Summer Fun in Canada

We have just returned from a fabulous road trip through the Canadian Rockies - well after exploring we realize this is an endless venture and we barely scratched the surface. We spent three days and two nights in the Okanagan specifically Kelowna and three days and two nights in Lake Louise in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada.

Our itinerary was graciously set up by my good friend and Canadian, Patrick Murphy. While in Kelowna we stayed at the Manteo Resort. Great place - extremely family oriented with nice suites, kitchenettes, friendly, sandy beach, two pools one with a great water slide/tube which the kids loved, and a playground. Babysitting services are provided, so Mom and Dad can escape right next door at the Eldorado Hotel for a wonderful dinner on the boardwalk.

Kelowna and Okanagan Valley is the orchard and winery of Canada. It is unbelievably beautiful and fertile. Cherries, peaches, apricots and wine!!!! We sampled several while in Canada and instantly became hooked. Our favorite was the 2005 Private Reserve Gewürztraminer. It was light and not overly syrupy like some Gewürztraminers - very crisp and refreshing. We came to find virtually every nice hotel and restaurant we came across featured it. The best Okanagan red we tried was the Blasted Church Cabernet Sauvignon Revered Series 2006. I had this with a delicious venison tenderloin while at the Fairmont Hotel at Lake Louise.

After our stay in the Okanagan we headed up through the Canadian Rockies and over Kicking Horse Pass to Lake Louise. This is one of the most stunning places I have ever been! Absolutely breathtaking and indescribable. Glacier fed, turquoise streams and lakes, surrounded by cathedral peaks covered with thick forests and then this 5 star hotel set right in the middle of it all. The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise Hotel ranks right up there in terms of one of the best hotels in the world. Originally built in 1893 the hotel has undergone many renovations, reconstructions, fires, well you get the picture. It's most recent renovation took place last year and it is exceptionally well done. Our room had a perfect view of the lake, mountains, and glacier.

While at Lake Louise we enjoyed a hike around the lake, the gondola ride whereon we saw three grizzly bears in the meadow below us, and a fantastic fondue dinner - and of course some more wines - at the Walliser Stube restaurant. After cheese fondue and then the venison tenderloin and of course some German speatzle, it was time for Tobblerone chocolate fondue. Ok - we indulged - we had a sitter and it was just Heather and I. Fantastic food, wine, service, accommodations, and scenery that is beyond belief.

My mom visited the resort in the late 50s and was stunned by my photos and the reduction in the size of the glacier - so for all you folks who don't think global warming is not real.....well the pics tell the tale. Today, the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is recognized globally for progressive environmental stewardship and responsible tourism.

Please check the various websites listed on this blog for more information on the hotels and wines. I highly recommend a visit here to escape the Arizona summers. Fly into Calgary and its about a 2 hours incredibly scenic drive. Enjoy!

4th of July

4th of July is my favorite holiday - family, parades, fireworks, red, white, and blue, and barbecue. This week’s blog will feature some of my favorite aspects of this wonderful day.

I’ve been fortunate to spend most of the 4th of July’s of this decade in Couer d’Alene, Idaho – it is like heaven here in July. Coming from Phoenix – it is green, cool air, and water. Need I say more? What I love about this day is everyone is looking forward to the day. 4th of July is great because you don’t have to buy any gifts – so no shopping, gift wrapping, or shipping. No matter what day of the week it falls on it is like the best Saturday you could imagine. No matter what your religious, ethnic, or political background – we are all Americans – at least for that day.

I will start the day with a great cup of coffee on the deck and watch the lake and my guests (usually a house full) come alive. 4th of July prompts an all-American breakfast – pancakes, eggs, Canadian bacon, hash browns, toast, and OJ. How can you go wrong?

Once everyone is well fed we have to rush into town to get our spot along the parade route which starts at 11am. The whole county is there to watch a parade of high school bands, pretty girls on horses, baton twirlers, political candidates usually running for County Recorder or Justice of the Peace sitting in a convertible with a pretty girl clad in sequins waving at the crowd – most of whom she probably knows. Well you get the picture – it’s everything that is great yet simple about America. The parade runs about an hour and with the sun bright and air moist you definitely work up an appetite.

We round everyone up and do our best to navigate the fastest route out of town. It’s back to the house to get everyone ready for an afternoon on the lawn, deck and beach. Bocce, washers, naps on the chaise loungers, billiards in the Rec Room with a movie or game going, a great book on an Adirondack chair, or just a swim in the lake, everyone finds their corner and activity for the afternoon. I focus on the food and getting the barbecue going.

Burgers, brats, potato salad, beer and red,white and blue Taramisu – ok not totally American but you have to like the red, white and blue aspect! The smell of the Kingford charcoals smoldering in the Weber is one of the best smells – it takes me back to my childhood and the same smell my Dad would originate from his Weber – most likely on a Saturday. As I cook, the tunes are cranked, and you hear the sounds of laughter and the kids and cousins playing. It is all idyllic.

The buffet is set – but it’s casual – paper plates, Dixie cups of cold beer or a glass of wine, and nothing pretentious – it’s 4th of July and no one wants to be stuck doing the dishes. Everyone sits where they can find a spot – again it’s a full house so there is no way everyone can sit around the big table on the deck. We eat, laugh, discuss politics, sports, the cost of a gallon of gas, or whatever the subject at hand happens to be. An ice cold watermelon awaits and sticky faces with watermelon juice dripping on swimsuits is par for the course.

The time between the barbecue and fireworks is followed by another round of games, another dip in the lake, or one more nap! As dusk descends everyone once again gathers after throwing on a sweater and grabbing another round of beverages its off to watch the incredible firework display over the lake. My three year old calls the fireworks - "firepit" but ultimately that is right where we end up for closing out the day with our friends the Murphy's who live next door. The hundreds of boats that were all quietly positioned on the water to watch the show now all spring away in the same direction like a swarm of fireflies - it is really something to see. A couple of smores over the firepit and a few more glasses of wine and before you know it we are solving the world's problems and reflecting on our wonderful day.

One by one our guests turn in but I am usually the lone survivor of the day. The embers slowly die down and another 4th of July is added to our family photo album.

Welcome to the Candelaria Design Blog

WELCOME

Welcome to the Candelaria Design Blog. Although we are a nationally recognized residential architecture design firm our goal with every home is not to just produce a set of plans but to create a setting, a stage, a home that enhances our clients' lives. Thus this blog will celebrate all the wonderful experiences that hopefuly are enhanced through our homes. We hope to share with you interesting thoughts, reflections, and ideas on design, food, travel, and simply living. We hope you share your thoughts, ideas, recipes, wines, etc. with all of us. Have fun and enjoy!

Summer is here and for those of us in Phoenix it is the time of year we simply try to blot out of our mind or we constantly focus on where to escape from the 100º plus heat that stays many times until Halloween. I try to divide my summer time between my home and office in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and of course my office in Phoenix. I find the mountain air, blue waters, and cool nights of Lake Coeur d'Alene very restful and inspirational. I am able to both work and spend invaluable time with my wife and girls as they grow up. I've created some of my best designs while working in my CDA office alcove looking over the lake. We've met wonderful people here, enjoyed the Farmer's Market and all of the fresh produce, and just the casual atmosphere and natural beauty of the Inland Northwest.

Over the course of the summer we will bring you writings, photos, recipes, and whatever other interesting discoveries from me and my associates which we feel will enhance your life.