I love our little town, no doubt about it.  This week Nevada City was blessed with a blanket of snow, okay, so perhaps not everyone was rejoicing about the return to winter, but for a person who finds beauty in every day scenes, I was captivated by the snow covered scenes around downtown Nevada City.  I posted some photos of the Outside Inn covered in snow on our Facebook page, click here for the Winter in Nevada City album or here for photos on Flickr.

But then the sun came out and we were all just left with the wondering, “Was there really a blizzard yesterday?”

One of the other things I love about our town is how everyone is connected.  Moira McLaughin, of Dog Art Today, wrote a great post on how the Outside Inn connected her to a number of local … Read More »

We’ve got a little DIY love for you today on the Outside Inn’s blog.  Our unit downtown, the Creekside Hideaway, recently got a makeover.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Creekside Hideaway it’s located near the South Pine Street bridge in downtown Nevada City.  The tiny little house has a big king size bed, kitchenette, bathroom and a great deck and patio overlooking Deer Creek.  We’re loving the new paint colors and historic charm.  Mention this blog post before May 1st and we’ll give you a extra savings of $10 off (*valid Sunday through Thursday) the $145 a night room rate.  The winners of the Backcountry Film Festival giveaway are PJ Madigan and Joan Daugherty.

Nevada City is so blessed to have so many beautiful places in and around our community.  The South Yuba River is a great place to enjoy, regardless of the season.  Bring the kids and take a hike along the South Yuba Trail, or pack a picnic and chose a picnic spot.  The river canyon doesn’t get a lot of sun in the winter months, but it’s still a real treat to soak up the natural beauty, just pack a sweater.  If you need directions, feel free to stop by the Outside Inn’s office for one of local trail maps.

© 2013 InnSide Nevada City

Alicia Funk and Karin Kaufman’s book Living Wild, has recently been released with an expanded selection of native plants.  The eco-friendly book showcases gardening, cooking and medicinial uses for native plants throughout the Sierra Nevadas and California.  I asked the Nevada City authors for some of their favorite local plants.

Alicia wrote that her favorite wild plants in Nevada County are, ”Since I love all of our native landscape, it is hard to pick favorites. But these are a few wild plants that I use regularly as part of trying to live a local, habitat-friendly lifestyle.

California Bay: Wonderful as a spice for winter soups and stews, delicious ice cream made by Treats in Nevada City and as a natural, household cleaner. Make your own cleaner by filling a mason jar with fresh or dried bay leaves and then steep overnight. … Read More »

Happy New Year’s Eve…  Before we get to the winner of our Ultimate Nevada City giveaway I thought it would be fun to list my top ten reasons why I love Nevada City.   The comments on the giveaway were fabulous.  I was in awe of the variety of reasons why people loved Nevada City– popular trends were the people, the Outside Inn, the Yuba, Victorian Christmas, the beauty.

Erin’s 10 Ten Reasons Why She Loves Nevada City

Community.  There are so many examples on how our community is great, whether it’s people helping each other (Outside Inn Flooding), or the small town vibe at the Nevada City Farmers Market or if it’s the fact that you can’t go far in Nevada City without bumping into someone you know.

Outdoor Adventures. I love that I can walk out my door step … Read More »

Are you a last minute shopper?  Here are a few suggestions on some gift ideas for someone in Nevada City, or someone who’d like to visit the area.  If you can’t make it to the last Victorian Christmas today, here are a few suggestions, or stop by any number of the downtown merchants.

First up, why not buy a weekend away package?  Buy an Outside Inn gift certificate (we’re more then happy to email you the gift certificate, if you can’t stop by in person).  For the lucky recipient, why not throw in a gift certificate to a dinner out and a wine tasting in downtown Nevada City?  (We’ll throw in the directions to the river, for free).

Do you have a coffee addict in your house?  Stop by the Outside Inn … Read More »

The ultimate Nevada City giveaway… I’ve decided that I’ve had so much fun on the blog this year, that why not end the year by going big.  We live in the an amazing community and I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing a slice of our world, so I wanted to give one big huge thanks to all the folks who I’ve promoted, plugged, photographed and gotten to know over the last year.  My basket started with a few left over goodies from previous giveaways and took on a life of its own…  It’s now turned into the ultimate Nevada City weekend.  I’ve got photos of all the goodies in the baskets below, but here’s a breakdown of what’s included.

One night stay at the Outside Inn
$30 gift certificate to Ike’s Quarter Cafe
$40 gift certificate to South Pine Cafe
$20 … Read More »

Let’s hear it for the Outside Inn’s canine guests.  We allow dogs in 13 of our 16 rooms*, why not plan a weekend getaway around some dog friendly ideas.  I asked Carla Bonetti, owner of Nevada County Escapes and The Dog House, for her recommendations and she said, “Nevada City is a pretty dog-gone friendly place. We have many dog friendly businesses including great lodging (like the Outside Inn) and cafés where furry pals are welcome. From the canine perspective, our hiking trails and the Yuba are a doggie dream come true. Tao and Zade love to hike along the Yuba in any weather. Our favorite area is around Purdon Crossing, just a few miles out of town. The humans will love the old bridge and the beauty of the giant boulders and water. If you get there early enough … Read More »

It was an eventful morning at the Outside Inn as the creek that runs through the property flooded. It got to a point where the water was level with East Broad Street and not far below the back doors of the rooms along side the creek.  We were able to get some sand bags from up the street and line the street with the help of staff, neighbors and guests, and thankfully the water never got close enough to the doors.  Many thanks to Pasquale from YubaNet and our friends at KVMR for giving a shout out for our need for help, we love that we live in a small town where people will just show up at your door and say, “We heard you need help, what can we do?”

And below is a photo of … Read More »

Happy Thanksgiving from the Outside Inn!  We are so thankful to call Nevada City our home.   And the winner from the Lazy Dog Chocolateria giveaway is Anna.

© 2012 InnSide Nevada City