#320 - Tallman Upper Lake, CA

Historic Tallman Hotel From 1895

​I love old hotels! I've stayed at dozens, that were built before 1900.

Out of all the nineteenth century hotels Don and I have enjoyed, I think the Tallman Hotel may be the most beautifully renovated.  

One Night in Upper Lake

​Last January, we drove 2 hours from Sacramento, to reach this western style hotel. I was pleased to see it looked as lovely as I'd remembered.

We discovered this charming boutique hotel, during a road trip in July 2021. 

Upper Lake in July 2021
 
2+ years ago, Don was driving in Northern California and I was searching on my phone for a lunch spot. Suddenly I was intrigued to learn about a little town, that had once been a popular stage stop in the 1880s. We took a detour to Upper Lake.

It was July 2021. The trees were green and skies were blue, but pandemic worries were still in the air. We stopped for lunch at the Tallman Hotel's restaurant and were greeted by friendly mask-wearing staff. We fell in love with the place over lunch and vowed to return.

Back Again in 2024

​When we returned for an overnight at Tallman, the trees were bare, but the skies were blue again!

The line up of red, blue and white was even prettier than I recalled. The historic red livery barn, the Blue Wing Saloon and the white hotel!  

Rescued Hotel

We found easy parking in front, right beside the boardwalk. (Gotta love small town parking!) The 2-story structure looked so inviting with wrap-around porch below and veranda above!

Lucky for all of us, Bernie and Lynne Butcher rescued this place in 2003. It had been vacant for 40 years. Along with a team of creative folk, the Butchers spent a few years gutting, designing, rebuilding, and constructing additional buildings. They reopened the luxurious hotel in 2006.

Comfy Waiting

​We arrived early, before our room was ready. 

No problem, there were comfy wicker chairs overlooking the garden courtyard.

Courtyard

My porch chair had a nice view of the courtyard and the Blue Wing Saloon, where we enjoyed lunch in 2021.  

The yellow chairs were empty and the shades were down to keep the heated porch warm.

It had a very different look in the summer of 2021, with green trees shading the tables.

The Tallman Family

As we relaxed, I looked up some history about the family behind the historic hotel. Rufus and Mary Ellen Tallman opened the original hotel in 1874. 

The Tallman's had over a dozen kids, within 3 decades. Poor Mama, pregnant with her 13th at age 47, in 1893!

The New Hotel

In 1895 the popular hotel and livery stable burnt to the ground. The kids were already used to pitching in with hotel chores. I'm sure they (including the 2 year old) were put to the test, when a new hotel was built. This time, Rufus constructed a smaller but sturdier hotel, using durable redwood.

This is how it looked in later years, after Rufus and Mary Ellen passed away. Their daughter Winnie (on right in family photo) took over ownership. Winnie and her husband (Hank Riffe) changed the name to Riffe's Hotel.  I'm not sure I approve...

Winnie's Hotel?

In 2024, there were no Model Ts in front of the hotel and no horses in front of the saloon. But much looked as it did during the first decades of the 20th century, when Winnie did most of the cleaning and cooking for all the guests.

Hank spent most of his time running a nearby pool hall. Poor Winnie never had children of her own to help out. I think we should call it Winnie's Hotel!

In We Go

By 3:00, we'd been on the porch a while. I'd happily soaked up some good info, along with sunshine.

We headed for the second red door, that opened to the hotel office. Kiersten (I believe) got us checked in.

Assistant Manager, Jeremy gave us a little hotel history, when he heard us commenting about the old safe.

Corn and Birds

Don did most of the talking, while my eyes got busy, taking in my surroundings! I was sort of in love with the corncob lamp. Who else could decorate with a corncob and make it classy? I wondered. The only corncob decor I've ever seen, was in Missouri Ozark gift shops! 

Bird prints are always classy. But even without the birds, the arrangement of frames (with earth-colored mats) created its own art, on numerous walls. 

The Old Rooms

The staircase led to the hotel's Veranda Rooms. When I originally called to book, I learned the hotel had 17 rooms, but only 4 were in the original building. The upstairs Veranda Rooms were all booked,  

We weren't able to stay in the old building where the Tallman's once greeted guests, but we had a Garden Room waiting! And we were welcome to enjoy the hotel's peaceful parlor.

Sophisticated!

There a formal feel to the parlor, but not at all stuffy. It felt sophisticated, yet welcoming, with lovely fabrics and antiques... and a French wood bead chandelier!

The meticulous blend of soft earthy tones felt calm and comfy. I'm sure today's interior looks nothing like it did in 1900, but the tall windows and woodwork and even the palm in the corner, fit the turn of the century style.

