;)
Bargain at Tu Tu Tun Lodge, Gold Beach, Oregon
Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 11:28PM Posted by Nancy D. Brown
Rain, rain, go away, come again some other day. Or not. When you visit Gold Beach on the Oregon coast, you need to have a 'go-with-the-flow' type of attitude. The owners of Tu Tu Tun Lodge have that type of attitude, and yet, they offer a very professional service and some winter bargains, too.
The rainy season has arrived in Gold Beach, Oregon. Some people enjoy the rain. The Rogue River jet boats need the rain as much as the salmon need it to replenish the rivers and streams. I think of the rainy season as a time for bargains and cheap room pricing.
“My favorite thing to do in the winter is do nothing,” laughs Owner Laurie Van Zante of Tu Tu Tun Lodge. “Get your woodburing fireplace going, grab a glass of Oregon pinot and you’re good to go.”
Tu Tu Tun Lodge Summer, 2008
I was at the Tu Tu Tun Lodge in Gold Beach on a hot, sweltering May day in 2008. The staff was serving lemonade and iced tea by the bucketful and apologizing for the lack of air conditioning at the lodge. Normally, the breeze off the Rogue River cools the lodge down naturally. Reflecting back on my summer visit, it’s hard to remember the reliefI felt when the captain on Jerry’s Rogue River Jet Boat did a 360 on the river and sprayed us with refreshing river water.
Gillespie Riffle Room With a View
I stayed in the Gillespie Riffle room with a view looking on to the Rogue. Of course, all of the 16 rooms feature a river view, some with a fireplace and outdoor soaking tub. Van Zante says the Moon Soakers, filled with fresh spring water, are great to sit in rain or shine.
“Tu Tu Tun is the place to be If you want to let down and let go,” notes Van Zante.
Food, Glorious Food
My parents had discovered this family-owned lodge back in the 1970’s. They remember it as having great, local food and wonderful popovers. I will also remember Tu Tu Tun for the food. Chef Justin Wills plans to offer winemaker dinners at the lodge. The family is considering offering cooking classes, so check back on the lodging blog for future updates.
Winter Room Rate Bargains
Wine and Nibbles
Winter room rates are, indeed, a bargain. The Gillespie Riffle room rents for $287 in summer season, while it can be had for as little as $135 in the winter. While the temperatures may not be high, you can create a little heat during the evening wine and hors d’ oeuvre hour. The staff will be happy to suggest local dining options in nearby Gold Beach.
Reservation: (800) 864-6357
Update: Van Zante says to check back in January for cooking class news.
MacCallum House Inn Mendocino California Bargain
Saturday, November 1, 2008 at 07:09PM Posted by Nancy D. Brown
If you like bargains and you've been thinking about getting away to California's Mendocino coast, have I got a good deal for you. Mendocino's MacCallum House Inn is offering guests 50 percent off on stays from November 1 - February, 2009, but you need to book your room online before November 7, 2008. Here's the review I wrote on the Uptake lodging site.
Forget waiting for the government’s bailout package to appear, Mendocino, California’s MacCallum House Inn is the place to turn for financial relief. From October 30 until February 1, 2009, guests of the MacCallum House will receive 50 percent off their reservations for a two night minimum stay. If that’s not enough to get you heading to the Mendocino coast, the MacCallum House will have a bottle of local wine waiting for you in the room. All good deals must come to a close. The MacCallum House bailout will expire on November 7, 2008 and reservations must be made online.
Horseback Riding in Mendocino County
I visited the MacCallum house in August for a little me time. Both of my children were at camp and my husband couldn’t get away from work. I was giddy with anticipation for this trip. Upon my arrival I noticed several women dressed in riding boots and pants. My curiosity got the best of me, and I asked the ladies if they had been horseback riding earlier. Turns out, the MacCallum House offers a riding package with Ricochet Ridge Ranch, two miles north of Fort Bragg. The quality of the horses and the scenery are both outstanding.
Lodging Options
Gwen MacCallum Room 1
The Gwen MacCallum room was located on the second floor of the Main House. Considered to be one of the most romantic rooms in the house, the solid mahogany queen sleigh bed with its down comforter suited me perfectly. What captured my eye when I entered the room was the claw foot bathtub. Imagine a bubble bath with no interruptions? Pure heaven.
