As the gold boom passed, Murphys was left to sleep under its locust and elm trees until tourists discovered its beauty and slower pace of life. A few old stone buildings survive, one of which contains the Old Timers' Museum filled with pioneer and Gold Rush regalia. The Dunbar House, 1880, is a handsome inn with a wrap-around porch where guests can sit and sip Gold-Country wine or enjoy a refreshing glass of lemonade.  Each of the four cozy guestrooms has a fireplace and a small refrigerator with ice and a complimentary bottle of wine. The Sequoia room has a queen-size bed and a claw-foot tub set before a wood stove. The Cedar room, just off the downstairs parlor, is a suite offering a luxurious Jacuzzi. Upstairs the Ponderosa room has a king bed, large claw-foot tub, views of the garden and the Sugar Pine room is a two-room suite that enjoys a private balcony shaded by trees. Each room also provides a TV with VCR hidden away in an armoire. Breakfast, served in the dining room by the fire, in the century-old garden, or in the privacy of your room, includes juice spritzer, fresh fruit, muffins, turnovers, an egg dish, and a hot beverage. An appetizer buffet is offered in the afternoon.

If creature comforts in the Gold Country are what you're after, head for this Italianate B&B, built in 1880. Three of the four guest rooms have claw-foot tubs (the other boasts a two-person Jacuzzi and a private sun porch) and are furnished with eclectic antiques, a bouncy brass bed or four-poster piled with pillows, ceiling fans and Norwegian gas stoves, and plenty of hand-crocheted lace. Those who can't abide froufrou should opt for Sequoia, a plush clubby room. $125 to $170 per night, including wine and appetizers in your room's minifridge and a breakfast (e.g., crab-cheddar-jack English muffin, homemade scone with lemon curd, sautéed tomatoes with pine nuts, and fruit with Irish cream) that will last you all day.

In the heart of the historic Gold Country, and about two hours from Lake Tahoe & Yosemite, Dunbar House, 1880 is the quintessential Victorian B&B. The exterior features wraparound porch, white wicker furniture, shuttered windows, and garden statuary. Inside, it's filled with antiques, hardwood floor, period wallpaper, Norwegian gas fireplaces, and all the old-fashioned charm anyone could want.

It's the kind of place where you need time to poke around. How else would you discover the 1956 Saturday Evening Post tucked away in a parlor magazine stand? or the old editions of Little Men and Mary Poppins nonchalantly placed on a shelf in your room?

The amenities seem endless, with all traces of modernity discreetly hidden. In our room (the Sugar Pine) and antique armoire concealed a TV/VCR, a replica of a '30s floor-standing radio turned out to be an AM/FM/CD player, and a needlepoint pouch next to the bed contained a clip-on reading light. An antique hutch equipped with hot water dispenser provided hot beverages whenever we wanted; the cubbyholes were stashed with Ashbys of London teas, and cappucinos in flavors such as raspberry truffle.

The bathroom was a sybaritic delight. At the center was a clawfooted tub, flanked by candle sconses, with lavender bath salts, air pillow, and garden view. Other features included a beautiful antique buffet with procelain sink installed, brass fixtures, European towel warmer, terry robes, and magazines. A modern shower was hidden behind a white eyelet curtain.

Before bed, we made a midnight snack of the complimentary wine and hors d'ouvres in our personal refrigerator: pesto cheese balls and crackers, Basque antipasto on lettuce leaves, and orange slices. We followed this treat with a wonderfully comfortable sleep aided by a down comforter and imported linens. In the morning, we awoke to a gourmet breakfast that included a melon boat filled with apple and kiwi slices, berries, pomegranate seeds, and edible flowers, poached eggs over spinach with sun dried tomatoes and cheese, rosemary potatoes, lemon scones, and spiced tomatoes. In late fall, it was warm enough to enjoy this gourmet affair on our own private tree-top balcony, where pink geraniums climbed over a white wood railing.

California Association of Bed and Breakfast Inns | Calaveras Visitors Bureau
Murphys Business Association | Professional Association of Innkeepers International
California State Automobile Association
Select Registry | Unique Inns