Frisco Road Trip, Pt. 3: Resting in Redding

My brother, bless his heart, is one of the greatest guys I know. Generous to a fault, he loves the good things in life and enjoys them, high and low. Why, then, when he's in Redding, he chooses to stay in a run-down 50s motel called the Stardust that features stained mattresses, worn sheets and cigarette burns in the carpet, is beyond me.

On the other hand, it is cheap, has a great retro-style neon sign, a (small) pool and for a modest fee allows dogs in most rooms, but I just couldn't face it this trip. Redding is a town not known for its gracious hotels, so doing a little research online turned up some options on the B&B front. A couple of calls later I'd talked with the proprietors of Bridgehouse Bed & Breakfast and Apples River House, two spots that appealed because they didn't have that tea-and-antimacassar feeling so common in B&Bs.

But they were booked, so I tried Tiffany House Bed and Breakfast, one that would score a 10 on the Victorian scale, but my worst fears were allayed by host Brady Stewart's unfussy, charming manner and the fact that the house overlooked Santiago Calatrava's Sundial Bridge. Brady said they also had a large room available featuring a clawfoot tub at one end, and that we'd have access to their large deck and pool.

His wife, Susan, a wonderful host with a wickedly lovely sense of humor, greeted us and took us on a brief tour of the historic house filled with her family's antique photos, handwork and even some dresses, and then we joined them on the deck for a glass of wine before heading to Jack's.

After that awesome dinner we collapsed in bed, barely waking up in time for breakfast the next morning in the airy dining room. It got off to a promising start with mugs of strong coffee and little bowls of fresh berries and sweetened yogurt with Susan's homemade bran muffins, followed by a zucchini frittata with sausage slices in a balsamic reduction, all made Dave-safe and delicious. Well-rested, fed and caffeinated, we hit the highway for our next adventure in Sacramento.

Details: Tiffany House Bed and Breakfast, 1510 Barbara Rd., Redding, CA. Phone 530-244-3225.

Read the other posts in this series: Getting There, Paying Our Respects, Schmoozing in Sacto, Home Away from Home, Off on the Right Foot, Choosing Chinese, The Ferry and the Hog, The Point of It All, and The Last Meal.