The following is an email received by the attendees of the rendezvous (permission to reprint was granted)
My wife and I and a large group of friends took the opportunity to partake of the unique offerings of The Hestad, an "out of the way" retreat nestled on what appears to be a genuine rural rustic home on Lopez Island in the San Juan Islands. We were as a group all staying at the Islander - one of the few resorts on this out of the way island that caters primarily to those people who have graduated from tents and are moving up. Our group was anxious to change the scene and the surroundings and The Hestad promised so much.
Rather than begin this piece with a description of the location and the expected fare, I shall simply tell the story of our evening embellishing some parts of the event to provide greater understanding of our concerns and delights.
We were offered transportation to the venue by the owner George, an aimable older gentlemen who was amused when we all assembled by his van (really a truck). There were 10 of us, all linked by a common interest and long association and it was just as well, as we were packing into the van in a very tidy way with 5 people in the back part of the "truck" and five more plus our driver George in the front. Ten miles later we all peeled out and surveyed our venue. It was amazing. Almost like a movie set ! I wonder how much time had been spent arranging the tractors and combines in a neighboring field. Even a sheep as part of the ambiance, an animal George advised was a dog but we were not fooled. He called it a dog to explain why the animal was allowed in the house! He even claimed to have sheared it himself! Later a horse and rider and and trainer ran along the edge of the property in a perfectly timed entrance. It was delightful.
The Hestad has several unique features. We told that we must bring our own wine but an added feature was demanding that we bring our own food! George and his head chef Mary Lou (who we all believe is married to him) both claimed later that by bringing our own goods we were sure not to be disappointed and if we were it would have been out own fault and would not reflect on the services offered by The Hestad.
We did enjoy our own food and while it was disconcerting to have George and Mary Lou actually join us for food and wine we accepted that it was just part of The Hestad charm. One of my friends almost challenged them but we managed to stiffle the attack and begged our friend to relax.
The only serious issue comes down to payment. We discovered that The Hestad uses a very circuitous approach to compensation. When the evening was over, two cars (George called them Taxis) appeared to take us back to our resort. It was the drivers of these vehicles who collected cash from us all avoiding receipts, Visa and checks. This was truly a unique deviation. No one could really complain to these drivers. There was no opportunity to challenge George who was no doubt home digesting our food and even Mary Lou (if that was her real name) was smiling over the several deceptions. And that sheep is probably still wandering around the house.
On the whole, The Hestad does offer a unique glimpse of what might be called Pacific Coast - Ozark Fusion hospitality without the handmade bourbon. If you are given the opportunity to attend The Hestad- go but do not expect to come home unscathed. And find friends who like the food you like!
p.s
about the "sheep"
Isn't Skipper a sheep dog?
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