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VIBRANT SACRAMENTO

07.27.10

By Joanne Tucker

Who says you can’t have an adventurous family vacation, romantic getaway or extended business trip in Sacramento?

Not us! Rather than driving around California’s capitol city, we discovered Sacramento offers plenty of tantalizing adventures for all ages from kite boarding in the Delta to a GPS treasure hunt along the American River Parkway to the first sip of the once naught drink, absinthe, at a racy night spot.

Driving through the heart of downtown Sacramento’s urban action, we stopped for a respite just blocks from California’s state capitol building at the historic Citizen Hotel. This luxury boutique hotel, which is owned by hip hotel chain Joie de Vivre, is Sacramento’s only green-certified, full-service boutique hotel with 198 upscale guest rooms, suites and modern amenities.

At the hotel’s entrance along tree-lined J Street, the doorman dutifully opened the large glass hotel door, and we stepped into an elegant gray marbled lobby, adorned with black fixtures, which are reminiscent of Sacramento’s opulent Gold Rush era.

Guests at The Citizen Hotel enjoy room service, a business center, complimentary wine hour (Monday through Thursday), fitness center and free wireless access throughout the hotel. Meeting facilities include conference rooms, a ballroom, and private meeting rooms for small groups. This property also offers valet parking, a multi-lingual staff, and a large law library.
Our room was decorated in a unique combination of masculine and feminine sensibilities with wide black-and-beige-striped wall paper, herringbone patterned headboards, fine pin-striped taffeta bed skirts and black brass light fixtures with petite pleated shades. The beds were comfy with luxurious sheets, and bright white duvets dressed in fluffy red blankets. We loved the old-fashioned marble sink in the bathroom. Small black and white octagon tiles on the floor and in the shower added to the charm of another era.

During our visit, we tried out the latest in technology—Joie Connect. In fact, The Citizen Hotel is one of the first U.S. hotels to feature a media service made possible by an Apple Mac Mini computer.

Where else can you lounge in bed and surf the net on your flat screen HDTV? At The Citizen Hotel, of course! With the touch of a button on a remote control, we surfed the web, answered emails and viewed our bill on a large plasma TV in our room. You can also order more than 100 movies on demand. It was amazing!

Since the hotel is within walking distance to the California State Capitol, we set off on a self-walking tour and discovered a vibrant downtown, which is filled with top-notch eateries, lush parks, stylish boutiques, historic buildings and museums, art galleries and nightlife.

Sacramento also offers a variety of entertainment within walking distance of the Citizen Hotel such as the Crest Theater, Sacramento Theatre and Ballet Company, Esquire IMAX and Crocker Art Museum.
After a long walk, we stopped at La Bon Cafe on 11th Street and ordered an Asian salad and smoked turkey sandwich to go. Since we were so enthralled by Joie Connect, we hurried back to our room for a Facebook session on Joie Connect and to eat our delicious salads and sandwiches.

Later in the evening, we emerged to dine at Grange Restaurant, an upscale restaurant located in the hotel. The Grange’s decor is reminiscent of a hip New York City urban restaurant with plenty of natural light streaming through floor to ceiling windows. This eatery uses local, fresh and sustainable produce, often brought into the restaurant by the head chef who just returned from the farmer’s market at the Cesar Chavez Park across the street from the hotel.

Once seated at our table, the server brought freshly baked bread with a garlic-butter-and-herbed spread that was highly delicious and very memorable (we asked for the recipe). Then, we ordered the popular fried Watanabe Farm green tomatoes with charred jalapeno aioli and smoked tomato jam. Yummy!

A “little gem” salad of farm fresh lettuce, cucumbers, red onion and fried shallots satisfied our second course, but the main entrée of pan-roasted California King salmon ratatouille was awesome. For dessert, we had a raspberry crème brulée tart. Each dinner course was paired with fine wines from Russian River wineries. (The Grange also offers daily three-course specials, including a salad and dessert, with or without wine.)