In addition to six rooms in the main house and seven cottages on the property, there are six rooms in the adjacent Barn. All but the rooms in the main house are pet friendly.
Food, glorious, food
That evening I dined at the MacCallum House Restaurant. I was seated to the right of the fireplace and enjoyed a lovely Comanche Creek Heirloom tomato “BLT” salad with house made mozzarella, applewood smoked bacon, butter lettuce, Stella Cadente olive oil and balsamic drizzled over herbed croutons. Next up, pan roasted halibut in a tomato beuree blanc sauce with roasted fingerling potatoes and a broccoli puree. I finished the meal with a raspberry mascarpone cheesecake souffle with a mini pot of chocolate sauce served on the side. Don’t forget, breakfast is included with your stay. Weight Watchers, here I come.
Room rates: $175-$425
Reservations (800) 609-0492
Winter on Mendocino's Northern California coast is a bargain. The summer crowds have thinned and soon the whales will return. Check out the MacCallum House Inn's website for additional online offers. If you have a lodging bargain to share, leave a comment below. I would love to hear where you enjoy visiting in the off season.
Inn at Occidental, Sonoma, California
Wednesday, October 29, 2008 at 02:45PM Posted by Nancy D. Brown
Inn at OccidentalI love the fall and winter in Northern California, particularly the wine country. The out-of-state visitors have returned home, the crowds have thinned and the package deals begin to appear. I wrote about my winter trip to Sonoma's Inn at Occidental on the Uptake Lodging blog. If you are looking for a place to re-charge your batteries, even for twenty four hours, this is a great place to visit. Of course, I recommend several days in this area, as it is so close to the beach, Sebastopol and wineries in the Russian River Valley.
When I arrived on a misty February Monday, I was surprised to see adults and school children sitting on the curb in the village of Occidental. Cyclists in bright logo gear began to trickle in. I checked into the Inn at Occidental and asked owner Jerry Wolsborn what the fuss was about. Turns out the 2008 Amgen Tour of California was about to wiz by. While the exact route has yet to be posted on the Amgen website, I do know that Santa Rosa will be a staging area for Lance Armstrong and his fellow cycling team in February of 2009.
Located off the Bohemian Highway, the Inn at Occidental doesn’t have cell phonetowers. In fact, the only thing towering overheadare redwood trees. “Having lived in Marin for 10 years, I’d never been to Armstong,” said Wolsborn. The 805 acre State Reserve is “under utilized,”added Wolsborn. From horseback riding, to wine tasting or relaxing at the nearby Oasis Day Spa, the Inn is an ideal launch pad for a wide array of activities.
Osmosis Meditation Garden
Ten minutes away, in the blink-and-you’ll miss-it town of Freestone, I was treated to an Osmosis Cedar Enzyme Bath and a 75 minute Swedish Esalen massage. Before my treatments I was invited to stroll the Japanese meditation garden and sip herbal tea in the sitting room over looking the bonsai garden. I have to say, this was one of the best massages of my life, and I’ve had my share of massages.
Another high point of Freestone is Wild Flour Bread Bakery. Be warned, the organic bakery is only open four days a week, Friday through Monday, including holiday weekends, except Christmas day. The scones are delicious.
Sonoma Lodge Room
Before you arrive, you’ll want to check out the rooms on-line. Each room or suite, offers a distinct personality. All rooms feature overstuffed down beds and fireplacesand include hors d’oeuvres in the evening and a Sonoma Harvest Breakfast in the Wine Cellar dining room.
Room prices range from $259 for traditional rooms, to $359 for suites with hot tubs, to $679 for the two bedroom Sonoma Vacation Cottage. Check on-line for Internet and Mid-Week specials. The Inn at Occidental is a member of Unique Inns.
Cell phone update: Owner Jerry Wolsborn sent me an e-mail to say that Verizon cell service has arrived in the village of Occidental. For those visitors wanting to stay connected, this is a good thing. For the rest of us, hit the "mute" button on your cell phone and have another glass on wine. Cheers.
