Valentine's Day Away from the Coast

For Valentine's Day this year, we ended up heading away from the coast.  Motivated by our son's extraordinary eagerness to see snow, we went up to Lake Tahoe.  We stayed at the Resort at Squaw Creek.  ]www.squawcreek.com We ended up in a blizzard.  It was great.

Livingsocial.com sometimes offers pretty good deals for stays up at Tahoe, including Squaw.  We met some families who live just down the hill from the Tahoe area, in Auburn, who were using a livingsocial.com coupon deal.  We met them while they were using a s'more kit from the Sweet Potatoes Deli at the resort (Sandy's Pub also has s'mores kits, and is near one of the fire-pits at the resort).  They were generous enough to share one of their s'mores with our son.

We went iceskating at the rink at the resort.  This was our son's first ever iceskating experience.  The rink is small - the perfect size for a little person like our 3-year old.  They also have equipment for little people, including small skates down to size 6 and a rail-bar to hold onto.

We had lunch at The Auld Dubliner in Squaw Villiage.  We highly recommend the potato skins and also the corned beef sliders.  It's a great place to have a beer and some yummy comfort food!  Especially in the middle of a blizzard.

Our dinner at Plumpjack at the Squaw village was excellent.  The restaurant was a little too dark for our son, who wanted to stay in the bar area.  I would highly recommend the Plumpjack for romantic dinners for two, but not as much for a family dinner.  That said, the waiters did a fantastic job; truly excellent service.

The Problem with Esalen, Part II

So getting back to the title of this two-set post, what is the problem with Esalen?

ANTS.  LOTS of them.  Everywhere.  Especially during the rainy season (October-May).

And you probably thought I was going to say the problem was the nude bathers at the Esalen baths, who really shouldn’t be seen nude.  But no, that’s not the real problem – the real problem is ANTS.

By way of example:

We check into Esalen to take a weekend workshop.  I arrive with an open mind.  It is Esalen, right?

We tour the grounds.  Breathtaking views.  Simply amazing location.  Decent classrooms.  An area for playing musical instruments (especially drums). 

We have lunch.  Decent food.  Not much to write home (or blog) about.  But decent.  And healthy, if not particularly tasty.

Then, exhausted from the drive down the coast, we head to our room with our bags.

Ants.  Lots of them.  At the doorway.

“No big deal,” I think to myself.  “No big deal,” I say out loud to no one in particular (but within earshot of my wife).

I put my bag down and think I saw an ant nearby.  Again, no big deal.

I lie down on the bed.  I turn my head.  I notice an ant or two on my pillow. 

“Ick.  No big deal.”  I say again, brushing off the pillow.

Under the pillow?  Ants.  LOTS of them.   I look down on the blanket – more ants.  I look at the sheets:  covered with ants.

I get out of bed, pretty irritated.  I don’t like ants.  I really don’t like ants in my room.  And I ESPECIALLY dislike ants in my bed.  I don’t like ants in my bed EVEN MORE when I AM PAYING FOR THE ROOM.

I figure, “this must be a one-time sort of thing, right?”  Wrong.  On closer inspection, I find ant traps in the corners of the room.  THEY KNOW ABOUT THIS!  That’s just not okay with me.  You don’t rent out rooms that are infested with ants.  Just because we’re at Esalen for a workshop doesn’t mean everyone is going to be so enlightened that we overlook all the ants in the bed (and now on our arms, torso, legs, face, hair)…   

So we move rooms.  In the new room – lots more ants.

This is not okay with me.  I’m in favor of expanding my horizons.  I like rustic spots and I love backpacking.  And I’m not expecting the place to be like the Ritz or the Fairmont … or even Motel 6.  But I DO expect that the room be somewhat clean and relatively ant-free (at least the pillow, if not the bed).

And that’s the problem with Esalen.

--COTC