So, I'm cruising Skyline on my birthday as a mini-no-money kind of vacation and I passed the gates of the Still Heart Institute. I passed it, like I did the other places I saw and was mildly interested in. Only the calm and peace spilling over like a gentle waterfall from the property made me stop, turn around and ascend up the driveway to the beautifully naturally manicured front of old Lodge. The parking lot was empty save a few of their shuttle vans and it intrigued me. Was I coming upon private property, like a country club?After parking I walked up, I saw the maintenance workers cleaning things in what looked like a dining area and maids working on a balcony. The entrance was around a man-made waterfall, the laughing water splashing on the rocky bed. Carved stones marked the path with a simple message, reminiscent of the Bermashave signs of old, "How far down the rabbit hole are you willing to go." At this point I though it was a rehab center. Luckily, I was soooo wrong. Still Heart is a non profit institute for learning. Any kind of learning. The have retreats, they have guests speakers, they have food demonstrations. Anyone willing to take on the responsibility of creating a retreat is able to. I had no idea we had such a bounty hidden in the hills. I wished I knew about it when I was doing silent auctions for Make-A-Wish(r). I would have bid the crap out of this item.
I sought out the administration office and got more information. With the pictures of Buddhist monks in a the lobby and the absolute peace you feel when you walk through he doors, hell, I wanted to see if I could move in. My heart has been searching for a non-church place like this. I've only ever felt it in the temple. If you take away the sacred significance of the temple, this would be the gentile counterpart.
I met Joanne Brohmer and she was kind enough t take me on a tour of the facilities. They have in in-door pool filled with saline. What that means is you have a slightly salty warm pool of water to swim in. The salt is a natural chlorine that doesn't kill everything it come into contact with. Next to the pool was an alcove here he bubbly hot tub was. There is a dry sauna and changing rooms. Up the flight of stairs there was the great room, where you can sit and look at the original Chihuly sculptures floating above you. There is a piano, circle of pillows, a balcony and 180 degree view of the misty trees just outside the building.
Though the accommodations were elegantly appointed, nothing prepared me for the guestrooms!! Goodness gracious were they unbelievable. Okay, maybe not the bedroom area, but the bathroom.....it was unbelievable! It had a stall shower, a commode and then a bathtub I want to live in....and I could live in it if I had to. It's that huge. It goes above and beyond what a soaking tub should be. Being 5'9" tall and almost as wide, you can see why a large soaking tub would be so desirable. (I didn't think to snap a pictureor two with my camera....dumb bunny)
Joanne and I talked numbers. If there isn't a group of people there staying, anyone can stay without having to have to live up to the mandate of education. The price, again a shocker, $150 per person. Considering what you would pay for a B&B that didn't have half the amenities as Still Heart, it's a bargain. You can bring you own food or patronize the local hangouts Two reservation-only continental restaurants and Alice's Restaurant aren't that far from this little bit of heaven on earth.
Why am I going on like this you ask? Well, like I said they are a non-profit and are trying to stay afloat in this hellish economy. By the time I get my money saved, it might be gone. So, I'm asking, nay begging, if you want a place for peace, if you need a place for a corporate off-site, you need to call Joanne and see what you can arrange. To loose something this perfect would be a sad, sad waste.
