I just got back from a whirlwhind trip to Guerneville CA to see my favorite cousin get married. Dragging along my mom and grandmother, we flew from Grand Rapids, MI to Sacramento and stayed for three days at the Dawn Ranch. The wedding itself was amazing, gorgeous, and full of love (as it should be), so I'm just going to review the venue.
The Good:
- The food: I've become a bit of a foodie, and Dawn Ranch had some of the most amazing and innovative menu items. The most memorable for me was the pork and apple ravioli, and I managed to get my mother and grandmother to branch (a few baby steps) out of the box with an artichoke and red pepper pasta. The wedding menu was catered to my cousin's and fiancee's exacting tastes, and included truffle macaroni and a fantastic selection of barbecued meats.
- The location: The ranch itself is a pleasant two and a half hours drive from the Sacramento Airport, traffic and construction included. While we did not have much time for sight-seeing, we passed several mountain look-out points and quaint towns. We were also a mere 20 minute drive from the Pacific ocean, and about a 30 minute drive from the Charles M Schultz Museum which, because my mother loves all things Snoopy, we of course had to visit.
- The scenery: Holy redwoods, Batman! While I am a Michigan girl at heart, I have to admit that the views were fantastic. I'm a sucker for winding roads and trees so thick you can barely see the sky, and this part of the country definitely delivered.
- The cabins: If you were to ask other members of my family you might get a different response (there were heating issues in a few), but the cabin my mother, grandmother, and I shared was great. We opted for the 2-bedroom version, and it had all the charms of rustic "glamping"- glam camping. The showers were hot, the beds were soft and warm, and it was tucked away from the noise of the highway, nestled beneath the redwoods - what more could you want?
 |
| Vineyards and fancy houses on the drive through Napa. |
- The staff: While there were a few great staff members (our waiter from the first night and the woman at the front desk come to mind), most of the staff seemed either uninformed or uncaring. Trying to get the heat fixed in one cabin, for example, took about four people too many. Lights to illuminate the paths at night were not turned on as promised, golf carts for the grandmothers were late, and organizing the flow of the weekend fell to family members instead of the staff members.
- Off season: This may have been why the staff weren't up to par (fewer people, etc), but the overall feel of the actual town of Guerneville was....emptiness. Many of the stores were closed for the season (there were several wineries I would have loved to have tried), the town population was significantly reduced, and the town just seemed rather unkempt. Given that it was November, I'll give the town a pass this time, and hopefully return in more seasonal times.
Overall, it was still a fantastic (if rainy) weekend, and I would love to go back during the "on" season.
