutter Creek and we like the food.
However, if you don't want to turn north or you want to get a few more miles behind you before you stop for lunch, try Angel's Camp, Columbia, Sonora or Jamestown. All are very charming gold rush towns and they'll all have lunch places.
Except for I-99 and I-15 that I mentioned, all highways I mentioned and are mostly 2 lane roads, with passing lanes here and there. They are generally not crowded, but are country roads that wind through rolling hills and valleys. You might get stuck behind a slow truck, but that just wait to get to a passing lane.
I-99 and I-15 are both freeways where you can drive up to 65 miles per hour.
Karen
The people, where ever you go anywhere in town you usually run into somebdy you have met before, unlike Silicon Valley, A fantastic place to eat is The Elderberry House, and also Oko's, A nice place to visit is to drive over to Bass Lake, The peace and tranquility, the views, the mountians, the wild life, again the people.
A few miles up Hwy 41 from Oakhurst, near the south gate to Yosemite, sits an old steam engine locomotive called the Logger. Located in Fish Camp it is still in operation on a 4-mile scenic railroad excursion through the sugar pines that logging trains used at the turn of the century.
The grounds are filled with sights of yesteryear with gold panning, a museum, a trading store with gifts, and at the Depot building is the Station Gift Shop. Drinks and snacks are available at the Station Sandwich Shop. Had lots of fun on the Moonlight Special, 5:30 PM till after dark, about 9:30 PM, with a BBQ, ride on the train, and a campfire sing-a-long featuring the Sugar Pine Singers. This is a great experience for young and old and the trees are standing tall as you clickety-clack along the railroad track.
The menu changes nightly at the whim and desires of the Chef. Always looking to please the palate, Erna's Elderberry House experience is about two hours long.
Cost : Ninety-Two Dollars. Wine selections were; Westbrook Wine Farm Viognier-Valdigue Madera County 2005.... J Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2004....Ficklin Tinta Port Madera County. Cost : Thirty-Eight Dollars. Bar drinks at your option and choice. Tips are not included.
amuse bouche.... chioggia beet and parma ham carpaccio, shaved parmesan, caper vinaigrette.
roasted monkfish fillet.... eggplant risotto, wax & green beans, andouille sausage, kingsburg gold tomatoes and gulf shrimp broth
grilled apricot soup.... st. agur cheese, baked apricot with pistachios
herb crusted rack of lamb.... sweet potato-king oyster mushroom and swiss chard ragout, jerusalem artichokes and rosemary-lamb jus
salad of austrian heirloom.... spreckled trout lettuce, and pumpkin seed oil-orange vinaigrette
coffee creme brulee and dark chocolate souffle
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Address: 48800 Royal Oaks Dr, (Formerly Ramada Limited Yosemite), Oakhurst, California, 93644, United States
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