Romance in Napa Valley Wine Country
Sunday, October 26, 2008 at 07:18PM Posted by Nancy D. Brown
As I walked into our small San Francisco apartment, tired from a weekend business conference, I immediately perked up when I opened the door and spied a dozen red roses proudly displayed on our rickety coffee table. Every room in the apartment was adorned with fresh flowers. Well, yes, ours was a one bedroom apartment, but the flowers were a wonderful gesture from my young husband.
Fast forward 22 years later and my husband still manages to pull off romantic moments. Last January I was wisked away to the Napa Valley for a romantic, birthday weekend at the Blackbird Inn. As we are frequent visitors to the Four Sisters Inns, we were given a room upgrade with sparkling wine and a box of chocolates chilling bedside. I love little momentos like this and appreciated that the chocolates were made locally.
That evening we dined in Yountville at Thomas Keller's Ad hoc family-style restaurant. Easier on the pocketbook than Keller's French Laundry, you can call ahead to the restaurant to see what's on the set price menu that week. While I loved everything on the menu, I was disappointed that the dessert was a lemon tart. Noticing my disappointment, our waiter appeared with piping hot chocolate chip cookies at the conclusion of the meal. Special touches like that will make me a devoted fan forever.
If stained glass windows, bubble baths and vineyard views turn you on, add St. Helena's Wine Country Inn to your romantic hotels list. A stay at the Vintner's Cottage will leave you feeling relaxed and renewed. The family run property caters to couples and oozes romance. Savory snacks in front of the fire place; no problem. A bubble bath after an in-room couples massage, complete with Bose speakers in the bathroom, makes this a great place to simply hang out and enjoy the vineyard view. You can lounge around in your comfy robe, or dine with the locals at nearby Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen.
Where do you stay when you are looking to put a little va-va-voom back into your relationship?
Thanks to Luv 2 Flickr for her beautiful roses photo.
North American Wine Blogging Conference- One wine at a time
Friday, October 24, 2008 at 12:55PM Posted by Nancy D. Brown
How many wine bloggers does it take to open a bottle of wine? One to open it and 174 bloggers to write about the experience.
I'm here in Santa Rosa at the Flamingo Resort and Spa attending the first North American Wine Bloggers Conference '08. The conference is the brain child of several members of the Open Wine Consortium, (OWC) a global wine industry association, featuring an online wine business network, forums and social networking platform for folks who enjoy wine.
The three day conference, taking place October 24-26, 2008, brings together wine industry leaders, media and bloggers to discuss how to better share information to wine lovers across the globe and how to stake our claim in this new generation of wine media.
So that's the nuts and bolts. Now lets get into the fun stuff...tasting wine.
After a kick ass lunch at Kick Ranch Vineyards, we're now live blogging wines. First up...
Cupcake Vineyards, 2007 Chardonnay located in the central coast. Director of Marketing Nicholas Tucker said, "having a glass of Cupcake is like giving yourself a reward from making it through your daily trivals." The wine retails for $11.99 and is available at Cost Plus World Market.
Kanzler Vineyards 2007 Pinot Noir barrel sample. "We were one of the first vineyards planted in Sebastopol in 1996, says Stephen Kanzler of Kanzler Vineyards. The wine will be bottled in January and will release in January for $48. "We're usually in barrel between 12-16 months," adds Kanzler.
Sean Minor Wines, Four Bears 2006 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, retails for $17. Sean Minor said they were tired of spending their household budget on wine so he became a winemaker. The four bears represents the four children in the family. www.seanminorwines.com
Lionheart Wines Leon C. Glover, owner/winemaker is sharing his 2007 Roussanne from Santa Barbara County. If you like hawaiian style pizza, Glover said, "it sounds kind of stange, but it's really a good match." You can purchase the wine, which retails for $30, on-line at www.lionheartwines.com.
Bonterra Vineyard Mcnab 60% merlot, 26% cabernet and 14% petit verdot. The wines are certified bio-dynamic and organic. "We keep chickens and gineau hens so they eat all the cut worms,"Says Jim Caudill, public relations director. "The vineyard manager moves the mobile chicken coop around if there are any problems in the area. "
Well, I'm not sure what I think of speed wine tasting and blogging, but I will say that it is different.
Stayed tuned for more wine tasting and for those of you on Twitter the hashtag is #wbc.