Straw House Resorts and Cafe

Everyone has their own travel style.  My husband and I are the type of travelers who prefer to create and follow an itinerary.  We believe that this is the best way for us to see as much as possible in a given amount of vacation time; it allows us to prioritize our "must do" list.  However, that doesn't mean we always follow our original itinerary 100% to the tee.  Situations arise or moods or interests change and so we accommodate for these moving pieces when necessary.

One of the things we almost never plan are where to eat or what shops or cafes to pop in to.  When we were in California for our honeymoon we drove around a lot.  Those who have been to California know what I mean: it's a big state!  We happened to be at a point in our trip where we had one of our long driving days.  And long driving days mean pit stops.  In the U.S. many people pull over at designated state rest stops, some more interesting than others.  We were sort of in the middle of nowhere when we came across this bright, inviting Straw House Cafe just off of Highway 299.

We didn't realize it was also a resort until we explored a bit, but whether you stay as a guest or not this place is worth a stop if you need to stretch your legs.  Not only does Straw House serve traditional cafe drinks, but they also have bottles of wine to purchase and a pretty great food menu as well.  Couple that with some fantastic views of the Trinity River and hummingbird watching and you have yourself a relaxing outdoor lunch spot.  Also, much to our delight, Straw House also has a lot of local art for sale.  We don't usually buy a lot of souvenirs when we travel, but when possible we try to find art to bring home so that we're reminded of our vacation.  We ended up purchasing a watercolor of the local mountains and river in a vibrant fall color palette.

So, long story short?  Stray from your path from time to time.  This didn't take a lot of effort on our part since it was along the way, but we were very happy that we found such a pleasant spot, in what felt like the middle of nowhere, to relax, fill our empty bellies, and take in the wonderful views.

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Location: 31301 CA-299, Junction City, CA 96048, USA

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