Moonlight in Margaritaville Aug 5th, 2006

Moonlight in Margaritaville features Garratt Wilkin and the Parrotheads - a Celebration of Jimmy Buffett's Music. Enjoy a tropical atmosphere in the foothills with great music, cheeseburgers, margaritas and more. Opening act by El Dorado Musical Theatre. Please, no ice chests, food or beverages brought on the premises. 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. High Hill Ranch $20 in advance; $25 at the door. Children under 12 free w/adult paid. For more information contact: Marble Valley Center for the Arts (530) 642-2431 or visit their website. We have been to see this guy and he really does a wonderful show, and who can resist cheeseburgers in paradise at High Hill Ranch??? Come up have a drink and bring a parrot!

Why did we call one of our guest rooms the Gandy Dancer?

Well, because Steph really likes trains...really. Some of you may know her Jeep plate is STM TRNS--get it? Steam trains....

What is a Gandy Dancer? It has been debated but here is a definition from World Wide Words.

Want to know more about railroading? Visit the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento when you are visiting us. We try to go see the latest exhibits at least once a quarter.

Steph also played with big trains before becoming an innkeeper at places like the Golden Gate Rail Museum in San Francisco and the Niles Canyon Railway in Niles, near Fremont, CA.

Not sure what started the love of trains but we have ridden many. Roaring Camp in Felton, is a favorite run thru the redwoods or to the beach in Santa Cruz. Travel over trestles, through towering redwood groves and up a winding narrow-gauge grade to the summit of Bear Mountain as conductors narrate the history of Roaring Camp, the railroad and the forest!

Or the Verde Canyon in Arizona. The Verde Canyon Railroad is the #1 outdoor attraction for visitors coming to Sedona, Arizona and is an easy 25 mile drive southwest on scenic Highway 89A. Of course if you are going to AZ, you might as well take the Grand Canyon train too!

Of course, there are books in the Gandy Dancer about gandy dancers,the Disney Railroad, V&T, SP and the ATSF. Along with photos, models and other books on rail history to get you dreaming of your next trip by rail or building a scale railroad of your own.

The photo above is of the Gandy Dancer at our Placerville bed and breakfast.

Ask the Innkeeper

Want to know what it is like to run and bed and breakfast? Just ask us. Here is you chance to experience innkeeping, from an innkeeper. Have a question about innkeeping, or Placerville or our bed and breakfast? Just ask. Looking to run a bed and breakfast and not sure where to start? How about right here. We would be happy to answer any questions about innkeeping, or Placerville in general. Never stayed at an inn before? We would be happy to tell you what it is like. Stay at a bed and breakfast, and experience a room with a different view.

No two inns are alike, just as no two people are alike, but we will do our best to make you feel comfortable before you walk in the door, wherever that bed and breakfast happens to be.

Albert Shafsky House a Placerville bed and breakfast inn

Albert Shafsky House a Placerville bed and breakfast inn

Looking for something to do this weekend...?Apple Hill Summer Wine Fest

Join us here in the foothills as the seven wineries of Apple Hill host an event featuring red wines and barbeque. The first year was a success, so get your tickets today. Limited to 400 tickets per day, it allows you to relax, take your time, and unwind while sampling the amazing variety of red wines the Apple Hill Wineries have to offer. 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Lava Cap Winery, Primus Winery, Boger Winery, Madrona Winery, Coulson Winery, & pals over at Wofford Acres Vineyards. Tickets are $30.00/person; $35.00 after July 1st www.applehillwineries.com For more information call: (916) 932-2200

54th Annual Jeepers Jamboree

Calling all Jeeps....


This is a 4-day option that will have 12 meals furnished and 250 vehicles will be involved. For more information about this, event and how to register you can write to or call Jeepers Jamboree, P.O. Box 1660, Georgetown, CA 95634. $295 per person www.jeepersjamboree.com For more information contact: Jeepers Jamboree (530) 333-4771

Hot, hot, hot

It has been a bit on the warm side, thank goodness for air-conditioning!

Apple Hill season is just a few weeks away! And with all this heat the apples should be ripening nicely. Just imaging waking at the Albert Shafsky House to breakfast of apple pancakes and banana muffins, and then heading out for a full day tasting apple everything you can think of..... for more on Apple Hill .

Looking for more reasons to visit, the restored Bee Bennet House, now Sequoia Restaurant has delicious food and comedy nights, winemaker dinners and other special events.

A blog about our Placerville Bed and Breakfast

Why start a blog? It seemed like a great way to truly have two way communication with our guests, even when they are not here and to let you know what was "upcoming" with out you having to go to our website. You can simply subscribe to our feed now and get all the updates about what is going on in Placerville, or at the bed and breakfast or both. We will also include things of note around El Dorado County and the Sacramento area...places you can easily get to from Placerville and our inn.

As your innkeepers in Placerville, we will also try to answer any questions you might have about the area, running a bed and breakfast, innkeeping day-to-day or the best resources we know of to help you if you think you want to be an innkeeper, in Placerville or somewhere else.

So, feel free to start the dialog....

Summer in Placerville, CA at our bed and breakfast

Greetings,
Summer is here in the foothills, but we still have some snow melting and the South Fork is flowing. New wines to taste and new shops on Main Street to visit. Don't forget Apple Hill season is just around the corner. And of course you can find upcoming events on the calendar of events
Some additions to the inn. You may notice a name change to our newsletter...we added Albert to our inn name, so it is now the "Albert Shafsky House Bed & Breakfast". And we placed cd players in all the rooms, so you may bring your favorite relaxing music or listen to our selelctions.
We all scream for ice cream!!! The Albert Shafsky House B&B has partnered with Cold Stone Creamery in Placerville and is happy to offer our guest "buy one, get one" certificates. They will be waiting in your room when you arrive.
And we have added a puppy named Lily Belle to the inn. She is a 14 week old mini-doxie and she loves to say "hi" to the guests and then disappear into the grass.
Your Innkeepers, Rita and Stephanie

Wine Barrels on Parade
This year artists were asked to work with wine barrels and come up with creative ways to promote art and tourism in historic Placerville, California. Wine barrels were chosen as the canvas for this art project due to the lone and rich history of wine- making in El Dorado County. Come and see them for yourselves! Photos in the gallery coming soon.
Read on...

Wanna get wet and wild on the American River?

If you would like to go rafting, just give us a call or visit the website for several companies that we work with to offer you a great day on the river. Yep, that is us rafting last year on the American River. No photos of this year yet, but we are going next week...
Read on...

What guests have said recently.... from Tripadvisor....

"Our son was married at the "Bee Bennett House" and we were fortunate to book our rooms at the Albert Shafsky House just a few blocks away. My family booked the three wonderful rooms (Vineyard, Lighthouse, Garrett) and it was like being in our own home! Everthing in this B&B was impeccable...the food, the furnishings, the hospitality of Rita and Stephanie. We had a few special requests (flowers for my mom, wedding prep) and all were greeted with absolute graciousness and hospitality. We were all wonderfully impressed and we unanimously recommend this location for your visit to Gold Country."
"Thanks for such a wonderful stay! Lovely hospitality, delicious breakfasts & precious puppy!"
"As usual, a fabulous time, fabulous food and above all fabulous company. Congratulations on the new puppy."
"What a fantastic stay. The food was outstanding. the room so very comfortable and the atmosphere very relaxing. We will be sure to tell all of our friends about this great place!"

InnSide our Placerville bed and Breakfast

We'll be posting regularly to keep you updated with all the fun things happening here at the Albert Shafsky house bed and breakfast, in Placerville, and elsewhere in El Dorado County and the Gold Country area of California.