Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Heather and Greg's Wedding

It was a dream to have Heather and Greg's wedding at Hidden Valley Retreat & Spa! These sweethearts were the picture of relaxed, easygoing fun. They came ready to have a great time with their family and friends. Using lawn games, communal music, and even a piñata  Heather and Greg took advantage of their extended wedding weekend to create fond memories and strong bonds with those closest to them. What a fabulous way to celebrate love!




The day began with beautiful, traditional wedding shots of the bride and groom taken by our dear friends at Clickery Photography. However, the facetious side of this group quickly emerged when they discovered our cardboard cutout of Clint Eastwood. Clint got lots of attention from the groomsmen, and nearly stole the bride! Thankfully, the groom was ready to fight for his love, and the wedding continued as planned.



 In addition to a gorgeous ceremony, Heather, Greg, and their marvelous event planner Rachel Leber prepared a variety of delightful activities for their guests. Kids threw frisbees. The bride and groom tried their hand at wedding cake piñata  Family and friends participated in lawn games like a sandbag toss. Many guests took time to relax and converse with loved ones in the wonderfully private nature setting of Hidden Valley. Heather and Greg truly gave their family and friends the tools to make the most of this rare moment in which they could all be gathered together.







  The fun continued into the evening! Curiosity Catering provided delicious food, and Injoyment Entertainment played great music for carefree dancing. Heather and Greg used our new Lighting Package to set the scene. Twinkling lights and evening air brought the perfect close to the perfect day.





Congratulations Heather and Greg! We wish you as much fun and love every day as you shared with us on your wedding day. With good omens like that, your life together can only be a long and happy one.

Monday, July 8, 2013

Mulberry season!

Summer fun is in full bloom at Hidden Valley Retreat! Our daughter and her friend were able to come up to the property this weekend. They took advantage of the warm weather and went swimming in the fountain. But most deliciously of all, they picked some home-grown mulberries!

The mulberry tree is one of the oldest at our property. It was planted many years ago by the previous owner, Dr. Bernard Jensen. These days, its boughs hang heavy with ripe, juicy fruit. If you have never had a mulberry, they are the most delicious, sweet, tart, purple berries you could pop in your mouth!

Check out the fun!





sticky fingers!

mulberries taste great with whipped cream!




Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Tan Torres Family Reunion

Our new friends, the Tan Torres Family, had a fabulous time at Hidden Valley Retreat! Our large property was perfect to accommodate their family reunion this summer. Hidden Valley is also wonderfully private, so the Tan Torreses were able to create a personal atmosphere that was uniquely suited to their group getaway.

Our beautiful outdoor spaces are perfect for guests of all ages. The kids are free to explore and discover the different plants and terrains, while the adults appreciate the fantastic views, sunsets, and our Jacuzzi! The Tan Torres kids, in particular, made great use of the pool; swimming and splashing throughout the family's three day stay. Their constant, bubbling laughter and big smiles were a true testament to the great time they had the whole trip.

Thanks so much to the Tan Torres family for a fun and relaxing week. We hope you enjoyed it as much as us. From the pictures, it looks like you did!

Monday, July 1, 2013

New parking improvements!

 We have had a lot of improvements at the property lately and today is no different! With all the retreats, the reunions and especially the weddings we have coming up this summer, we wanted to make sure Hidden Valley would be the best it could be for our guests. Since parking is an issue that comes up often, we have decided to create more parking onsite! We are always working hard to accommodate our guests' needs, so we have decided to expand our parking capacity and give our guests easier access to the lower parts of the property.

  We already have parking at the top of the property for the wedding party. Our intention is to create ample and convenient parking for the daytime guests. That is why we chose to place the parking area just past the Main Gate. This will make it convenient to your guests coming to your ceremony and reception.



 Today we rented a bobcat from our friends at Valley Center to clear the brush and other debris for our new parking area. Diego, one of our onsite landscapers, did the initial clearing and organizing in order to give way for the bobcat. He even created  a new rock wall nearby! Once he had finished preparing the area, we had our wonderful caretaker, Alex, take the bobcat for a spin. He thoroughly enjoyed clearing and uprooting stumps all morning!

Alex having fun in the bobcat!


Take a look at the work in progress...