Lodging and Restaurants in Modoc CountyLodging and restaurant options in Modoc County, California are many and varied. Obviously, because of the county's small population, there aren't quite as many options as San Francisco or San Diego, but the options are more than adequate for the area. Trade-off for those fewer options is open spaces and a peaceful smog-free country environment; we feel the trade-off is worth it. Lodging and eating options are especially adequate if your desire is just to enjoy country living peace and quiet for a weekend getaway. Modoc County accommodations range from guest ranch or bed & breakfast to reasonably priced country motels. The area also offers many fine places to eat out, from a basic country restaurant breakfast to a fine steak dinner with all the trimmings and atmosphere. Restaurants in Alturas alone offer many cuisines, steak house fare to oriental, enough to satisfy locals and visitors alike. Cedarville's JnR Hotel. Historic Hotel in downtown Cedarville with private baths, cable TV, wireless DSL and new beds. Coffee served at 7am in quaint lobby. Walk to good restaurants and bars. Browse the old town. Rooms with a queen bed, full bed or 2-twins. Large 2 bedroom suite. Rates start at $49.95 double occupancy (with tax). One of the most natural choices for lodging in the rural setting of Modoc County is the guest ranch, with quite a few good ones to choose from. Most, if not all, of the guest ranches in the area were once working cattle ranches. Many are still working ranches, sharing tourism with livestock operations. Changes in demographics and the agricultural economy have forced many ranchers both in Modoc and in other areas of the country to diversify. Those that choose to diversify often convert completely to providing guest services or combine a working ranch operation with guest facilities. The guest ranch (or the worn-out phrase dude ranch, if you prefer) offers harried urbanites a brief escape to country living lifestyle. One of the premier guest ranches offering lodging and banquet services as well as hosting weddings, anniversaries and reunions is Mahogany Ridge Guest Ranch which is located in beautiful Jess Valley at the base of the Warner Mountains. The history of this guest ranch spans nearly a hundred years, all under the same family ownership. Another great Modoc guest ranch is near Eagleville on the Nevada border. Cockrell Ranch High Desert Lodging also has a long history of ranching in northeastern California, and offers a unique country living lifestyle for guests on a working ranch approximately 180 miles north of Reno, Nevada and about 30 miles east of Alturas. For the sportsman, Cockrell's even offers complimentary ground squirrel hunting on the ranch (if its warm enough for the pesky varmints to appear above ground). These are but two of the many guest ranches in the tri-state area of California-Oregon-Nevada, but are very representative of the type of comfortable country living you can expect here. Another type of lodging that is very popular is the bed and breakfast. Although there are a few bed and breakfasts in Modoc County, they are not as popular here as you would think. This is kind of surprising as there are many large homes both in towns and in the country with the Victorian styling that fits the mold for a bed & breakfast establishment. Of the bed & breakfast style lodging establishments in Modoc County, a few are worth mentioning. In Alturas, the historic Niles Hotel offers bed & breakfast style accommodations. J. K. Metzker House in Cedarville is an acclaimed bed & breakfast, and offers reasonable rates in a relaxing small-town atmosphere. Cedarville is also the home of another fine lodging establishment, Surprise Valley Hot Springs which offers reasonably priced villas with private patio hot tubs fed by artesian mineral water. In addition to private hot springs and relaxation in a quiet country setting, you can get a therapeutic massage at a nominal extra charge. Surprise Valley Hot Springs also offers Fly-N-Soak Pilot packages, for private pilots who want to land at the Cedarville airport, jump in a courtesy car (included in the price), and drive the short distance to the Hot Springs for bed & breakfast style relaxation. Another unique lodging establishment in Modoc County caters primarily to hunters and sportsmen, but can also be a relaxing getaway for anyone. The Honker Inn Lodge is located on the eastern shore of Goose Lake which straddles the California-Oregon border in northern Modoc County. The closest town to the Honker Inn Lodge is New Pine Creek, Oregon directly on the state border. To the best of my knowledge the only lodging in Modoc County that fits the traditional architectural style for a hotel are the historic Niles Hotel on Main Street in Alturas and Tavernetti's Canby Hotel in Canby. The Niles Hotel offers bed & breakfast services, but began life as a downtown hotel, and still fits the traditional hotel image. The Niles was originally built in 1908 as the Curtis Hotel. J. E. Niles purchased the hotel in 1912, completed the rooms on the second and third floors and renamed it the Niles Hotel. The hotel has been in business with only brief closures since then. In 1976, the hotel went through the million-dollar renovation and modernization that brought it to its current state. Today, the Niles is as much an operational hotel with dining and beverage facilities as it is a Modoc County and Niles family museum. Tavernetti's Canby Hotel is best known locally