Whitegate Inn

Spring 2008

2008-04-17T09:25:00.000-07:00

They say blogs are virtually useless unless they are kept up and I can't seem to get it together. Nevertheless, even if this blog is only a chronicle of the happenings in Mendocino, my life and the Whitegate Inn, I'll continue to write sporatically.

The outside of the inn has been freshly painted as has some of the inside. It sparkles. Though a cliche, spring is the time of rebirth and attitudes brighten up along with the flowers and increased sun and daylight.

Personally, our daughter Maya became engaged during a visit to Mendocino. Romance must be in the air. They will be married in July in Portland. We love Jeremy and are moved to see Maya so happy. She also will be starting a doctoral program leading to her becoming a family nurse practitioner so she will be a ultra busy newlywed.

I am now the Director of Special Projects for the Mendocino County Promotional Alliance, MCPA. I will be working on a variety of interesting and challenging projects such as the development of a California Welcome Center, grant writing, Geotourism and web site work. It's a parttime job which could easily morph into fulltime if I'm not careful. Fortunately our wonderful innkeepers have stepped up and Susan has taken more of a management role. The summer will be the ultimate test. My job is in Ukiah. I hope to continue to do some wine sales for Esterlina but will not be able to take many out of town trips.

We are all excited about the upcoming Mendocino Film Festival from May 29-June 1. It gets better each year and we usually host a director or producer.

We have made many new friends this winter. One delightful couple stayed with us the entire month of January. And of course many old friends continue to visit us. It's fascinating to hear about life changes from people with whom you have a rapport.

Catching up

2007-12-22T11:00:00.001-08:00

I have been the negligent blogger of the season. The last time I blogged I had technical difficulties and just avoided the whole subject.

Its' now Dec. 22nd. Where has the year gone?

We are finally painting the exterior and part of the interior of the Whitegate. It was long overdue but you know how procrastination grabs good intentions. One of Susan's fellow firefighters, Matt, is doing the work. They like to keep it in the family at the firehouse.

Susan and I went on our semi annual trip to Florida early this month. I have to check on my cousin David in Pacso County and Susan and I like to add on some R & R at the Hyatt Vacation Club property in the Naples area. It's the one time of the year when we don't have to share bathrooms or closets, thus eliminating all sorts of potential conflicts and compromises.

Maybe because I'm getting older, but I noticed many more elderly people this trip, particularly in Pasco. So many of them have merged into the sunshine of shrinking lives and horizons. As they age their worlds get minimized and small joys become major events. This caused more introspecion than is my forte. I, of course, will never be in their catagory. I won't allow it.

Prior to our Florida trip I had my annual vacation with my best friend and almost brother Jimmy. This year we went to La Paz Mexico. My cousin Jeff has a boat docked at a marina there and even though he wasn't in Mexico at the time we were able to vicariously live his life. There was a lot of boating, snorkling and fishing. We were even able to snorkle with the seals, a thrilling experience. To find them we had to snorkle thru a cave and watch them playing and toying with us, diving in and around our fins. I felt like their entertainment rather than the other way around. The weather was perfect, the area clean and well kept, the beaches beautiful, the people prosperous, the economy booming. It gave us a new perspective on immigation. No one from that area of Southern Baja wants to come to the US because everyone with a high school education can get a good job and stay where they really want to be. If the economy improved in the poorest sections of Mexico the immigration problem would be drastically reduced. Economic development is the key. Perhaps if we invested more in that arena and less in enforcement the results would be more beneficial to all.

Happy holidays to all.

Muir Hanna Winery

2007-09-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

I've been a terribly negligent blogger this summer, a reflection of the busy and successful summer. But it is now time to do more sharing.

Last weekend some old friends, Bill and Claudia Hanna, honored us by celebrating their 40th anniversary at the Whitegate. Bill is the great grandson of the famous naturalist John Muir and they own a winery aptly named Muir Hanna Winery.

Bill treated us to a tasting of their wonderful wines. The current releases include a Pinot, Chardonnay, Merlot, a surprising fresh blush and Legacy, a mostly Cab. blend which is incredibly complex and elegant and a gold metal winner. They are a small production facility but if anyone is interested in finding more about the wines check out their web site or contact me. www.muir-hanna.com.

Sabastiani Winery

2007-06-30T17:38:00.000-07:00

This weekend we have been fortunate to have some wonderful guests. Mary Ann Sabastiani Cuneo has chosen to spend her special birthday at our properties. She brought her immediate family and some dear friends and spent the weekend with us. It's been a delight to host such friendly and easy going people and we hope this is the beginning of a long relationship. The bonus of course is the opportunity to partake of some wonderful wines.

