Hotels and guns...anything I should know?

[BOFH]

Me and the wife are heading up to the wine country here in CA later this month for our wedding anniversary and it just so happens that a very nice range is going to be close to where we are staying, so of course we are bringing a few pistols and a tac driving rifle. Anything I should be aware of when it comes to keeping firearms in a hotel? They firearms will only be in the hotel when we are, the rest of the time they will be locked in the trunk of our car (pistols in a portable safe, riffle trigger locked). I am assuming that the general rule of keeping a low profile and not walking into the front door of a fancy hotel with an obvious rifle case applys here...but anything else I should be aware of?

Oh...and BTW...bringing the rifle and other toys was my wifes idea. She loves shooting as much as I do and really loves long distance shooting. That is why I am still married (well, not really, but it helps). She found this range while looking for destinations: SLOSA - Rifle & Pistol Range Looks awesome...especially since we are pretty much confined to a indoor range unless we drive an hour or more from our home...

[IamCPTSpalding]

Don't advertise you have the weapons, check the Hotel's insurance policy on guests stolen personal effects, sleep with a pistol under the pillow (you live in the land of fruits and nuts), otherwise have a great time. I have been by there (just visited) when I lived in CA, but wouldn't stop to shoot (business).

Looks fun. Good Luck.

[BOFH]

Originally Posted by IamCPTSpalding

Don't advertise you have the weapons, check the Hotel's insurance policy on guests stolen personal effects, sleep with a pistol under the pillow (you live in the land of fruits and nuts), otherwise have a great time. I have been by there (just visited) when I lived in CA, but wouldn't stop to shoot (business).

Looks fun. Good Luck.

Thanks for the info.

We always keep a low profile, frankly the only thing I am worried about is bringing the rifle in...I guess I could always put it in one of my sons guitar cases My current rifle case just stinks of 'evil gun in this bag' lol.

[Tiburon65]

Call and see if they have in room safes and their size. I have a portable safe, Center Of Mass Central, just for those types of trips. Not sure if its what you have. I lock it up like I do my computer, it deters people but is not fool proof.

Also, try not to leave anything in your car, if possible bring it to your room, thieves will hit cars all the time. Car trunks are not foolproof either so be careful.

Otherwise, drink some good wine for me, find a good Zin for me..... miss it out there.....

[BigD_htl]

man that looks like one nice range too bad its in commiefornia ... i would hate to reload my ar15 after only 10 rnds

[Reeek]

I just recently went to Amador County for wine tasting near Jackson, Ca.

The first time I didn't carry my handguns but I took my fly rods with me. I have those cases where you can keep the reel on the butt end of the rod in the case and the two rods I took were two piece 9' rods so the cases were 4.5' long give or take with a bulge area where the reels are. I was going to fish in Hope Valley near Kirkwood on the way back over Hwy 88.

Anyway, even though the rods in their case look like a rod case to a fisherman the GM of the Days Inn in Sutter Creek made it a point to ask me "what is in those cases?" when I walked through the lobby. He posed the question in a friendly yet feigned, inquisitvie manner which clearly to me came off as wanting to know if those were guns. No doubt in my mind. Amy felt the very same thing. Since I didn't have to lie when I told him they were fly rods nothing ever became of it but I had a feeling he was very curious if they were rifles. I have no idea what he would have done if they were.


The second time I decided I would follow the rule of CA law and carry my pistols legally with me. I took the XD9SC and the P3AT and kept them in a locked case unloaded (mags close by and handy if needed), something I don't do when I'm fishing over the NV/CA border. I confess I break the law when fishing over the CA border because I believe my life is more important than that lame ass law that endangers me and Amy. The Truckee River is known for vagrants who camp out along the river bank. Those are just short excursions over the border since I live in Reno and only when I'm on the a river somewhere.

As far as the hotel and my pistols. I never left them in the room when I was out wine tasting. I kept them in the truck when I was out of the room and I kept them in the room when I was there. Basically they were with me everywhere I went. The pistol case was going to be a "camera case" if I was asked about it. The magazines were always nearby and the key was always in the case lock ready to turn The law just says a locked case, not whether the key can or can't be in the lock and since I was always with that case the guns were not in danger of being ripped off.

My opinion - don't advertise that you have rifles if possible. Especially in Napa which is a pretty liberal area of CA.

[Bill in San Jose]

When I hunt away from home in CA and stay overnight in a hotel, I check-in at the desk and leave my firearms in my pickup, then bring them straight to my room. Don't bother asking. Have a great trip.

If you're going up Hwy 101, my daughter works w/e's at the Thomas Kruse Winery in Gilroy as an intern for college- definitely some place you'd never find if somebody didn't tell you. Really good Cabernet Sauvignon, all estate bottled grapes- and Tom's a really interesting guy. There are 5 minutes off the Leavesly Road exit, directions on their web site.

[bigbad401]

When we go hunting in northern Minnesota, we bring the rifles into the hotel rooms at night. Granted, this is during the deer hunting season, but there never has been any problem with us.

[PeaceKeepr]

A fella in Athens, GA left his carry piece in his hotel room while he went to a conference and the maid found it, called police, and he was arrested. The hotel was owned by the University of Georgia...No guns on school property...Check on who owns the hotel, and keep it concealed.

[BOFH]

Thanks for the input.