Safari West Cheetah Photo Credit: Adrian Boyer
The Spirit of Africa in the Heart of the Wine Country
At 3:28pm, on the outskirts of Santa Rosa and just west of Calistoga, we hustled to join fifteen other families from San Francisco for our 3:30 reservations only tour.
Twenty minutes later, all fifty-five of us were loaded onto an open-air truck, and we were on our way.
Isn't that always the way it is? Hurry up and wait.
Giraffes, ostriches, antelopes, Scimitar-horned oryx, gemsbok, fox, lemurs, cheetahs and a multitude of birds, including Delilah, the Great Indian Hornbill, call Safari West Wildlife Preserve their home.
Half of the tour took place in the truck. During the other half we went by foot through the locked aviary, then over to the striped-tail lemur island, followed by the cheetah's playground, and the fox's playpen.
During the walking portion of the tour, the dads strolled around the property drinking African beer.
Emily and Milton, our fabulous tour guides, inspired us to want to learn more about the animals and their habitats. The kids were not the only ones intrigued.
The hour tour was great, but just a teaser.
We will definitely return some day for the three-hour adventure, as well as Milton's music, an African bbq and the opportunity to "camp" in one of Africa Safari's tent cabins.
As the sun began to slowly dip behind the mountain, the temperature started to dramatically drop.
After seeing Delilah fed by her caretaker, we decided to opt out of staying for dinner and head back to the Sonoma Mission Inn.
At about 6:30, we pulled into the resort, but were told our room was still not ready. Perhaps it was the wedding or one of the numerous conferences going on that created the hold-up.
Once again, our immediate thought was "No worries. We'll just go sit by the fire, listen to the piano player, have a glass of wine, a Caesar salad, a selection of cheeses, and take in the sounds and tastes of Sonoma."
To add to the equation, our server was a delight. She complemented our wine and cheese tasting experience. She was genuinely interested in our adventure to Safari West and even more interested in the fact that we were planning a trip with the kids to Africa this summer. We were equally interested to learn that her family in Louisiana had made it out of the hurricane unscathed. The thirty-minute wait disappeared quickly in just over an hour.
When I reserved our room and "rejuvenation package" online through Expedia I was asked for the ages of my kids. I even made a point of requesting roll-aways. Unfortunately, Sonoma's computer system did not get that.
"No problem," the staff said.
Rather than saying, "one of your daughters will have to sleep in the Queen sized bed with you or on the floor," the receptionist was determined to make things right. From the sounds of it, she would attempt to make things not only "fair" but better. We were told that we were being taken from the main part of the 226 room inn to the Harvest Suite.
While our charming, renovated guestroom that we never saw could not accommodate all four of us, the "Harvest Suite" would easily accommodate two roll-aways.
We were just glad it had a fireplace.
The girls were glad to have a bathtub.
When we walked in, the clean-up crew was still working. They were very apologetic as they hustled to put things into a massive closet full of chairs adjoining our room.
The room could have accommodated twenty roll-aways.
In fact, I suggested that the crew get a few friends and stay, so we could all dance.
On one end of the room was our bed. It had been pulled down from inside the wall. A Murphy bed.
From the end of the bed to the small couch in front of the fireplace there must have been thirty feet. Nothing but carpet and the ghost of a conference table, chairs and whiteboards were between "our space" and the fireplace.
The kids were happy. They had their books. No bed yet. But a bathtub.
I was still in a state of bliss. I was thinking about the bottle of champagne in front of the fire and the Watsu treatment scheduled for 8 o'clock the next morning.
While I couldn't help but think about the conference room "ghosts" as I lay in bed they didn't bother me until the frustration of the evening had begun to compound.
By eight o'clock we were finally settling into the room which had only one stipulation -- that we check out by 12 o'clock. "Not a minute later" we were told. Little did we know at that time, that we would be checking out before 12 o'clock midnight.
So, here we were finally taking in our $873.75 "romantic one-night get-away" anniversary splurge. Kids in tow.
The previous weekend was our actual anniversary. But since we got married on my birthday, somehow the birthday celebration always takes precedence over our anniversary ... even though I always do all of the work for both. Including buying a gift for my husband to give to my kids to give to me. Too bad he didn't at least get them to wrap it this year.
"No worries," I thought. "I'm just happy to have kids."