Film Crew

2007-06-09T08:24:00.000-07:00

We had a film and production crew here the past several days. They came up from LA to work on a show tentatively titled Mendocino Life.
They first did an extensive interview with Steve Sterling, one of the owners of Esterlina Winery.
Steve's family is one of the very few African American winery owners. His grandfather started out as a home wine maker and it branched out from there. They now own 6 vineyards and two wineries, Esterlina and Everett Ridge in the Dry Creek region of Sonoma County.
The crew next interviewed our intripid fire fighter, Susan, at the fire house. She gave a wonderful interview and they were very obviously impressed. The low point of the day was an interview with me. They wanted to know about our wonderful guests and unusual experiences. Both those parts were easy. In fact once they got me started so many special moments of the past five years just poured out.
The show with all these interviews and many more will be pitched to the networks and we are hoping for some great publicity eventually.
Richard

Corky update

2007-06-04T09:58:00.000-07:00

Corky had his check up in Davis last week. He passed and is healthy and happy. He even remembered his Doctor and X-ray tech and was pleased to see them again. By the way he acts I don't think he felt his treatments were traumatic. It was just another way to get attention. He has lost a lot of hair on his leg but it seems to be healing well.
This is the first time I've traveled with him overnight. He is the perfect traveler and now I can see why we have so many guests coming to Abigails with their beloved dogs.
Corky does have one crazy habit which we can scarfing. He likes to literally wrap himself around the neck of the driver, squeeze hard and just hang on. It's funny as long as you're not in traffic.
Richard

Truckee, Grass Valley and Davis

2007-06-04T09:45:00.000-07:00

The past two weeks I have been traveling the state exposing the world to Esterlina wines. I'm having a great time meeting new people and seeing new areas. In past travels I just drove through on the boring highways. Now I have the time to actually get to know an area, walk the streets and absorb the differences.
Truckee, for instance, is more than a spot on an interstate which needs to be resurfaced. It is a vibrant community with an historic feel. There are also some great wine bars and restaurants.
Grass Valley actually has a old town section with a variety of interesting shops and restaurants as does Auburn. So many of these towns have grown without preserving their character so it's rewarding to see areas which care about their history.
Davis is a college town with a nice leafly tree lined aspect. There are trails running for many miles next to the creek and arboretum. I even found a preserved redwood grove in the heart of town. I can see why many college graduates don't want to leave.
If anyone knows of some special places I can talk to about Esterlina please let me know.

Esterlina

2007-05-21T17:57:00.000-07:00

For the past several months I have been helping Esterlina market their exceptional wines in the surrounding areas. The wines are of the highest quality and sell themselves. The winery is owned by the Sterling family who just bought a second label, Everett Ridge, in the Dry Creek region of Sonoma.
One of my ambitions for my next life is to be in some way affiliated with the wine business. I have no real desire to make wine and already have a leg up on the drinking part, but I have a real interest in the business side. I am really enjoying learning, meeting new people and exploring new areas.
I've placed two bottles in each room and the response has been terrific.
I'm also open to trades with wineries. I am able to increase my wine collection that way without spending the big bucks. I've traded with many Napa and Sonoma wineries during the past few years.
So, if anyone reading this wants some fine Mendocino and Sonoma wine please contact me and I'll take care of you.
Richard

Film Festival

2007-05-20T08:32:00.000-07:00

The second annual Mendocino Film Festival is winding down today. The improvement over last year was amazing and impressive. I personally say three films, two documentaries and one very wierd thriller. The first documentary was on global warming and it was better, or at least more entertaining, that the Gore piece. They used more humor, animation and real people's stories to make their points. The second documentary was about the 20 year life of a commune in MA - how the leadership and members evolved with the times and events - how it wasn't all about sex, drugs and rock and roll though that was not insignificant. I am thrilled at how well the festival is organized and managed and expect it to grow into a famous event each May.

corky update

2007-05-14T18:36:00.000-07:00

Corky survived 16 radiation treatments with great humor and fortitude. He still chases his tail and wants to eat everything in sight. We are hopeful that he is fully cured.

2007-05-14T08:32:00.000-07:00

We got back from Switzerland Thursday. Jet lag wasn't as bad coming this direction even though the 12 hour flight from Zurich to Los Angeles was as long as I ever want to be on a plane again. We flew Swiss Air and the food and service were exemplary.

We spent quite a bit of time in Zurich and found it to be a beautiful and interesting city, very easy to navigate, at least on foot and public transit. We also went to the far Eastern part of the country where the major ski resorts are located and it is just drop dead gorgeous - like the travel posters. For variety we took the train one day to the Italian region, the banana belt of Switzerland.

They speak four languages in this small county. German is dominant but there are substantial minorities of French and Italian speakers and an ancient language called Romanch is making a comeback in the mountains. Switzerland is the most together and civilized country I have ever been to. The only negative is their smoking policy. They warn everyone smoking will kill them and others, and then allow smoking everywhere.

We also spent 5 days in the South of France and enjoyed the food and differences, visiting some of the old fortress cities. Monaco is a whole country theme park, with class and style. Since they only have very limited land, they either go underground or reclaim more from the sea. It's spectacular.

The most convenient part of the trip however was being able to fly directly from Santa Rosa to LA on Horizon Air. They just started the service in March and the planes are almost full every day due to the pent up demand. We are seeing a lot more guests from the LA area now that it is more convenient to fly here. The flights also go to Seattle and hopefully soon to Portland and Las Vegas.

