Calistoga Ranch
      Calistoga, California

Mom and I stayed in bed late Christmas morning. Laughing as Pico, my young 11-pound mutt tried to get Tang, mother’s old Shih Tzu to play. Then we all cuddled in our destination bed. Taking up most of the room, the bed was big, with quantum count sheets, fluffy down everything and dripping with comfort. The views were dripping in mist. Dry oak and acacia trees artfully backed a moss-covered dry creek bed. Art from nature or man? It was hard to tell.

Christmas was never like this at home and that was the point. With the rest of the family traveling, my mother and I were left to our own devises. Sometime after the election, I got to thinking two stockings and no kids might be bleak. A change of environment seemed just the thing, but with Mom pushing 90 and two dogs, it could be tricky. In our counties—Marin and Sonoma—Christmas kennel space is like a good Hawaiian rental—you book it when you leave the Christmas before.

Merrily and unlike most of its high-end competitors, Calistoga Ranch encourages families—and their dogs. I can’t imagine what they do for the kids as our dogs were treated like canine royalty—special tags indicating their temporary home, ultra suede dog beds, chef made dog treats and their own food and water bowls. They even had their own Calistoga water.

Calistoga Ranch is set in a striking and peaceful dry creek valley on a rare untouched piece of northern Napa County’s dry Mediterranean landscape. Careful attention was paid setting the ranch’s low, nouveau-Frank-Lloyd-Wright buildings into the landscape, disturbing little. The decks are not only built around dry oaks, but also over them so the oaks can grow up beside the decks.

Each room is in its own individual building, buildings that work their way up the valley to the larger restaurant and spa buildings. Unfinished wood and copper on the outside, the insides are light and airy with large windows that face unimpeded natural scenes or one’s private deck and hot tub. A one-bedroom unit has two buildings. The first building, the living room, includes a half bath, wet bar and fireplace. The gas fire can be viewed from both the room and the deck.

The second building, cattycorner across the deck from the living room, is the destination bedroom and bath. A family of six could easily use this bathroom all at once. As you enter, a private privy is on the right and a closet the left. A center island contains the indoor shower and a large soaking tub—should you not care to soak in the hot tub. Along either wall are marbled sink areas allowing at least two people to mess up—or not—their own grooming areas. The door on the far wall leads to the au naturel outside shower.

The result is your own private woodlands’ cottages. It was only when we were spa-ing, eating or walking the dogs that we had any idea there was any one else at the Ranch.

Eating is definitely something you’ll want to do if you visit. In fact, Calistoga Ranch could easily be seen as a destination restaurant with rooms. The Lakehouse Restaurant is exclusive to guests, owners and select area vintners. A quick golf cart ride up the hill lets you off at the restaurant overlooking a small body of water. I would call it a pond, but never mind, it has that lovely old lakeside look to it—weathered wood with dark green paint and green awnings overhanging the ‘lakeside’ dining deck.

My first taste of Christmas dinner, the amuse-bouché of beef consommé, suggested we were in for a treat. Not your canned consommé from Grandmother’s house, the long roasting of the bones and vegetables, the deep caramel of slowly cooked onions and garlic was in every sip. Blood orange and pomelo citrus salad was the perfect first course. Scallops, large and sweet, were cooked with a thin crisp outside and a mellow interior. Mushrooms, local and wild, along with roasted artichoke, arugula and salsa verde made a fine counterpoint.

A Christmas-rich duck comfit followed. It was served with two standout sides, a red cabbage "blaukraut" and crispy spaetzle leaving one no questions about how well vegetarians would fare at the Lakehouse.

Dessert was comfort food heaven, a gingerbread pudding with poached pears and a light "egg nog" anglaise. Then nibbling the ginger-bread-men passion fruit jellies that arrived with our espresso, we agreed it was a meal fit for Saint Nick.

So, to the charming Calistoga Ranch staff—A Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight!

 Kate Crawford      January 2009

LINKS WITH ATTITUDE                           

Calistoga Ranch on the web.

My article on The Bathhouse, the ranch spa.