Escape the LA rain: three dark-sky weekends for two in Scott Valley
Rainy season in Los Angeles has its own particular gloom. The sky goes flat and gray, the freeways seize up, and the city that lives outside suddenly has nowhere to go. Here's another idea: leave. Two hours north of LAX, winter storms look different. They pile snow on the Marble Mountains, and when they clear, they leave behind some of the cleanest, darkest night skies in California. Here are the three best weekends left this year to see it, all still open at Blossom Sanctuary, and how to turn each one into a getaway for two.
What you'll see up here
Etna sits at the south end of Scott Valley with no city glow in any direction. On a clear, moonless night:
The Andromeda Galaxy is high overhead in the evening, a soft oval of light you can see with your own eyes. It's the most distant thing most people will ever see without a telescope, about 2.5 million light-years away.
The Milky Way arches across the sky after dusk, through Cygnus and Cassiopeia.
Saturn glows golden in the south all fall.
Orion and the Pleiades rise in the east by mid-evening, the winter sky arriving.
The moon decides everything, so we picked these weekends around it, with the American Meteor Society's 2026 calendar in hand.
The best places to look up
These are the local favorites, all within 30 minutes of the house. Think tailgate picnic: blankets, a thermos, the car right behind you.
The bridge on Horn Lane, out in the valley, with wide views over the fields, the river and the cattle.
The bridge on Scott River Road, along the river, with the water running underneath and the valley walls framing the sky.
Etna Summit, about 12 miles up Sawyers Bar Road at 5,960 feet, where the Pacific Crest Trail crosses. Parking, no restrooms; pack out what you bring. Snow decides access.
Make an evening of it. Around here, take the back roads over the highway every time. Run up the east side of the valley on Eastside Road instead of Highway 3, then drive the Quartz Valley loop, as we call it: Quartz Valley Road out of Greenview, around through Quartz Valley, and back toward Fort Jones along Scott River Road and the river. Go in the late afternoon for a sunset cruise, stop for a picnic as the valley turns gold, and end at the Scott River Road bridge as the stars come out. Quartz Valley is home to the Quartz Valley Indian Community, so drive slowly and kindly.
Pull fully off the road, kill the headlights and let your eyes adjust for 20 minutes. Use a red light. Stay close to the car, because wildlife can be curious, and remember that nearly all the surrounding land is private. Or skip the drive: the walled garden at the house is plenty dark.
Tap a pin for directions. All three are public roadside spots; stay by the car, and remember the land around them is private.
Getting here from LA
Fly. Alaska flies nonstop from LAX to Medford (MFR), usually once or twice a day, in about 2 hours. Check current schedules.
Drive electric. At MFR, Enterprise lets you book an electric car class. Book it, confirm with the counter before you fly, and ask about an adapter. From Medford it's about 85 miles, about an hour and a half: through Ashland, over Siskiyou Summit, through Yreka and south on Highway 3 to Etna. EV charging is included at the house.
Warm up before you go. On the rainy week before you fly, book something warm:
Pause Studio, with locations in Venice, West Hollywood, Brentwood and Studio City, for infrared sauna, contrast therapy and float.
Remedy Place in West Hollywood, for guided ice baths, sauna and breathwork.
Wi Spa in Koreatown, open around the clock, for the Korean bathhouse ritual on the gloomiest day of the year.
Weekend one: the new moon, November 6 to 8
The sky. The darkest weekend of the season. The moon is new on Sunday night and stays out of the evening sky all weekend. The Taurids are active, a gentle shower famous for its occasional bright fireballs.
Friday. Fly up and stop in Ashland for the splurge: MÄS, a 12-seat Japanese-style counter with one seating a night, Thursday to Sunday, reserved on Tock. Cross the summit after dinner with your sober designated driver at the wheel.
Saturday. Sleep in behind the blackout curtains. Walk into Etna for coffee and bread, then spend the afternoon in a hammock under the oaks. At dusk, if the road is clear, drive up to Etna Summit for the main event: the darkest sky you've likely ever stood under. Come home to the wood stove.
Sunday. Breakfast in the garden and one last look from the Horn Lane bridge. Stay through Monday morning if you can; Sunday night is the new moon itself.
The romantic touch. Pack a picnic dinner for the summit from Ray's, Etna's grocery store, and eat it on the tailgate as the stars come out.
Weekend two: fireballs and a young moon, November 13 to 15
The sky. A thin crescent moon sets early in the evening, leaving the rest of the night dark. The Northern Taurids have just peaked, so a slow fireball is possible, and the Leonids are building toward their peak on the night of November 16.
Friday. In Ashland on the way in, dinner at The Noble Fox, then a nightcap at Hearsay, in the garden of the Old Pink Church. Order the jade rose.
Saturday. A facial or an hour of Reiki at Citrine Lounge Spa in Etna, open until 5. In the evening, have a private chef cook dinner at the house, arranged with the concierge for an added fee. Afterward, take the Quartz Valley loop down to the bridge on Scott River Road and listen to the river under the stars.
Sunday. A slow morning, a walk into town, and the drive back to the airport.
The romantic touch. Order a box of macarons from Little Whisk Baking Co., who bakes by custom order, and a bouquet from The Flowers Nest. Ask the concierge to have them waiting.
Weekend three: the Geminids, December 11 to 14
The sky. The best meteor shower of the year. The Geminids peak on the night of Sunday, December 13, into Monday morning, with the young moon setting early in the evening. Under a truly dark sky the shower can produce well over a hundred meteors an hour at its best. Even a fraction of that, from a blanket in the cold, is something you'll remember. Most fall after about 10 pm.
Friday. Stop in Ashland for an afternoon at Chozu Bath & Tea Gardens, with a sauna, cold plunge, steam and tea, open Tuesday to Saturday. Arrive in Etna by dark.
Saturday. Stay close to home. Dinner at Denny Bar Co., reserved on Tock: wood-fired pizza and gin from the distillery's own still. The Geminids are already active, so take a blanket to the walled garden before bed.
Sunday, the peak. Rest in the afternoon. After dark, load the car with blankets, two chairs and a thermos, and drive to the Horn Lane bridge. Lie back and watch the sky fall. Then the wood stove and the cloud couch.
Monday. A slow morning and a flight home to whatever the weather's doing.
The romantic touch. Book three nights, so the peak isn't your last night.
Good to know
Storms reach Scott Valley too; up here they bring snow to the peaks. Watch the forecast. The night after a storm clears is often the sharpest of all.
Winter nights are cold, often below freezing. Bring a heavy coat, a hat and gloves, and more blankets than you think you need.
Sawyers Bar Road and Siskiyou Summit can require chains or traction tires. Check Caltrans QuickMap and TripCheck before you drive.
Citrine is closed Sundays, Denny Bar Co. closes Monday and Tuesday, Chozu closes Sunday and Monday, and MÄS runs Thursday to Sunday. Check hours before you go.
Drinking? Plan a sober designated driver. There's no taxi or ride-share in Scott Valley, and the roads are dark and full of deer.
These are the best sky weekends of the year, and they're open right now. See open dates and prices for your stay at Blossom Sanctuary, and join the Orbit for letters from the house, with 20% off a first stay booked on our website as your welcome gift.