Road Trip or No Trip?

Mom and Dad just arrived in Napa! They want to experience every season here and we’ve just begun a new one. It’s also the nicest time of year to be in suburban New Jersey. Anyway, they are back at the elegantly appointed, faux-rustic Calistoga Ranch (calistogaranch.com) where they stayed when they came for Easter. Yes, I’m somewhat jealous of their outdoor living room, daily yoga and spa sessions, and of course the wine blending parties in the resort’s own cave. It’s a carefully cultivated sense of relaxation and it holds a lot of appeal for this business owner/mom.

I had a great idea. Why not leave Delia and Andrew with my parents to enjoy the lap of the Auberge Resort’s luxury - the pool, private lake, majestic hills and biking trails? Michael and I would hit the road in search of unexplored wineries, scenic coastline and rekindled romance, oh yeah…! But ---- No. That’s what the parents said at first. They sort of planned on the same sort of rekindling. I finally convinced them (using all of my best negotiating skills) that they could do THAT, with plenty of time for winery stops while the kids were in school. I asked for a week and got five days - deal!

Red House is doing great – double the business that we had a year ago! Several orders will come in next week, though. Kerin, for the first time, will be doing the initial quality control inspection. I’ve told her what to look for in my exacting detail. She also may have client contact beyond taking messages. This is also new for her, and I can only hope nothing major comes up that requires a quick decision. Good luck, Kerin!

But no guilt here. We need this little getaway and will return rested and ready for anything. We are quickly throwing some things in the car - not our best packing effort, but we want to GO!! It’s going to be a late start but we’re almost on our way west!