In Sonoma, it would be all about taking a moment to celebrate being married for sixteen years and together for twenty-two.
The gentleman who took us to our room made a point of recognizing the significance of our milestone.
He turned to our kids and said, "Do you guys realize how lucky you are?" "To have parents together this long?" he asked rhetorically.
He said, "In California, that's an especially amazing feat."
His recognition made my day. Tim's too.
Fortunately, our kids go to school with a community of classmates whose parents are still together -- save perhaps one or two. I don't think they have any idea what an anomaly our family is relative to the divorce rate in both California and the entire United States.
Shortly after stepping into the Harvest Suite, the manager arrived. She said she wanted to speak with us. I encouraged her to talk with my husband, as I was trying to get the kids in the bath. She said she just wanted to apologize.
Tim invited her in. The girls climbed in the tub. And we both listened.
"I just want to say how sorry we are that this has been such a hassle," she said.
Until that time, it really hadn't been a hassle. Honest. We continued to say nothing, just listen.
"We want to make it up to you," she went on. "Not having a room to accommodate all four of you, and then not having this room ready, even now," she continued. "Especially when you are celebrating."
She explained that there was a wedding taking place, as well as a number of conferences.
Nonetheless, she was on "a mission", personally, to make things right.
She said:
The wine and cheese are on us. The next time you stay with us, it's on us. We'll make sure you get the Mission Suite, as you had wanted.
You can expect a letter in the mail from me outlining the details.
We thanked her profusely.
How often are you in a place where you have high expectations, only to be disappointed -- not only with the service but the attitude of the staff.
How ironic that the one time we were not trying to make things right, we end up with a hotel manager who proactively is at work on our behalf to improve the situation for us.
From More Fair at The Fairmont To Simply Unfair
By this time, it's past 8 o'clock and we are all exhausted.
The champagne on ice looks nice but my body is aching from the work-out Antony put me through the morning before.
The house mechanic has just come up with a makeshift solution so we can watch television, which we rarely do at home.
He has also hooked up a high speed Internet connection, so all four of us can check email.
Sylvester Stallone's Staples Center "Contender" boxing fights ironically look appealing to me -- since we can not get any stations with movies on them.
The television sound is down low, so the girls can sleep.
And that's when our nightmare begins.
The television is on loud next door like they're trying to watch it from two blocks away.
Tim goes next door and knocks three times, but there's no answer. He comes back and begins to question if anyone is even in the room. "Perhaps our neighbors went out and left their television blaring," he says.
And then we hear them. There are two women next door whooping it up.
I hear the younger of the two say:
I don't care what people think. I'm going to do what I want. We haven't seen each other in four years. I've come all the way from Boston...
Tim promises to call management after the first Contender fight, if they haven't turned down the sound. The fight goes nearly four rounds before Alphonsia Gomez TKO's Luciano Perez. It's a good fight and I look forward to seeing the next one.
Tim calls the front desk and they promise to send over security.
Ten minutes later, we hear a knock on their door. But it doesn't seem to do any good.
After the security guard goes away, we hear the younger of the two reiterate what she has just said previously to her mom. "I don't care what other people think or say, I'm going to do what I want and have a great weekend."
"Just think of the stories we'll have to tell," she says.
I can't take it any more. I open our door and knock on their adjoining door. The daughter answers her door. I fully expect to see someone who is as unattractive on the outside as her personality appears to be behind closed doors. The kind of individual who looks like one of the few selfish, inconsiderate Bostonians we encountered while we were in school at MIT and Simmons, twenty years ago.
She is wearing her own robe, not the white terry cloth robe provided by the hotel. She has short brown hair and on the face of it, looks like someone you might want to befriend. Until she opens her mouth.
"Would you mind turning your tv down?" I ask. "Our children are trying to sleep and we're here to celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary."
"Tough luck, lady," was the expression and response I got from her. She would have nothing of it. "I'm here with my mother, and we haven't seen each other in four years..." was her mantra.
Not expecting my quick-witted response, I inquired, "Well, if you haven't seen each other for four years, why not turn off your television, have a conversation and reconnect with one another in person?"
"I don't have to do what you tell me," she retorted. "I'm going to do what I want, when I want. This is my weekend."
"Thanks a lot," I said as I slammed our door.
Five minutes later, Tim was off to the front desk to say, "We're going home. Our neighbors win."
