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LODGINGS
Buckeye Tree Lodge / 1*
46000 SIERRA DR, THREE RIVERS; 559/561-5900
Although the Buckeye definitely has an up-in-the-mountains feel, you're
only at 1,300 feet. During the spring, the Kaweah River, which runs right
beside the nicely landscaped 2-acre property, rages along through its
canyon like an angry white horse. By summer it's calmed down and taken
on lazy-stream status, perfect for sitting on a boulder and dangling your
toes, or casting a line in search of trout. Twelve rooms in the main lodge
are clean and plain. White is the predominant scheme for everything from
walls to spreads—a refreshing break from the aggres-sively "country"
theme of most mountain lodgings. The two-story lodge features verandas
that double as walkways to the rooms, so each unit's deck is somewhat
communal. Escape instead to the pool, which is large and well sited in
the sun, or to the lawns and walks shaded by oaks. The Lodge's most interesting
accommodation is the Redbud Cottage, a small house with a king bedroom,
a half-bedroom with twin bed, and a living room with sofa sleeper, plus
a kitchen and a wood-burning fireplace to take the chill off those cool
mountain nights. $-$$; AE, CB, DC, DIS, MC, V; no checks; info@buckeyetree.com;
www.buckeyetree.com; 6 miles N£ of
town on Hwy 198 (Vi mile from park entrance).
Sequoia Village Inn / *
45971 SIERRA DR (HWY 198), THREE RIVERS; 559/561-3652
Innkeeper Curt Nutter is well known in these parts as an inveterate hiker,
and he'll bend your ear about the best places to tramp in the Sierra Nevada.
In addition to being a walking guidebook, he runs a neat and quiet little
inn in a deep canyon adjacent to historic Pumpkin Hollow Bridge. The first
cabins here were built in the 1940s to house park rangers, so they have
a little more room than do most typical tourist cabins or motel rooms.
The decor is homey, and much of the clientele is families looking for
a quiet retreat after a day spent in the national park.
Smallest accommodations still have a queen bed, while two new large chalet-style
cabins are for families or groups: one sleeps 9, the other 12. Both chalets
have a California Craftsman style and boast views up the canyon. Amenities
include pool and hot tub, French roast coffee, and pop- corn (microwave
in room). On clear nights Nutter will occasionally bring out a big reflecting
telescope for some stargazing. $; AE, DIS, JCB, MC, V; California checks
OK; 5 miles past Three Rivers, take immediate left after Pumpkin Hollow
Bridge. |