VACATION CONUNDRUM: One never wants "vacation" and "conundrum" to appear in the same sentence, much less the same paragraph, or even in the same brochure or guidebook. We work to get to our play periods, our away time, and our expectation is that it be both easy and breezy (or breezy and easy, if you prefer). But one question that does arise is this: How much "doing" should balance out how much "being"? It's a query we don't need to delve too deeply into, we'll guess; everyone gets it. A little bit of both, is probably the maddening but correct answer, if you want to optimize your vacation. And one route to optimizing is the book a package where two things dovetail together, neatly, without too much fussing/mussing from you, weary person in need of a getaway. Sonoma Creek Inn and Platypus Wine Tours have done just that, pairing up on a Stay and Tour package that takes in some of the areas "smaller, less crowded wineries." Four wineries are included in all.
AS IS... a room at the Sonoma Creek Inn and a picnic lunch, too. It's a Sunday through Thursday deal that starts at $229, and the best bit? Well, it's a really good bit at least: You can add on extra nights for $79 a pop. Yep, that's "$79" and there isn't meant to be a 1 in front of the number. Nope, there won't be an extra wine tour for an extra night, but you probably guessed that. Just call it an excellent mid-week treat, in a time when harvest is winding down, and a fine way to get to know the more bespoke wineries of the region. There are pluses all around, but, of course, the biggest is that you don't need to say "vacation" and "conundrum" together -- this is all planned out for you, tour and bed and picnic and potential extra night, if you want to add that on. Easy and breezy, both.
The package runs from Oct. 27 through the end of March, 2014.
