Tehama - The Magazine - Red Bluff Daily News
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/66310
Photos courtesy of Susie Kirch Mill Creek Resort Escape to a simpler time By Andrea Wagner Celebrating 30 years of operation under current ownership, Mill Creek Resort is tucked in the pine trees, five miles past Mineral in eastern Tehama County, and has 10 rustic cabins, trailer sites and tent camping. around Northern California used to drop off their wives and children at Mill Creek Resort for the summer months to get out of the heat. Crews getting ready to build Highway 36 stayed at Mill Creek Resort. The real treasure is the food, though, said friend and regular customer Mark Young. The burgers are the best around. In the winter, you can only get to the resort by snow shoes or skis, but it is worth the effort, Young said. Owners Terry and Georgene Neher operate the resort year- round, but have more limited hours in the winter. Proud of their little niche in history, the Nehers raised both of their children at the resort. "We've always operated as a family-friendly, comfortable place for people to come to the mountains," Georgene said. The main lodge was built in 1935, but one of the cabins available for rent was built by the original owners, the Fosters, in the 1920s. It is the only cabin with a fireplace. "It's kind of like a step back in history," Georgene said. The property was established alongside the original stage- coach trail stretching from Red Bluff to Susanville. In the years before air conditioning, men from spots all Homeowners in the area who are in their 80s and have been around the resort since they were children say the lodge hasn't changed much in all those years. The cabins are intentionally rustic and free of ammenities. Putting in more modern conveniences, such as telephones or televisions in the rooms, would take away from the character of the resort. Instead, the resort maintains its longstanding rustic charm. A large deck looks out onto a meadow, white with snow in the winter and green and spotted with wildflowers in the spring. The mountain is in view behind the lodge with "incredible" blue skies. The resort is all about retreating into the mountain woods. "I tell people, 'if you're looking for a hot tub and a blender, this is not the place to come,'" Georgene says. Inside the restaurant, serving hand-scooped milkshakes and classic diner delights, the Nehers have a few antique items col- May, 2012, Tehama - the Magazine 23