Dining Room

We peeked in the dining room, where we would have breakfast the next morning. I pictured the Tallman daughters serving guests. 

Black wicker chairs and soft woven table cloths, surrounded by sepia colored, hand-painted walls!  You have to love the swirling "umbrella lantern" fixture above!

Don and I had to do a little posing! We put ourselves in the mirror frame above the mantel... covered in treasures... with a sweet marsh bird watching from the wall!

Garden Rooms

Our room was not in the old hotel, but no worries! We were in one of the 8 garden rooms.

We walked past the yellow chairs towards the yellow buildings.

Pool & Ice

To the left of the yellow buildings, we found the pool, which was closed for the season. If we'd come as guests 120 years earlier, there would have been no pool. But, we could have enjoyed "taking the healing waters" at the nearby hot springs. 

Just past the pool, we found the ice machine, tastefully tucked away behind a tidy wooden door. A century ago, the iceman would have provided!

Room 5

Our room was in one of the 4 Lower Garden rooms, at the opposite end from the pool. The pretty yellow buildings were added during the big renovation.

Our little porch overlooked the Blue Wing Saloon and its seasonal container gardens. We could see the metal roof of the old red barn.

Old Look, New Feel

We knew the quaint buildings were new, but each had the charm of a vintage cottage.

Once we opened the door, we found ourselves in an entryway with pale yellow bead-board walls. There was a handy closet and a just-in-case-umbrella. Nice touch!

Cottage Charm

It felt like we'd suddenly stepped into an old Victorian cottage, without dust or musty smells. No cobwebs or splinters or faded fabrics. Just charm!

The colors were soothing. Yellow woodwork and beams. Custom made acorn-stamped wallpaper. Pretty fabrics with soft checks and florals.  

An armoire held a smallish TV, along with coffee mugs and wine glasses. 

I was glad for the comfy sitting area. Yay for not giving us low, itchy-velvet, Victorian chairs. 

Lamps

I always appreciate decent lighting. We had lots of windows and quite a few pretty lamps. 

We didn't have a corncob lamp, but the  hand painted floor lamp was very impressive. When I switched on the bulb, the birds and designs glowed, on the black shade!

Bathroom Light

More pretty lamps illuminated  the bathroom. This bathroom was worthy of a spotlight, with all the top notch surfaces! The spacious marble vanity, shined. The slick subway tile was glossy-clean!  

The soft shower curtain and geometric floor tiles didn't shine, but I loved the look!

Peering Through the Door!

The bathroom's French doors were pretty, but the sheer curtains allowed light to shine through. That's something I don't love with bathroom designs. Don't turn on the light if I'm sleeping!

All this light should have put our bats to sleep, but their eerie eyes stared at us from the framed print, over the toilet! (Honestly, I loved this creepy, yet whimsical piece of art!) And the French door windows didn't really bother me. I pretty much loved everything about our room!

​Japanese Ofuro Soaking Tub

Lower Garden Rooms come with a back patio AND a custom made teak hot tub. These are drained and cleaned for each guest, which is wonderful... except that it takes 2 hours to heat up.

I knew it wouldn't be hot yet, since our room had just been cleaned. But I pulled back the tub's little "blanket" just to check. Yikes! It was freezing!

Cheers to the Tallman Fam!

It was a little frustrating having to wait on the tub. We had dinner reservations at 6:30 and we only had one night at the hotel. It was hard to believe the cold tub would ever be warm enough.

But we were excited to relax in our cozy chairs and make a toast to the Tallman Family. Where are they? With 13 kids, there must be some Tallman relatives around somewhere!

Dinner at the Saloon

We left our room at 6:30 for our 6:30 reservations at Blue Wing Saloon. It was of course dark then, but this daytime photo shows the beautifully reconstructed saloon entrance, from the street.

The original saloon is no longer here, but the Butchers recreated a bold blue version, during the 2003 restoration. 

Interior

This is how the saloon looked in 2021. Without a crowd, you can see the beautiful black walnut bar.  

You can also see the staff in masks. It was so nice to be back 2.5 years later, without masks!

Monday Blues Night at Blue Wing

Don and I were glad to have reservations, since the saloon gets busy on Monday Blues Night. There appeared to be more locals than travelers, enjoying the music. We recognized (from internet photos) the man in the sweater, clapping behind Don. Tallman's owner, Bernie Butcher.  

Don and I had the perfect table, not far from the band. The performance was scheduled from 6-8, so we got busy ordering. Soup and salad for me! A seafood special for Don. Music and food and good people watching!

