Calistoga Ranch Club

Aunt Helena

So much excitement last Thursday, Dear Reader. Aunt Helena had planned to lunch with a visiting niece at one of her favorite spots on the east side of Main Street, but it was not to be. We, along with many others, were thwarted by an unfortunate mishap near the Wine Train tracks that resulted in a dangerously tilting utility pole, pushed many feet from its splintered base and held up only by its electrical, television and phone cables. Several thousand customers were directly affected by the early-morning accident, and markets and restaurants scrambled to rescue defrosting food. Tourists were disappointed but remarkably good-natured when they learned that favorite restaurants would not be open that day. Aunt Helena and visiting family picnicked in her backyard — itself a destination spot in this lovely part of the world.

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Meanwhile, we’ve just learned that Sgt. Forest Davidson of Rutherford was among 45 soldiers inducted into the NCO Corps during ceremonies held earlier this month on Joint Base Balad in Iraq. Hats off to Sgt. Davidson!

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Closer to home, the St. Helena Children’s Chorus begins its fall semester at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 30, at the Grace Episcopal Church on Oak Avenue. All 9- to 12 year-olds interested in trying out for the chorus should call director Craig Bond, 963-7712, to set up an audition. The St. Helena Teen Choir begins its fall semester the following week at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7, at Grace Episcopal Church. All interested teens should also call Craig for an audition time. 

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The St. Helena Recreation Department, meanwhile, has a host of activities and classes planned for the fall. The easiest way to find out about them — and to sign up — is by going online to ci.st-helena.ca.us and clicking on Recreation Department, and then on Programs/Classes or Sports or the Teen Center link. So many wonderful programs fall under the Recreation Department umbrella — everything from gymnastics, tumbling, Youth Soccer and Little League to fencing (adults), the skatepark, the Boys & Girls Club, the St. Helena Tennis Association, the St. Helena Family Center and Rianda House Senior Activities Center. Check it out. And while you’re at it, give recreation manager Haidi Arias a pat on the back for keeping all these programs up and running.

Second Home Trends – Affordable & Amenities: Calistoga Ranch in ...

Here’s the deal. The economy is not cooperating, but we still want to enjoy life. I know so many families who want a second home to “create family memories.” Most families, like mine, are spread out all over tarnation. A second home is a great way for everyone to combine a vacation with a family visit. Our family did this for years at Drake’s Island, Maine, and we are trying to do it for our kids with a shared-ownership ranch in the Hill Country. As hard hit as the second home market is right now, buying and maintaining a home outright is still costly. According to the Wall Street Journal , sales are really soft in the Hamptons, which Wall Street usually flushes with money. And no one in their right mind thinks they’ll be flipping it for a profit.

That’s why the new buzz word in vacation home ownership is the Shared Amenities Club, or just The Private Club. (Or, hell, just The Club.) Yes, in the boom this kind of vaca home ownership was the outcast stepsister to full vacation home ownership. Well, those who did the nose-wrinkling are probably underwater on their loans. Someone stopped and asked me about this concept in the locker room the other day, of all places. The couple wants a vacation home but they know they won’t be able to use it year ’round. After all, who gets more than 4 weeks of vacation a year, if that? They don’t want to mess with maintenance or leasing to cash-flow a mortgage. And in this economic climate, they certainly don’t want to take out a home equity loan to finance a second home like so many did a few years ago.

Then I spoke to Wade Shealy, Founder and CEO of 3RD HOME . He mentioned he had just returned from a place in Napa Valley called Calistoga Ranch. How much, says I? Less than $500K, said Wade.

I was all ears and sharpening my pencil.

“Of all the places in the world that I have traveled, none have been as luxurious and service oriented as Calistoga Ranch, which is managed by Mark Harmon’s Auberge,” said Wade.

Psyche

The ranch

Fight Club

The Club

Club dead