Romantic Interlude: Inn At The Tides By Candida Eittreim on Sep 24, 2007 - Updated Sep 18, 2011

On the Northern California coast, there is a magical place-The Inn At The Tides. This was for years our great good spot to run to when life got too much. Just driving up the hill to Pelican, our special nest, set the mood for the entire stay. This is a quiet unassuming place on the surface. Its homely weathered cedar shingled buildings seem to vanish in the frequent mists that crown the upper heights of the inn. Step out of your car and inhale the briny scents of the sea and listen to the gulls crying as they wheel overhead.

The rooms are homey, with a real log burning fireplace, big beds and enormous jacuzzi tubs in the bathrooms. Fresh logs are piled and waiting on the hearth, and thick terry robes just beg to wrap you in cuddly luxury. You have a real coffeepot and a basket of coffees and accoutrements nearby, along with two mugs. A small rear porch looks out over the water or the wooded pasturelands. It feels like coming home.

If you are hungry, you can order in for dinner, or slip into something casual and stroll over to the Tides restaurant, where simple but delicious seafood stars on their menu. Or stay on site and dine in the lovely BayView restaurant, where award winning chef Christopher Ferrante whips up the freshest California cuisine. After a stroll along the water, go soak in the giant hot tub or swim under the stars. In the morning a continental breakfast is served in the dining area, or you can order from the Tides excellent breakfast choices.

Like so many places in the Bodega Bay/Jenner area, this is a place of respite and quiet. Many of us in the San Francisco Bay Area lead frantic, busy and stress filled lives, so places like The Inn at The Tides are our treasures. The rates run from $185 a night and up. Reservations are recommended during high summer and holidays. Come on over to the splendid Northern California Coast, grab your room at the Tides and just enjoy the moment.