Greg Rahn and Band

Numerous performers play at Blue Wing, Thursday through Monday. It seemed to be a hopping place on Monday evening, with people mostly our age. I'm guessing most folks appreciated (like we did) the early bird timing on this! They also seemed to be appreciating the band, led by keyboard player Greg Rahn. He and the other skilled musicians had a fun energy and a good rapport, with the crowd gathered near the bar. 

Blues Night wasn't all blues. We heard everything from Scott Joplin, to 1970s rock. I was totally entertained by the music, but also by a number of women dancing in a small space near the bar. I was a little envious. They were so comfortable, happily jiving to the tunes. 

Dancing With Locals

Before long I got up the nerve to go over and chat with the fun dancin' gals. Very quickly, Debbie (the most enthused of the bunch) had me dancing along!  Then Greg left his bench and joined us with his portable keyboard. What a hoot!

Debbie failed to get Don on the checkered dance floor, but he was happily amused. Don laughed and shook his head, when Debbie pantomimed with an imaginary fishing rod and tried to reel him in.  

It was after 8, when the band played their last song. Greg gave a shout out to thank the Dancers!  Debbie gave me a hug good-bye and Don thanked the band with compliments and a generous tip. What a perfectly enjoyable evening!

Brrrr!

We made our 30 second walk back to our room. I kept fingers crossed that the Ofuro Tub would be hot.

You can tell by my expression that it was not hot. I'm also exaggerating a bit. It was warm, but not warm enough to sit and soak when the air temps were in the 30s. 

6:30 AM

The next morning, it was still dark when I stepped out on the patio to test the tub! What fun to pull the cover back and feel the steamy warmth rise! I attempted to get myself into the 3-ft deep tub, gracefully. However, I forgot the wooden box was nearly a foot deeper than the deck. I made a splashing entrance and tried to muffle my laughter.

I didn't use the nearby hinoki stool in the tub. Instead I leaned back in the 98 degree water and rested my head against the box. I grinned to myself in the dark, because I knew I looked like I was laying in a coffin. But I was amazed at how magical it felt. I wasn't floating or sinking. I was submerged just enough. Even my head outside of the water felt weightless, resting on the wood. 

So, I finally got to enjoy the tub, while a rooster crowed nearby and a dog barked once. The sky lightened and I could see pink and blue behind the tree branches. Lovely!

Main Street in the Morning

After a shower, I headed off for a quick walk through town. The slideshow below, shows a few of the highlights.

Upper Lake is small, with fewer than 1,000 residents. So, there's not tons to see. But I was delighted to have a peek at the quiet town, nice and early.

Coffee Before Breakfast

​We had breakfast waiting for us in the hotel dining room...

... but I had to have coffee on the porch. If there's a porch, I must use it.

Dining Room at 8

We entered the sun-filled dining room, and took a table next to the fireplace. I was able to spend more time admiring the handmade tiles. Golden brown seaweed images!  

My chair gave me a good view of this bird and frog. All the softly painted wall designs, were inspired by the nearby marsh wildlife. 

French Buffet

Before we checked out the beautifully displayed breakfast options, we greeted the only other breakfast guests. Greg and his fellow musicians were enjoying breakfast, after spending a night in the hotel. Couldn't have been a friendlier bunch!

We filled our plates. Eggs, croissants, house-made granola, yogurt and toppings, breads, fruit and scones... fresh brewed coffee!

It all tasted better, on our brown country dishes, surrounded by marsh birds and cattails, wispy trees and dragonflies! A good way to start the morning! 

What's Notable?

We didn't sleep in a 129-year-old hotel, but we stayed in a charming, recently constructed building, with porch and patio and incredible soaking tub. We were graciously compensated for our heating glitch issues, by the way!

What I'll remember first about this hotel stay, is how the old and new blended so beautifully. It's hard to tell from my  2 photos, which building is original. Next I'll remember how the entire property felt welcoming and comfortable and classy. The staff (hotel and saloon) couldn't have been more gracious. The size of this little oasis was just perfect. 

Rarely do Don and I return to hotels, since we're always wanting to explore new places. But already, we have reservations for a Tallman Hotel visit in the summer. That says it all!

Update!

8 months after our first stay, Don and I returned to Tallman, with our son and daughter-in-law! How fun to see the hotel at the end of summer, with leaves on the trees and a Labor Day Weekend Blues Festival!

But mostly it was fun to share the experience with these 2! Just a 2-hour drive from Scott and Chali's home in Sacramento. Looks like this might not be our last visit!