The wood stove ticks as it warms, someone is shuffling a deck, and the only plan tonight is a short walk to the distillery. Here is our bachelor weekend at Blossom Sanctuary, just outside Etna in Scott Valley: the valley drink tour with a sober driver, a river or a mountain lake to earn your dinner, golf on the way home, and steaks at the end of the road.
Thursday night: walk to town
Come Thursday if you can, because Friday is the best day for the drink tour. Get in by early evening and walk to Etna Brewing Co., open Thursday to Monday from 11 am to 8 pm, for the award-winning porter. Then walk on to Denny Bar Co. for a wood-fired pizza or a Western burger; the beef comes from Jenner Family Beef, a Scott Valley ranching family, so dinner is from just down the road. Head home, light the wood stove and deal the first hand. Bring your own deck.
Only have Friday to Sunday? Arrive Friday, keep the first night in town, run the drink tour on Saturday, and save Saturday's adventure for Sunday.
Friday: the valley drink tour
Our valley drink tour has the full route, a reverse route that ends in Etna, and every detail. The short version:
Noon. Five Marys Burgerhouse in Fort Jones, about 15 minutes north. Share a Bacon Bourbon Burger with hand-cut fries; the beef comes from the family ranch.
2 pm. Back in Etna for the free distillery tour and tasting at Denny Bar Co., which makes its own vodka, gin and whiskey. Tours run Friday to Sunday and take 20 to 25 minutes; call (530) 467-5115 to book. The tasting is for guests 21 and over.
3:30 pm. A pint at Etna Brewing Co.
5 pm. The Callahan Emporium, 12.7 miles south of Etna on Highway 3. Once the Baker Hotel, it's now a bar, deli and general store with a dollar-bill wall, craft beer and cider on tap, and rib-eye on Friday and Saturday nights. It closes around 7, so arrive by 5.
I'll say it once: every one of the most unmemorable memorable nights ends at the Callahan Emporium.
The driver. Someone stays sober all day. There's no taxi or ride-share in Scott Valley, the road home is two-lane Highway 3, and deer cross at dusk. Whoever drives is the real best man.
Saturday: earn it
Pick one, by season.
Raft the Klamath, roughly April to October. Momentum River Expeditions runs Klamath day trips April to October. Tributary Whitewater Tours runs a Class IV Upper Klamath day trip June to August. Noah's River Adventures is back on the Upper Klamath in 2026, with a half day that meets in Hornbrook. Indigo Creek Outfitters runs the Klamath too. Book ahead and confirm where you meet.
Hike to Paynes Lake, until the first snow. Drive 10.5 miles from Etna to Etna Summit, at 5,956 feet, and follow the Pacific Crest Trail: 11.3 miles round trip with about 2,230 feet of climbing, and views of Smith Lake and Mount Shasta near 7,200 feet. It's hard. Start early, and carry water and layers.
Golf at Lake Shastina. Lake Shastina Golf Resort in Weed has 27 holes, about an hour away. Book tee times ahead.
Evening. Back in Etna, have dinner at Denny Bar Co. if you skipped it Thursday, or have a private chef cook at the house for an added fee. Then cards by the wood stove.
Sunday: slow out
Coffee and tea are included; take yours out to a hammock. The cold creek pools up the mountain, about 11 minutes away, are a bracing way to start the day. Driving home south on I-5? Weed is on your way, so Sunday works for golf too.
Who sleeps where
Up to six sleep at the house, two to a bed: a California King under vaulted ceilings in the main bedroom (the groom's), a queen in the second bedroom with the kettlebells, and a full bed in the loft, up a ladder and "only accessible to the adventurous." Planning the other party too? Here's our bachelorette weekend.
Seasons
Summer: everything runs: rafting, Paynes Lake, golf and long evenings.
Fall: Paynes Lake until the first snow, while rafting winds down in October. Our fall color guide has more on the season.
Winter into spring: snow closes the high trails. Keep the distillery, the Emporium and the wood stove, and check chain controls before any mountain drive. Rafting picks up again around April.
Good to know
No taxi or ride-share: plan a sober driver for every drive. Denny Bar Co. and Etna Brewing Co. are a walk from the house.
Etna Brewing Co. is closed Tuesday and Wednesday, Denny Bar Co. Monday and Tuesday, Five Marys Sunday and Monday, and the Emporium Monday. Check hours before you go.
The Emporium has live bands some nights, often Saturdays after 3 pm, with no posted schedule. Check its Facebook page or call (530) 467-3395.
Bringing more friends over for a night? Everything is welcome. For more than 14 people on the property at one time, let us know ahead so we can help with the proper permits.
Planning the rest of the wedding year too? See our wedding planning guide, from the bridal shower to the honeymoon, and members can build it all in the wedding planner in the Members Portal.
Pick the weekend, then see open dates and prices for your stay at Blossom Sanctuary. Join the Sovereign Circle free through December 31, 2026 for the member rate and a gift with your first stay. Planning for a group? Text the concierge at 530 572 1122 or write to Concierge@blossomsanctuary.com.
