We strongly recommend booking at least one night at the Laguna Mountain Lodge (10678 Sunrise Highway; 619 445-2342 or 619 473-8533). The 17 cabins and 12 motel units are nothing fancy, but they're clean and quite welcoming, particularly when the night temps early in the season drop into the mid-30s. In addition to the well-stocked store, you can't beat the location, just a few yards up the highway from where the PCT touches the back side of the Burnt Rancheria campround. In 2005, our one-bedroom cabin -- with a small but fully-stocked kitchenette, fridge, oven, microwave, fireplace, television etc. -- was $65, a very good value.
On the dining front, as we drove through the community of Alpine on the way to the border, we noted both Mexican and Italian restaurant possibilities there, but we opted not to backtrack so far west down the interstate for dinner. From Mt. Laguna, assuming you're fortunate enough to have car support, it's 11 fast miles back down the hill to the burg of Pine Valley.
Major's Diner (28870 Old Highway 80, 619 473-9969) offered underwhelming, standard diner fare -- mediocre burgers and sandwiches -- in a too-kitsch atmosphere that reminded us of a perpetual garage sale. No dinners on weeknights in 2005, and no beer-and-wine permit either.
El Rancho Grande (28944 Old Highway 80, 619-473-0380) was another miss -- an entirely forgettable gringo-style Mexican joint that seemed to be more of a sports bar than a restaurant.
The only memorable meal in Pine Valley -- and the only place we strongly recommend -- was the Pine Valley House (28841 Old Highway 80, 619 473-8708), a white-tablecloth joint that had terrific service, reasonable prices and delicious dinners prepared by a creative head chef who was slumming way below his career potential. Sadly, as of November 2005, the facility was up for sale.
One final option on the main drag in Pine Valley is the Frosty Burger shack, with decent burgers, indifferent service and a cash-only policy.
Back up on the hill in Mount Laguna, there was a lone restaurant we didn't get a chance to try: The Blue Jay Lodge (10600 Sunrise Highway, 619 273-9435, 619 473-8844) just across the highway from the Laguna Mountain Lodge, was closed in April of 2005 when we came through. It's a big, alpine-style roadhouse that looks like it's seen its share of honky tonk nights. There was a promising breakfast/lunch/dinner menu in the window, but no posted hours and no indication of when they might reopen. As per their Web page, the Blue Jay also offers five rustic cabins for rent. The bar/restaurant hours as of the end of 2007 were weekends-only, and possibly only in peak tourist season.
