5 Great Activities for Your Family Reunion!

We've been inspired by the recent Family Reunions at Hidden Valley Retreat! There is so much fun to be had when your family gathers, and Hidden Valley has lots special activities that you can do together. We've compiled a list of 5 super entertaining activities that you can do during your next family reunion, perfectly suited to Hidden Valley's unique setting:


1. Make Family T-Shirts

• Unite your family into a team by coming up with an awesome T-shirt design for everyone to wear during the trip! The shirts can double as a sweet souvenir-keepsake when everyone returns home. Plus, it's always useful to have a comfortable T-shirt to wear for outdoor activities at Hidden Valley like hiking, fruit-picking, playing, and laying in the grass.

2. Play Lawn Games

• Hidden Valley has lots of beautiful outdoor spaces, and what better way to take advantage of them than by playing lawn games? The property has a built-in frisbee golf course, a horseshoe pit, and a life-sized Jenga set for endless hours of fun! Many families have brought games like bocce, croquet and badminton. One family even brought in a homemade wooden board for a beanbag toss! These games are great for entertaining your family! Everyone will interact and bond in a fun, lighthearted setting.

3. Do a Talent Show/Performance

• There is a reason that so many summer camps organize talent shows and skits... they are a super fun way to keep your kids engaged! Your young ones will run around for hours planning and rehearsing. In the meantime, the adults can effectively participate either by joining the show, or by simply sitting back and watching (who doesn't love that?). Hidden Valley has two outdoor stages, perfect to showcase the skits. Just add plenty of positive encouragement and applause, and you've got a perfect afternoon!

4. Pick Fruit

• Hidden Valley is bursting with delicious mulberries, persimmons, pears, and more. You are free to pick them to your heart's and belly's content! Eat the fruit fresh off the tree, or make a juicy pie with your family. You know what they say: a family that bakes together stays together. You and your loved ones will have fun in the kitchen, and everyone will enjoy the fruits of your labors at the end of the meal!

5. Campfire

• As the evening winds down, treat your family to smore's around the outdoor campfire at Hidden Valley. Sweets are always a hit! You can take advantage of the setting to sing songs and maybe even play guitar. Most impressive of all, you will be enjoying the warmth of the campfire beneath a glittering sky of un-obscured stars. The nighttime view is absolutely breathtaking. 

There are tons of activities to enjoy with your family, especially at Hidden Valley. The property is a spacious, entertaining, private, intimate location. Take advantage of the special time in the company of your family to unplug your computers and turn off your cell phones. Recharge your mind and heart by enjoying these family friendly activities with the people that you love most! 

Children's Garden

Hello, everyone!

It's October, and our Hidden Valley children's garden is bursting into ripe maturity! We took this picture on a recent visit up to the property. Okay, so maybe it isn't the most plentiful garden that ever existed, but we're proud of our little pumpkin patch! We've got plenty of sizable fruit to cook and carve. We've already picked one to make roasted pumpkin seeds and pumpkin soup. This will be a fruitful Halloween indeed!

Janai and Nathan's Wedding

Janai and Nathan had a beautiful wedding at Hidden Valley this past September! Janai is the proud owner of an elegant horse named Beauty. From our first meeting, Janai made it clear that one of her priorities was to include her beloved, hoofed friend in her special day. We were happy to be able to work with her to make that dream come true. The result was a magnificent, entrance! Jaws dropped as Janai rode through the Orchard Gate to the Wedding Circle where Nathan was waiting for her to say their vows.

As you can see from the photos, Janai was plenty enthusiastic about dressing Beauty up for the big day! From coiffed hair to painted nails, Beauty was the image of fine grooming. What a pretty girl! She truly lives up to her name.

Beyond Beauty's magnificence, Janai and Nathan's wedding continued to be a marvelous success. We are always pleased to welcome guests that fully embrace the family reunion aspect of the Wedding Weekends offered at Hidden Valley, and Janai and Nathan's party certainly did! The entire weekend was a special celebration of love and lighthearted fun. The warmth of this group was just inspiring!

Janai and Nathan, we were honored to welcome you and your family to Hidden Valley Retreat. We wish you all the best in your bright future together. And don't forget to keep in touch!

Signature Cocktails!

Hello, Hidden Valley Friends!

As usual, there are lots of exciting, new developments bubbling at the property. With our partners at Best Beverage Catering, we've come up with some yummy signature cocktails. We've concocted three options:

• Iced Tea, Lemonade, Vodka, Soda Water
• Lemonade, Limeade, Tequila, Triple Sec, Soda Water
• Pink Lemonade Cranberry Juice, Champagne, Soda Water

Each option sounds great, but we need your help to make them amazing! We're looking for some fabulous, wedding/love themed names for each signature cocktail, and we'd love to know what you think! These are our favorites so far:

• Sparkling Sweetheart
• Lovebird's Kiss
• Two of a Kind
• A Perfect Match
• Forever Together

Let us know what you think! Comment here or on our Facebook page with your vote. Feel free to offer other suggestions if you have a great cocktail name! We're excited to hear from you.

Sara and Britton's Wedding

   Sara and Britton met one fateful summer at UCSD's bioengineering graduate program. This bright couple knew it was love at first sight and we were thrilled to have their wedding celebration at Hidden Valley. They brought a wonderful balance of nature and science into every detail of their ceremony and reception. Surrounded by their friends and family, Sara and Britton created a truly wonderful weekend filled with fun, games, and personal details. 

 Sara and Britton's wedding had so many unique elements incorporated into every aspect of their day. Instead of one large wedding cake as a centerpiece, they chose to have one cake at each reception table. A family member handmade several masterpieces with specific themes that reflected the couple and their interests. Pi was a satirical double entendre (Pi Pie Cake) while the chess set was representative of their shared love of games. Each dessert was crafted with love and meaning, creating a fun atmosphere for guests at their reception.

                                    



Even though science is at the forefront of Sara and Britton's relationship, games are never too far behind. For the reception, Britton and Sara made their own Chutes and Ladders game, complete with double helices! 

What a delightful idea! One of our favorite elements from their wedding celebration was the school bus they provided for shuttling their guests. WESS Transportation brought a fun, old school vibe when they pulled up with their bright yellow bus. You can see from their smiles that the couple and their wedding party were able to have fun and let loose. It was a sweet nod to their graduate school background. 

                               

Here are some other lovely shots from Sara and Britton's wedding weekend!

We'd like to thank all the vendors that were involved with making the bride and groom's vision come to life!

Photography: Jerry Lio

Caterer: Personal Touch Dining

Shuttle: WESS Transportation

DJ: Manny, Sound Illusion

Florist: Adina Ona

Rehearsal Dinner: Phil's BBQ