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Invited Lunch Guest at World Famous SPA.

This past week provided me a very special and rare experience of being an invited lunch guest by a patron of the Golden Door, The World famous Health Spa. From the moment the front gate opened, you feel the exclusive nature of this amazing luxury spa. Set on over several hundreds acres of the most magnificent grounds, one is easily taken in by its sheer beauty and tranquility.

A family friend who frequents the spa with annual regularity, invited me to join her and her two daughters for a specially prepared lunch at the koi pond. The stylings at this spa opened since 1958 are of the Japanese Honjin Inns famous in Japan. And as far as I could tell, from style of the architecture to the sheer beauty of the surroundings, that I just as well could have been in Japan.

Tucked away in an area north of Escondido, the location of this exclusive spa would be missed unless you knew exactly how to get to to it. There are no signs and if you have to ask, you probably wouldn't be on the list for visiting.

I brought my camera to take some pictures but as you see there are no pictures here. Out of my respect for it’s exclusive nature, nothing I could take pictures of could even come close to capturing what I was taking in using all of my senses. Pictures even with my written description could never do justice to what I was experiencing. The Golden Door has a web site and they even have a picture gallery but I can tell you from my own eyes, the pictures they include don’t even come close to the splendor and tranquility of the magnificent surroundings. The entire experience can not be expressed in pictures anyway. The total of all your senses would be needed to fully appreciate.

The luncheon was served by the coy pond in a setting that was almost hypnotic in its calming beauty. The attention to details as well as the lunch itself was unlike anything I have experienced. I was gifted the while there the Golden Door Cookbook signed by the world famous executive chef, Michael Stroot. It contains over 200 recipes of what the patrons of the this most exclusive spa experience 3 times a day while there are a guest.

My impressions of this most tranquil spa was that of a trespasser, wondering if my mind would make any disturbing noise as took it all in through my senses. A magnificent place and I hope I am invited again and again as my family friend makes her annual pilgrimage for a week of de-stressing and pampering at this most celebrated spa.

Posted by San Diego Real Estate Voice authored by William Johnson GRI CRS e-Pro CDPE on 05/27/2009 10:50 PM

Comments (32)

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32 Comments on Invited Lunch Guest at World Famous SPA.

MAY

William, You made pictures with your words!! It sounds like an experience you will always remember! Those are images you can always carry with you.

Hi Marchel, I have been so tempted but I convinced myself that I shouldn't do this. But I am going back to add the link I forgot so people could see what their photos look like.

Hmph I wasn't invited but now you are another comment closer to your goal. Your description works but I think I would rather be there to enjoy :)

Rene, You would fit in beautifully and would enjoy the pampering immensely. Interesting you mentioned my goal, I am within 12 more comments of getting to 10,000 and my goal was by Jun 1, 2009 and July 1st for my 300,000 points it looks like sometime this evening or in the morning I will get there on the first one and I need to publish some of the 30 or 40 posts I have written and not published.

William,

Should be somethhing out of this world, according to your description. I havenever been to a spa, nor do I think I would ever go, but this is a different story.

I still think that taking opportnities to see places and getting some unique experiences is the right thing to do.

Well Jon, if not out this world at least no closer than Japan where these kinds of retreats are less uncommon.

I feel it....can you include one pic ...you with that smirk on your face of sheer luxury and joy :)

MAY

I could send you one. I just felt it not appropriate to include. I suppose I could ask though, one of the people that work there knows who I am and may actually allow me to add them. I just hadn't thought to ask, though some saw me taking a few pictures and didn't seem to be opposed? Now that is my perception of course and it felt that I should not add them here. No pictures of me, I was the only one with a camera and since I am taking them, my arms aren't that long. lol.

William - Have heard great things about this place but it's beyond my budget I think. I could enjoy a massage but that's about all for me. I gotta say I would not expect a place like this in Escondido, but then there are all sorts of surprises there.

Jeff

Hi William....this sounds like a great place, and I understand perfectly how pictures don't always portray the way we saw something. Oh and for your goal...are you there yet :)

Hi Jeff, I asked the price per week for the basics and it was right up there. They give the price on their website. I can tell you that driving in, yu would never guess what is beyond the plain unmarked gates. It was a fun experience.

Hi Kathy, I hit my goal just a few minutes ago and wrote my 10,000th comment on Sally's new post tonight about her achieving a half million points. Almost no comparison except that I wanted to share in her milestone and mentioned reaching my goal in the comment. Woo Hoo!!! .I have until July 1 to get to the 300,000 mark and I should accomplish it in the next week or so if I would just put my posts up. I wrote them, just not published.