The manager of the Fairmont quickly responded by once again trying to make things right.
Tim took the time to be shown another conference / makeshift "suite" half the size of our current one -- just a few doors down.
By now, however, our evening had been completely ruined.
Why spend nearly $900 for what Tim described as a "Motel 6 clientele" experience, even if the management is first class? Especially if we were to have to see Ms. Boston's face again in the morning??
We had gone from having an upbeat, make-the-best-of-it attitude to "this totally sucks."
Of course, the girls were not happy to be woken up and asked to get in the car.
Half way home, they started looking on the bright side of the situation.
"At least we get to go to church tomorrow," Niki said. "I was thinking the same thing," Jessie chimed in.
Tim and I looked at each other in disbelief. That was a first!
Later in the ride, Tim said, "Maybe God wants us home tonight."
At 8:05 the next morning, we got a call from the spa, looking for us. Unfortunately, the manager had forgotten to tell the spa that we were leaving.
The only time I regretted leaving was during the hour I had scheduled to have a Watsu treatment.
At church on Sunday, the pastor's son told our oldest daughter that he had a crush on her.
Needless to say, she was doubly glad to have shown up.
"Perhaps God wanted us home for Jessie's benefit," Tim said after church.
Fred's sermon was one of the last in a City Church series on the Fruits of the Spirit. This one was on gentleness and meekness.
After hearing his message, I was glad we had not cranked up the volume on our television set upon leaving the Harvest Suite.
Had Ms. Boston and her mom been the only other guests in the house that night, we might have seriously considered it.
But after the sermon, I was glad we hadn't lowered ourselves to our neighbors' lack of class and consideration.
It was also a good lesson for our kids -- on how to not act and how to rise above it.
As reinforcement, I just bought a copy of Kids' Travel Guide to the Fruits of the Spirit.
Take Two On The Horizon
Meanwhile, we look forward -- with a bit of trepidation -- to returning to the Sonoma Mission Inn when Ms. Boston is no longer around.
We also look forward to making sure we are able to stay in our favorite Mission Suite.
The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa - Mission Suite
Mission Suites Recommended
The Mission Suites are The Fairmont's signature 550 square foot suites.
One of you can be lounging in the kind-sized four poster bed while the other is taking a bubble bath. Both offer a view of the fireplace.
The Mission Suites are a short walk to both the spa and the main pool.
Rugged Elegance recommends them highly.
The weekend we end up booking our future stay, we'll inquire first about the number of weddings and conferences taking place.
Since it is only a 55 minute drive from the city, perhaps we'll even figure out a way to escape mid-week.
For those of you in the area with the ability to indulge in a three-day get-away, consider the third weekend in November at the Sonoma Mission Inn.
Sonoma Epicurean Weekend November 17-19, 2005
The Fairmont's Inn & Spa together with the St. Francis Winery plan to host the "ultimate" epicurean weekend.
Here are nine reasons to consider this upcoming three night indulgence:
#1) The Fairmont starts off your Thursday evening with a welcome wine reception.
#2) You will be provided with a "suite" accommodation for three nights at The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa.
#3) Every morning you will be served a complimentary breakfast.
#4) You will be invited to go on a Farm Trails Tour with St. Francis Chef Todd Muir.
#5) A grilling demonstration and dinner with BBQ guru and multi-award winning author, Steven Raichlen will be on the menu for the weekend.
#6) Two 50-minute spa treatments at The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn Spa are included.
#7) You'll get to spend a day with St. Francis legendary winemaker Tom Mackey.
#8) Chris Silva, CEO and President of the St. Francis Winery will be your host at a private winemaker dinner in Sante the Inn's signature restaurant.
#9) Expect weekend-long ground transportation to and from The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa and St. Francis Winery.
Availability
This package is available from November 17-19, 2005.
Rates
$1,270 USD per person, based upon double occupancy. As always, applicable taxes and gratuities are not included.
To reserve this package, you can only do so by calling 707.938.9000.
Tim and I won't be there. Perhaps for our 26th wedding anniversary!
Thanks to the Sonoma Mission Inn staff for doing your best to rectify one miss after another.
Inspire & Be Inspired.
Here's to healthy, adventuresome, soulful, "making the best of an "unfair" situation at the Fairmont" living!
~ Jennifer Carolyn King, Rugged Elegance, LLC
fresh content posted