Baby Elliot is a beautiful and well behaved baby, as long as he is near his main source of food, Natalie. We saw him at 6 weeks of age and he was 8 weeks when we left. There was an amazing change in just two weeks. He is holding his head up regularly, very attentive to his surroundings and is smiling adorably. His parents are still thrilled and have adjusted to being on Elliot time, which means the world revolves around him.

Richard

Corky status

2007-04-17T08:15:00.000-07:00

Corky had his first radiation treatment at Davis yesterday. He was greeted by the vet, radiology tech and vet student and treated as if he was a VIP. Even Susan was impressed that Corky was being left in good hands, though that didn't keep her from feeling terrible about not being with him. The Vet called us last night to report Corky tolerated the treatment beautifully and is doing well.

2007-04-17T08:09:00.000-07:00

Our good friends and ex-innkeepers extraordinaire are here to get trained to be our innsitters when we go to Europe next week. We gave them the grand tour of our properties and I'm sure overloaded them with information. Our goal is to have Dick and Pat be us while we are gone. It will be wonderful to have someone else problem solve and it will be great for us to actually detach for a while. When we travel I am usually attached to my cell phone. This is a grand experiment for me in particular, since I like to be totally connected to the inn at all times. I'm trying to brace myself for the separation but am having some separation anxiety.
Richard

Spring

2007-04-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

Spring is really here. If we had a dollar for every person who has taken pictures of the flowering cherry trees next door we would be wealthy. As a frustrated farmer, I am pleased to note that my red currants, strawberries, apples, kiwis and blueberries are all popping with buds. I think our cold spell in January really helped them all set.

We got some bad news last week. Our miracle dog Corky had a growth removed from his leg and the biopsy was bad. We're taking him to the Vet school at UC Davis today to see what they can do to keep it from spreading. At first pass they thought he could be cured with radiation and could live a normal life span. We are hopeful. He is the ultimate survivor.

Susan has been on more fire calls than I can count this week. There was even a real structure fire but most have been medical emergencies. Unfortunately there were two deaths in four days. The first was an abalone diver who was found face down in the ocean and couldn't be revived. The second was a fisherman who was calmly fishing on the rocks in the headlands and a sleeper wave swept him away. He was quickly rescued but he too didn't make it. There have also been the usual number of heart attacks and broken limbs. Susan was presented with her "official" medical kit this week. Though I'm sure she is well trained, I'm not quite ready to have her practice on me.

Richard

2007-03-28T10:27:00.000-07:00

On March 8th we became new first time grandparents. Our son Justin and his wife Natalie had their first child, Eliot Reed Strom. They are living in Zurich this year but the Swiss are stingy with citizenship so Eliot will not have two passports. For those of you thinking of having a baby overseas, I recommend Switzerland. They keep the mothers in the hospital for at least 5 days for a normal birth. They fed the parents gourmet food and they felt they were in a first class hotel and didn't want to leave. Of course, now they are home trying to figure out schedules and getting into the swing of the parenting thing.

Susan and I will be visiting Eliot and his parents the end of April. We can't wait.

On the inn front, we have been busy with a lot of advance reservations for the spring. Our new innkeeper Dixia, a French import who also speaks Spanish and Italian, is a great addition to our innkeeping family. It's always great to have someone view the business with new eyes and ideas.

I am sending out monthly newsletters with specials and upcoming events. You can subscribe on the web site. I will also try to find a way to post them on the blog each month.

Whale Festival

2007-03-04T12:13:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we had another successful Whale Festival in Mendocino and at the Whitegate Inn in particular. We had about 250 people visit us for some excellent wine poured by Cole Bailey Vineyards and the best food around. We served dates wrapped in bacon, rugelach, baked brie wrapped in pastry and stuffed with cranberry or carmelized onions. We also had extravagant fruit trays and other goodies. People said we easily had the best spread in the Village. The weather also was perfect, bright sun, no clouds and balmy tempertures.

The weekend was also special because some of our favorite repeat guests were visiting, Larry and Pam Youngman. They brought two other couples with them and we all enjoyed each other. Larry is as much into wine (or more so) as I am and I always look forward to sharing his new special finds. Tonight it will be my turn to try to wow him with my special wines.

The new web site is being very well received though more than one person thought my innkeeper Katharine was my wife Susan. We are all like fmaily here but that is going too far.

New Web Site Launch

2007-02-12T17:47:00.000-08:00

Today we unveiled our new web site. It's been a work in progress for months. We tried to make it exceptional, even hip, but still exuding the feel of the Whitegate Inn, the romance, Victorian decorating, the magnificent views and gardens. It was hard to come up with the modern/old look and feel but we think we did it. Please let us know your opinions.

Mendocino has really charmed our hearts. I'm sure many of the future entries by me will seem sappy to those in the cities and suburbs (the real world?), but they will be sincere. We are sincerely blessed to live here and being able to make so many new friends month after month. This is a constant learning experience, and for an eclectic guy like me, there is nothing better as long as the conversation is stimulating and the wine excellent. Both are the norms.

I look forward to a dialog with as many of you as possible. Stay tuned.

Richard