On Wednesdays, foodies can join Chef Michael Tuohy for a tour of the downtown farmer’s market. Chef Tuohy, a proponent of the slow food movement, shares his knowledge of California’s freshest grown foods. After the tour, head back to the chef’s table in the Grange for a three-course meal, paired with wine, prepared by Chef Tuohy using ingredients bought at the market. Reservations are strongly recommended.

Ready to commune with Mother Nature in and around Sacramento? You may opt to explore the American River Parkway with a naturalist or stroll through Old Sacramento State Historic Park. Go fly-fishing on the Lower Sacramento or take a hot air balloon ride and watch the countryside scroll beneath you. See the sights from 1,000 feet on a Zeppelin for a smooth ride over Sacramento and San Francisco Bay.

Into extreme adventures? The Sacramento area is definitely a daredevil’s paradise. Try kiteboarding in the Delta, sky diving from Yolo County Airport, trapeze flying school in Placerville or white-water rafting on Upper Cache Creek.

For those who prefer less stressful activity, rent a Harley hog in Vacaville and cruise the highways or retreat to a local park for a picnic after a round of golf.

The Sacramento region offers lots of exciting activities for kids and parents. Kids can spend the night at the Sacramento Zoo through the Family Overnight Safari Program, complete with a spaghetti dinner, a campfire and a tour of nocturnal animals in the zoo. After breakfast, tour the zoo during the daylight hours.

How about gold prospecting and high-tech treasure hunting? Kids may discover the shinny stuff in Jamestown’s Woods Creek, and then introduce them to “geocaching.” It’s a high-tech treasure hunt using GPS to find hidden, waterproof containers (called geocaches). There are hundreds of geocaches located outside, many along the American River Parkway. The geocaches hold small toys or trinkets for trading.

Take a drive to Lake Tahoe and explore the 70-mile trek around the lake past trailheads, beaches and mountain communities. At Stateline, located on the Nevada-California border, you can gamble all day and return to The Citizen Hotel with your newly-won fortune (hopefully!).

Sacramento certainly surprised us with its exciting and vibrant downtown, which blends the history of California and all the modern amenities of a big city. And we were highly pleased with the Citizen Hotel’s upscale accommodations and the latest in media technology from Joie Connect.

Joanne Tucker is a freelance lifestyles writer based in Costa Mesa, California.

SPECTACULAR SANTA BARBARA

07.21.10

By Joanne Tucker

Looking to be “wowed” this summer? Hop on Highway 101 just north of LA and drive to Montecito (Oprah’s hometown) for five-star pampering at one of the few remaining resorts in Southern California that captures the true elegance and grandeur of a bygone era: Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara.

Known as the crown jewel of Santa Barbara’s oceanfront properties, the Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara is a classic Spanish colonial-style 1927 landmark, which showcases the essence of the opulent Roaring 20s. It was a time when Hollywood’s A-list stars came to The Biltmore’s secluded location to relax, play and feast without ever leaving the resort. (Since Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore has more than its share of celebrities, you have a good chance of seeing somebody famous here.

Today, guests can still feel the history of this upscale hotel in its thick adobe walls, graceful archways, red-tiled roofs and wrought-iron gates. Decorated in the Spanish influence of rich greens and golds, the hotel’s grand lobby of dark wood furniture and beautiful interior tile work is reminiscent of early California’s heritage.

Times may have changed, but this resort has the perfect blend of old world charm and all of the modern amenities you’d expect to find at a Four Seasons Resort such as flat-screen plasma HDTVs, DVD and CD players and high-speed internet access in all guest rooms.

The Four Season’s accommodations include 207 guest rooms and suites located in the low-lying main buildings. A collection of 12 one-story cottages are secluded at the rear of the property. Reached along winding pathways, each cottage comprises three to five guest rooms with its own private entrance.

