Patricia Kutza finds new rest for the wicked By Patricia Kutza
If you have the latitude to pick your hotel accommodations when you are on the road, what sort of place do you choose? I generally prefer bed and breakfasts, especially if they contain spaces where I can roam. Offer me fountains, gardens and a great ocean view and you’ve got me. If your tastes run in the same direction and your beat is the West Coast, there are a number of hotels that really fill the bill.
 With its ivy-covered shops and cottages, Carmel could easily be lifted from the pages of an English countryside coffee table book, except for that matter called the Pacific Ocean. The other exception is the Carmel Tradewinds Inn, (www.carmeltradewinds.com) where the motif is Asian to the bone. Acclaimed interior designer Charles Gruwell had his way with this long-established property a couple of years ago and the results of his extensive renovation are stunning. Tropical plants front a cascading fountain in the courtyard. In an adjoining alcove, right-sized for contemplation, a life-sized statue of Buddha (photo copyright P. Kutza) is surrounded by flowering ginger, tree ferns, and sago palms. The guest rooms repeat this theme with tansu-style vanities, bureau-top fountains, giant bamboo decorative accessories and fine linens.
There is something very therapeutic about meandering in a formal English garden. I call it ‘patterning’- a way of freeing my mind by mentally tracing the sharp delineations carved by boxwood hedges and lush arrangements of flowers and foliage. The Simpson House Inn in Santa Barbara, (www.SimpsonHouseInn.com), delivers a full acres’-worth of these gardens. The Inn itself is a historical landmark, offering guests luxurious quarters in a Victorian mansion setting. Amenities include high-speed wireless service, in-room spa services and complimentary access to nearby Santa Barbara Athletic Club.
 Stuck in San Francisco rush hour traffic will make you wish you were far from that madding crowd. Do I hear retreat? A lesser-known fact about retreat centers is that they often cater to individuals as well as groups. Located in Woodside, Stillheart, a non-denominational retreat, (www.stillheart.net), has sixteen forested acres (that also include extensive hiking trails) and contains, in addition to guest rooms, dining and meeting room facilities, an indoor swimming pool, outdoor hot tub, yoga and movement studio, massage and steam rooms and saunas. (photo copyright Stillheart)
 Farther north in Trinidad, California, there’s a “Whale Watch Deck” with your name on it. The Lost Whale Inn (www.lostwhaleinn.com) is located in Abalone Cove and sits on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. When you can peel you eyes from the view, there are flower and vegetable gardens to explore, private trail access to two miles of secluded beach and redwood forests less than a half hour’s drive away. (photo copyright Lost Whale Inn)
In the same northern geographic region you can find some of the finest examples of late Victorian gardens. The grounds of the Ferndale-based Gingerbread Mansion (www.gingerbread-mansion.com) are living examples of the greenery vernacular of that age, combining French formal, English formal and informal styles. You may be hard put to judge whether the gardens or the Mansion itself are more ornate. The Mansion’s exterior fretwork has long been a photographer’s delight. Antiques abound in the eleven suites and guests rooms.
Carmel Tradewinds Inn
Mission Street at 3rd Avenue
p.O. Box 3403
Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA 93921
Tel: 831-624-2776
Fax: 831-624-0634
Toll-free: 800-624-6665
Simpson House Inn
121 E. Arrellaga
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Reservations: 800-676-1280
Fax: 805-564-4811
info@simpsonhouseinn.com
Stillheart
16350 Skyline Boulevard, Woodside, California
(877) 322-3881
(650) 851-6622
www.stillheart.net
The Lost Whale Inn
3452 Patrick's Point Drive
Trinidad, CA 95570
(707) 677-3425 or (800) 677-7859
info@lostwhaleinn.com
Gingerbread Mansion
400 Berding Street,
P.O. Box 1380
Ferndale, CA 95536
707.786.4000 pr (800) 952.4136
innkeeper@gingerbread-mansion.com
My favorites:
Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens
www.gardenbythesea.org
California Gardens and Flowers
gocalifornia.about.com/od/topcalifornia/a/gardens.htm
My bookshelf:
Gardens of Obsession: Eccentric and Extravagant Visions
Authors: Gordon Taylor, Guy Cooper
Publisher: Sterling
ISBN: 0297823736
In search of English gardens: The travels of John Claudius Loudon and his wife Jane
Authors: J.C. Loudon
Publisher: Lennard
ISBN: 1852910003
Patricia Kutza is a travel, business and technology journalist based in the San Francisco Bay region. She crafts features for such outlets as Prosper, Comstock, Acura, Journeys, Executive Traveler Magazines and TravelTalkRadio. She can be reached at pkutza@pacbell.net or 707.319.4184.
PBWC Connections expresses sincere appreciation to Ms. Kutza for her generosity and support for our new resource for women. |
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