for its restaurant and as a highway 299 rest stop and gift shop rather than for its hotel. It too offers a lot of Modoc County history. Nearly every population center in the county offers a variety of motels to choose from. Although none of Modoc's motels offer what could be considered all-inclusive service, most if not all are located close to restaurants and gas stations. Many are also well situated as a central base for exploring Modoc County's many historical and natural points of interest. Because of its relatively larger size, central location and center for government offices, Alturas offers the biggest concentration of motels in the county. From quaint country style independents Essex Motel and Rim Rock Motel to locally-owned franchise Best Western Trailside and Super 8 motels, Alturas offers a total of seven quality motels. All are fairly centrally located and close to shopping, restaurants, gas and access points. Motels can also be found in Cedarville in the eastern part of the county and Adin in the western section. Although rural and where the West still lives, Modoc County, California has not been left behind in the current popularity of recreational vehicle (RV) travel. There are a few full service RV parks in the area in addition to the numerous campgrounds and just plain open spaces. Perhaps the premier RV park in the county is the Likely RV Resort & Golf Course located a few miles east of Likely in the southern part of the county. The park offers full RV hook-up, light dining and refreshments, and a quality golf course. The Likely RV Resort & Golf Course hosts several tournaments each year, and also offers golf vacation packages. Other quality RV parks are the Adin RV Park located in Adin, and Eagle's Nest RV Park located in Tionesta in northwest Modoc near the southern entrance to Lava Beds National Park. Alturas also offers RV facilities located close to shopping and all amenities. As with lodging, Modoc County offers a variety of quality restaurants. Alturas area restaurants offer cuisine from country restaurant at The Wagon Wheel (probably the city's most popular gathering spot), to oriental at the just opened Aida's Tasty Cafe. Our personal favorites in Alturas are The Brass Rail Basque family-style restaurant and Antonio's Cucina Italiana Italian restaurant. Surprisingly, Antonio's has the best prime rib I have ever tasted, served by reservation only on Fridays. Other cuisines in Alturas include a variety of Mexican restaurants, Thai-Western at Nipa's California Cuisine, Cantonese at King Wah's and of course steaks at the Auction Yard Café located (where else?) at the livestock auction yard. Alturas also offers donut shops, deli-style lunch counter restaurants, the diner-style Black Bear Diner, a real old fashioned coffee shop at Main Street Coffee Shop and of course snacks are available at almost every gas station. There are also quite a few good country restaurants in Cedarville, including Country Hearth, Cedarville Café and Saloon and the Golden Bar & Restaurant. Other notable restaurants in Modoc County are the Likely Café in Likely, Captain Jack's Stronghold Restaurant near Newell, Davis Creek Mercantile in Davis Creek, Jack's General Store and Café in Eagleville and Adin Supply Company. While traveling through Modoc County, you'll no doubt notice that there are no franchise fast-food outlets. You won't see golden arches nor Kentucky Colonels; no Burger King nor Pizza Hut. Rumor has it that many years ago, county elders unofficially decreed that franchise fast food restaurants would not be welcomed nor approved for construction and business. This effort was supposedly to both protect local businesses and preserve the country atmosphere. I have not been able to substantiate this rumor, and would more likely blame a small market base for the lack of a McDonald's. Do not despair though, our first franchise fast-food outlet is coming soon to Alturas! A new Subway sandwich shop is scheduled to open its doors in June, 2007. Besides, if you have a craving for a quick burger or milk shake while on the go, Modoc County has had fast-food restaurants for quite some time. Adin has Nelson's Frosty drive-in, and Susan's Frosty Deli & Pizza is your stop in Cedarville. Alturas sports two fine drive-in style restaurants, both reminiscent of the fifty's and sixty's. Harold's Frosty drive-in is a step back to my high school days in the sixty's. It's a small drive-in catering to high school students and travelers alike. Harold's is located across the street from Modoc High School on Main Street and also has a drive-up window. The Munch Box drive-in looks like it could be a set on the movie American Graffiti, and they still have carhop service, too! So you can see that lodging and restaurant options in Modoc County, California are numerous and varied. In an area with clean air, country living peace and quiet and no congestion, it's refreshing to have so many lodging and eating options. Whether you're visiting Modoc for a weekend or a few days, or you're one of our proud residents, you should find the lodging and restaurant choices to your liking. From a restful weekend at a guest ranch or bed & breakfast to a one-night business stopover at a reasonably priced country motel, your lodging needs should be filled. Modoc County restaurants provide locals with dining options for a break in routine, and provide visitors with reasons for return visits. More Modoc Country Living...
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