To celebrate Santa Barbara’s wine producing regions, Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore has introduced a new Wine Tour Package,which includes accommodations, daily breakfast for two at the resort, full day VIP excursion into wine county for exclusive access to vineyards, winemakers and tasting rooms, plus a gourmet lunch in a vineyard.

With the windows open, ocean breezes combined with rose scented air floated into our deluxe guest room, which overlooked lush gardens. The room was spacious with lovely queen-size beds, plush duvets and sheets, a warm brown lounge chair for relaxing or reading, dark wood furniture, Spanish-inspired accessories, a vaulted ceiling and gas fireplace.

We especially loved the lavish blue and green Spanish-tiled bathroom with its large shower. The huge sterling silver shower head simulates rain falling and makes you feel like you are standing in a warm and soothing rain showers. The deep soaking tub is filled from a dramatic fountain spout. (Some bathrooms have heated floors and personal steam showers.) L’Occitane bath products added even more sensual luxe to our personal bathroom spa.

For those who love to work out, the resort’s gym has an excellent fitness center. Plus, there’s a second almost-on-the-beach fitness center and pool across the street at the resort’s own Coral Casino Club and Cabana.

After a hard work out our day at the beach or in the Coral Club’s lap pool, take a break from being active to relax at the resort’s spa, which features many world-class treatments. For more relaxation, take in some sun on a plush lounge chair at the resort’s lushly landscaped inner courtyard pool.
Located steps from the resort, Butterfly Beach is known for its quiet location and beautiful sunsets. It gives the impression of a private beach for Four Season’s guests, but local Montecito residents (and their dogs) also enjoy the long stretch of sand. Take a stroll along the shoreline and watch dolphins swimming past the surf line and surfers riding in the waves.

Guests of The Four Seasons Biltmore have access to the Coral Casino Club, which features a fitness center, a large pool, two restaurants, a bar, private rooms and a lovely seaside patio. Enjoy sophisticated dining at Tydes.

The restaurant’s 1930s Art Deco motifs highlight the club’s original glamour while its Mediterranean-inspired cuisine compliments the panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, Channel Islands and the Santa Barbara coastline. At the club’s bar, guests enjoy gorgeous sunsets while sipping signature cocktails and sampling a variety of small plates and tapas.

The Coral Casino Club is also home to a more casual dining venue. Bella Vista showcases California wine-country cuisine where you can sip wines from local Santa Barbara County producers in a tranquil seaside setting with expansive ocean views.

Should you decide to venture out, Santa Barbara County offers many opportunities to explore its beautiful coastline, the charming nearby village of Montecito, the historic and hip city of Santa Barbara and small towns in Santa Barbara Wine Country.

For example, drive less than an hour through scenic farm lands to Los Olivos. Located in the heart of Santa Barbara’s pastoral wine country, this quaint town features a mix of classic and contemporary architecture as well as wine tasting rooms, boutiques, art galleries and restaurants.

Mission Santa Barbara, often referred to as the Queen of California Missions for its graceful beauty, is one of Santa Barbara’s main attractions. Another attraction is the Santa Barbara Zoological Gardens, which features a variety of animals from around the world, a petting zoo, a train ride and 30 acres of botanical gardens. Of the many species found at the zoo, 14 are part of an international species survival plan.

For boating enthusiasts or those wishing to explore the nearby Channel Islands, sailing, whale watching cruises, fishing excursions and sightseeing cruises are plentiful at Santa Barbara Pier. In fact, kelp beds off the coast of Santa Barbara and the Channel Islands offer some of the richest fishing grounds in the Pacific.

Located five minutes from the resort, the Montecito Country Club offers reasonably-priced golf links and the only grass tennis court in the area.
With so much to offer, there’s no question about the “wow” factor at this grand, old fashioned resort with its secluded location, gorgeous grounds, grand lobby, broad lawns and lovely guest rooms. Yes, The Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore captures the essence of upscale and historic Santa Barbara.

Joanne Tucker is a freelance lifestyles writer based in Costa Mesa, California.

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