Hotel at a Glance: Quiet Creek Inn

True to its name, the Quiet Creek Inn is certainly quiet—it’s a lodge set on 6 acres in the middle of the San Jacinto Mountains, near Strawberry Creek. At this rustic-on-the-outside, luxurious-on-the-inside inn featured on CBS’s ”Eye on the Desert,” you can wake up and walk to breakfast or sip wine in an Adirondack chair while breathing in the fresh mountain air. All this solitude is only a short drive from San Diego and Los Angeles—each is about two hours away.

• Deal add-ons: This deal comes with an included daily breakfast for 2, served at the nearby Mile High Cafe, a quick drive or walk from the Inn. You’ll also receive a bottle of wine.
• Explore the grounds and lounge or have a picnic on the 7 private acres of Strawberry Creek.
• Each Queen Studio features a fireplace and private deck.
• Take a hike on one of the nature trails in the state parks and National Wilderness areas surrounding Idyllwild.
• Hang out in the lounge, where you’ll find a movie library and snacks.
• Close to the shops, numerous art galleries, and quaint restaurants of Idyllwild

Idyllwild, California: Artistic Town in the Pines

Idyllwild may seem like a tiny town tucked away in the San Jacinto Mountains, and that’s pretty close to the truth. But Idyllwild is no forgotten village—it was named in the book 100 Best Small Art Towns in America and voted “L.A.’s Best Mountain Getaway” by LA Weekly. Everywhere you turn, you’ll find yourself among theaters, art galleries, and eclectic shops, and you’ll walk past colorful buildings and public art. A large annual film fest, Idyllwild CinemaFest, is held here, and there’s a boarding school for budding young artists, the Idyllwild Arts Foundation.

That said, Mother Nature is this town’s greatest artist, and people come year-round to admire her work. Go hiking in the San Bernadino National Forest, fish Lake Hemet, go rock climbing, or mountain bike through meadows full of wildflowers. You’ll be within day-trip distance of Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park as well.

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