A Breath of Fresh Mountain Air in Idyllwild, California

We were living in LA for at least 2 years before I heard about Idyllwild, California — a tiny mountaintop artist community that most pass right by while zipping to Palm Springs for the weekend. As one of the residents told me and Kevin, if you make it here 2 years, you’ve officially made it on the island. Less than 4,000 residents call Idyllwild home. This place is small and we got plenty of the town’s gossip in just 5 minutes upon arriving!

Once you pull off highway 10 at Banning, about 90 minutes East of Los Angeles, you easily still have about 45 minutes to reach the town. What you’ll find is a compact downtown with just a handful of quirky shops and lodging. While there isn’t much to do – beyond hiking – it’s definitely a special place (similar to Ojai, but much more rustic).

A few of the towering mountains above downtown Idyllwild

A view of the towering mountains above downtown Idyllwild

Recommended Hotel: Quiet Creek Inn

We’ve stayed at a few places but this last trip, we both agreed Quiet Creek Inn was the best. Quiet Creek Inn is about 5 minutes from downtown and is like staying in your own private cabin. Each room has a fireplace with a Duraflame log (for those non-Eagle Scouts afraid they’ll burn down the joint!) and overlooks a creek on the property. They even gave us a bottle of wine (if you check in on Yelp). Rates vary, but we paid about $230 to stay in one of their larger cabins. However, I have to admit, there was one part that I was looking forward to the most — feeding the birds and squirrels. Each room includes a bag of peanuts where you can test your fate with wildlife. And let’s just say these animals are used to getting fed and have no fear. The squirrels would have probably crawled right in the bed with me if I let them inside!

Complimentary tea, coffee and peanuts for the wildlife. They were watching us as we walked into the cabin!

One of the friendly squirrels that loved the peanuts I fed it

Kevin in front of the cabin at Quiet Creek Inn, his favorite lodging in Idyllwild

Places to Visit in Idyllwild, California:

Our favorite stop for breakfast, lunch or dinner is Cafe Aroma. They’ve gone through some renovations lately with a full scale bar with liquor. I imagine it will become even busier once that comes through. Gastronome is another popular spot, but we are like creatures of habit. And one thing that keeps us coming back, honestly, is the complimentary bread and dip! We went through like 2 baskets. Okay, maybe three! OMG. Dinner reservations are essential year round.

Osso Buco at Cafe Aroma falls right off the bone. I get it every time

Cafe Aroma from the street

There are cute shops and art galleries all along Circle Drive (the main street). But this trip we also happened to run into the officially elected town mayor, a golden retriever named Max. Since Idyllwild is cut off from most of society, they can do pretty much whatever they want! And why not elect a dog as mayor? His owner (campaign managers?) Preston and Cathy also had his deputy mayors out. They appear at local town events, and are passionate about Max raising money for animal rescue and the local shelter. According to the official Idyllwild mayor’s website, he’s already generated over $31,000 for the cause.

Idyllwild Mayor Max

Kevin pets the deputy mayors for Idyllwild, who love to bark at other dogs passing by

Coffee Shop:

We love coffeeshops and Higher Grounds, located right in the center of town, is the best hangout. Great wifi, strong heater (like really REALLY strong!) and tasty snacks. We spend most of our time here lounging around on their comfy seats.