Birthday Vacation – Part 2: Calistoga Ranch

Hi friends,

For the second part of my birthday trip, we spent two days at Calistoga Ranch – An Auberge Resort, in Napa. It is an amazing Resort! This is where we celebrated my birthday. My hubby really outdid himself with this gift! Every detail was taken care of, it was a very nice & personalized experience!

The resort is set back into the mountains of Napa , with only about 60 lodges on the property, giving guests privacy and tranquility. Each lodge is located on an individual lot and guests are transported throughout the Resort on golf carts.

Here are some pictures from our stay at Calistoga Ranch! If you want to celebrate a special occasion, I recommend this resort! It will be a memorable & unique experience!

Hope you like the pics!

Have you been to Napa? What was a memorable vacation you took?

Hugs,

Paola

PS – I’ll share pics from our visit to the spa in the next blog post.  

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Arriving at Calistoga Ranch.

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This is where guests are greeted upon arrival.

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The reception area.

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This was our lodge – 138 Lake. It was a little piece of heaven in wine country!

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We were greeted with a birthday surprise! Such a treat! My hubby had made the arrangements for this, ahhhh, so romantic!

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My hubby had also gotten me a spa package for the next day.

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Our room…..heaven!!!

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Each lodge comes with it’s customized IPad.

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This bathroom is gorgeous! With a bathtub in the middle, shower in the corner, and two separate vanity sections. It has windows looking toward the outdoor shower.

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Of course, the women’t vanity is the larger one….that is what our host told us as part of the tour of the lodge.

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The outdoor shower….amazing! I showered here that evening. It was nice to look up to see the stars at night!
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The walk-in closet.

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During our stay, I enjoyed a relaxing bath with these citrus salts.

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Our deck. We sat here to enjoy some Calistoga wine in the afternoon.

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The weather was in the 90s, which is quite warm for me, so I was wearing a light summer dress with sandals. I had brought another dress & heals to change into for dinner, but it was so warm and the restaurant has an outside deck, that I decided to simply add a light scarf to my outfit and remove my hat. And, I called the restaurant ahead of time to confirm casual attire was appropriate.

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Our room was turned down for the evening. Robes & slippers are always a nice touch.

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Fresh water was set by our bed for the evening.

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I was going to try to take a stroll before dinner….and this rascal surprised me! More like – startled me! He was on the deck located by the entrance of the lodge, I couldn’t leave without crossing his path. I am afraid of large squirrels because once in San Francisco a squirrel (a small one) climbed up my husband’s sweater and almost tried to get into his shirt! So, I stay cautiously away from them. This particular critter was quite big, it looked more like a big cat than a squirrel!

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It kept running on our deck and onto the tree. I took these pictures from inside the room.

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He kept me hostage for about 15 minutes!

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Then, I realized he was thirsty. By that time, we were ready to head out for dinner and my hubby went on the deck to ensure the little critter went back to the canyon side (and off our deck!), before I came out of the room.

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This is the walkway toward our lodge.

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The wine cellar.

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The restaurant. It is only available for guests staying at the Resort.

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The restaurant overlooks a lake and canyon area, these deer were just a few steps away from us.

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My hubby had the three course menu – with steak as his main entree.

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I stuck to one entree – a lamb dish. I rarely eat meat, this dish was tender and quite tasty, with mushrooms and pasta!

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My hubby had some sorbet for dessert (sorry, not pictured)….at the end of the dinner, they brought us these little lemon tart treats, so cute! Perfect for the palette!

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I went for a walk throughout the Resort in the evening. It was quiet and serene. You can definitely disconnect and relax here.

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The pool was open 24 hours and lit up for the evening (but nobody was there).

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The next day, we got an early start and enjoyed room service for breakfast. I started this new year right, with fresh fruit and rich coffee! It was a treat to have a relaxing breakfast with my hubby! The perfect way to start my birthday!

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After breakfast, I took a yoga class on the deck. I was able to stretch, relax, and reflect. A wonderful start to a relaxing day!

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This is Brooke Bunge, the yoga instructor. Her class was excellent! She taught me some relaxation and meditation techniques. I have been using them every night before I go to sleep and they help me clear my mind.

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After yoga, I changed into a summer dress and went for a walk.

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The restaurant – with the mountains in the background. This view was breath taking! I was glad I ventured over the bridge and got to see this view.

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The pool area looked even more beautiful during the day!

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Oh yes, there was a gym….an open air gym overlooking the pool. It was a little too warm for me to use the gym. There was also an enclosed section with air conditioning….in case you are wondering, because I did!

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The Resort also had bicycles guests could borrow. There are some vineyards close by making for a scenic bicycle ride.

After the walk, I headed back to our lodge to change for my appointment at the spa. I’ll write about my spa experience in my next post. It is a unique & beautiful spa….I’ve never been to a spa quite like this one, it made me feel like I was at a spa located in a tree top!

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