I love the description of this spa. It is quite a contrast to my "spa".

My "spa" is a hard core fitness center in Leesburg. They don't permit photos either. They should because they would be fabulous. Guys with real muscle building more, one muscle at a time. Guys with remarkable endurance on the stair treadmill. Women with sculpted bodies, working on those abs and women with remarkable endurance cycling to very loud music. Wish they'd close that door.

I commented last week that the contrast between the women seen working out at the gym and women in the grocery store is dramatic.

Twice a week is all I have time for away from home, but my treadmill in my "gym" in the basement works too.

Truth be told, I hate every minute of it. However, being fit permits me to work circles around agent half my age. They get tired. I don't.

William,
The "Red Door Spa" - I've heard about it all my life. What a great treat for you, now how do you plan to reciprocate that?

William: have seen so many ads for this lately and I, too, have heard much about it. I enjoy the spa at the Hersey Hotel in Hershey - PA - There's nothing like a soak in chocolate!

Sounds like a great place to visit William. It is too bad you could not get some shots to show off!

William, oh does that sound wonderful. Lucky you. I would love to go for a month. LOL

William, I have read about the Golden Door since I was a girl. I would love to spend some time there. The koi pond sounds really beautiful. Maybe I will see some pictures of it on their website. This post was a treat. Thanks~

Hi Lenn, At lunch we discussed some of the routine . Very early in the morning ( before breakfast is served-the description of which would embarrass the finest hotel with it's breakfast buffet) as part of the regimen, there is a very long hike through the lush natural ( natural in the sense that that is nature but has been helped along with the genuis artistry of the skilled lanscapers that transformed California brush into lush) setting up a very steep hill and back. I can't remember how long, but it is not level terrain by any stretch. The tranquility of the surroundings I saw was not compromised by the obvious work out sessions that the patrons participate in. It is about health. Health of the body, the mind and spirit and the conditioning is not just physical. The pampering part would then seem after all this to be an earned right. And the celebration of the fitness of the whole person. There would nothing visible to indicate it was just a fancy work out gym, though I expect human sweat to be a common by-product of a weeks visit.

With all that said, I am a bit envious of your own routine. I am afraid you would be leaving me in your dust trail. Tired is as tired does and for me is it is an inevitability, :-)

Hi Cynthia, I have heard of the RED Door before but this is the Golden Door. I am not sure which is older but think the Golden Door was one of the first and biggest in the US? Not sure about it but believing that to be so.

Hi Janice. I know only a bit about Hershey but I can imagine what sitting in warm hot chocolate must be like. Actually I would rather eat it than sit in it, LOL. Do they really sit in it there? LOL That would give a whole new meaning to the thought of a chocolate kiss.

Hi Bill, I did get the pictures , I just felt I should not use them her. Follow the link though, they show pictures on their site but the actual is sights are much more beautiful.

Hi Missy, It seems that yo are coming to SD in the Fall. Shouldn't you book a reservation? If a month is too long or not long enough, just write a few more deals and you could stay until you are ready to leave.

Hi y, I do believe there was one on the website. The coy in the pond are prolific and look very healthy as well. Not fat and bloated like most coy I have seen where people throw them food. Glad you enjoyed the post.

Hi William, this one sounds like a great oasis and a place to get away from it all.

William -- what an amazing place and wonderful time to enjoy, relax and rejuvenate. The experience you had simply jumps off the page! I am glad you had this most extraordinary day and I hope you are invited again and again.

Hi William,

What a nice treat for you and thanks for sharing. I clicked over on your link, I'm with Jeff, it's a little too pricey for me too!

Hi Gary, It is just that, an oasis. I wish I had used that to describe it, :-)

Hi Lynda, I can actually see you there. You do deserve to be pampered with all that you have going in your life.

Hi Joan, I will say I did feel a little ackward at first. All the attendants and all the hosts are women and all the patrons were women and I hated to intrude on their space. But I was respectful and quiet and one of the Japanese Hosts said she was honored to serve to me. First time I ever heard that in my life and it was sort of warm fussies from then on.

JUN

William - I'm just getting around to reading this blog, and to demonstrate what a busy week this has been, when I first read your subject line and saw "SPA" I thought it was going to be about the "Society for the Prevention of Animals." But once reading through, I see, you have written about one of those great fantasies of mine, and that is to at some point in my life, visit the treats behind the Golden Door. I've heard of it for many years! You need to make certain the Golden Door sees this blog so you can be comped for FREE day there. There's nothing like blogging for back rubs:-)

Hi Myrl, Thanks for dropping by and I hope your fantasy is realized. I know you would love it and say, after all that hard work, you deserve to be a pampered.

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