Mini-Moon: Pampering

A friend kindly pointed out that our mini-moon to Calistoga was lacking a key element. What did we overlook you wonder? A trip to the spa. After all, Calistoga is known for its mineral water.

Day Two

We'll spend the morning of our second day getting pampered - we'll need to be fully relaxed if we're to successfully eat our way around the valley - at Solage Calistoga Resort, less than three quarters of a mile away (approximately an eleven minute walk should we choose). Travel & Leisure Magazine ranked Solage Spa eleventh in 2009 among resorts with 40 plus rooms in the Continental U.S. and Canada. Condé Nast Traveller readers ranked Spa Solage first in 2010 among hotel spas in The Americas and Caribbean. 

We'll check in to our private couples spa suite at 8:40am for a 50-minute couples massage starting at 9:00am, followed by a 60-minute signature 3-part Mudslide treatment of "The Mud," "The Waters," and "The Rest" at 10:00am with access to geo-thermal mineral pools.

Photography Credit: Deforest W. via Yelp!

Before heading back to the kitchen at Casa Lana, we'll pop into Solbar at 12:15pm for lunch. (Check out our food blog for a teaser of what we're planning on indulging in.)

After lunch we'll head back to class. On our second day, we'll work on cooking methods and techniques for grains and legumes and meat, poultry, and fish, including pan-searing and roasting. We'll also spend time on sauces - pan reduced sauces as well as egg-based emulsions and sauces. And in baking, we'll tackle tender cakes and the souffle.