The Highland Springs Resort Lavender Festival

When coming back from our recent trip to Palm Springs my mom and I stopped for lunch at Highland Springs Resort in Cherry Valley.  This resort has a long storied history as (among other things) a stagecoach stop, a Hollywood hideaway and a vacation spot for Albert Einstein. On our visit we had a tasty meal and checked out the resort lobby where we came across a flier for their annual lavender festival.  Intrigued, we decided to return.

In its latest incarnation Highland Springs Resort is now home to the organic 123 Farm which maintains the lavender fields on the property. For two weekends in June the farm and resort hosts a festival celebrating the fragrant herb.

Now, June isn’t exactly the coolest time of year to be visiting Cherry Valley. Because of the heat we decided to head to festival soon after it opened at 10am. We had no idea what to expect and were hoping it was worth the lengthy drive to get there. We needn’t have worried – it was quite lovely.

The fields were open to stroll through and there were several booths lining the shady (!) grounds offering food, drink, merchandise and activities. The prices were a little high so we contented ourselves with strolling around and indulging in a hearty lunch. Of course, there were several lavender flavored items for sale and I couldn’t help but try a lavender peach beer and some honey lavender ice cream.

We also had fun wandering around and exploring the historic grounds finding traces of it’s Hollywood hideaway heyday.

We also came across the organic galleries – historic cottages turned into showcases for the plethora of homegrown products available.

Everything was so beautifully displayed I couldn’t help but pick up a jar of lavender honey. Despite the heat it was lovely day and we very much enjoyed our visit.