Monday, December 14, 2009

Hotel Dog Named Goose works for Groveland

Our Hotel Dog, Goose is a local celebrity and Mayor of Groveland, okay, Honorary Mayor. Between his duties of meeting and greeting Hotel and Restaurant guests he also has a very busy mayoral calendar filled with photo shoots, interviews and meetings. One of Goose's key causes right now is building a community Dog Park and working with our local politicians on getting everything passed and funds raised. Goose's website highlights his activities for this year.

www.MayorGoose.com. The dog park info is on www.MayorGoose.com/causes.html

If you would like to ask the mayor some direct questions, his email is Bark@MayorGoose.com

While originally the Honorary Mayor program was a fundraiser all in good fun coordinated by the Yosemite Chamber of Commerce, www.Groveland.org, Goose has raised the bar and is an actual working Honorary Mayor, marketing Groveland and the surrounds and supporting important causes. Goose's sponsor is Camp Tuololumne Trails, a special place for kids and adults with special needs. www.TuolumneTrails.org. Goose's campaigns have raised nearly $5000 for scholarships and other programs for the camp.

Please contact: Mother Goose at: HotelCharlotte@aol.com for stock publicity photos, victory walk in the annual parade and one of his advertising posters for the Yosemite Chamber of Commerce. We hope his little story makes the cut for any media story on pets in the news!

Lynn Upthagrove
"Mother Goose"
Hotel Charlotte
Groveland, on the way to Yosemite
www.HotelCharlotte.com
209-962-6455

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Chains Required Winter Cancellation Policy

Winter Cancellation Policy: If you are coming for a Yosemite Visit and the weather is such that Chains are required ON YOUR TIRES (R1, R2, or R3) on the day of your visit, our cancellation fees will be waived. We can't guarantee when the weather will be good or bad, but we can adjust our policies such that you can book with confidence. If you want to cancel because you don't want to put chains on...we're okay with that. We don't like to put them on either.

(Most of the time this isn't even an issue, and, now you don't have to worry about it!)

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Sommelier Hosted Wine Dinners

2010 WINE DINNERS at Hotel & Café Charlotte
We just love wine-dinners and this series is titled: Quaffing the Coast. In this series we pair owner-chef, Victor's great menus with our favorite Sommelier, Nicole Darracq's, top selections from each of five Coastal Counties: Mendocino, Sonoma, Santa Cruz Monterey and San Louis Obispo! Wines are available for post event purchase and favorites end up on our wine list and on rotation in our tasting room
Quaffing the Coast 3-dates remain, all The 3rd Sunday of the month
       Santa Cruz: February 21st
       Monterey: March 21st
       San Louis Obispo: April 18th
Because we are still early in the process of selecting wineries and wines for 2010 we do not have our menus prepared yet, but you can get an idea of what we did in with earlier menus:

SAMPLE MENU
Appetizer Skewers with Andouille Sausage, Grilled Assiago Cheese & Pear
      Paired with Pedroncelli Vineyards, Field Blend, Friends.Red
Harvest Soup: A pureed blend of home grown squash, pumpkins & spices with dollop of fresh cream
       Paired with Dry Creek Vineyards Fume Blanc
Spinach Salad with Hot Pancetta Dressing & Fried Goat Cheese
       Paired with Lake Sonoma Zinfandel
Lamb Loin sliced and topped with a port & black cherry reduction
       Paired with Geyser Peak Merlot
Dessert of a rich black chocolate brownie-cake, slivered almonds and whipped cream
       Paired with Valley of the Moon Cabernet Sauvignon

Priced at $64 inclusive to tax and tip, you will find these wine events rival the best of the best offered in SF or any of our California wine regions. Nicole is an entertaining and very knowledgable hostess. Add a room to any of these dinners for $89, including breakfast.  Purchase season tickets for all shows and receive a 12% discount.

Doors open at 6:00 and we start with a happy hour wine and appetizer followed by a sit down dinner hosted by Nicole Darracq.  Individual dinners are priced at $64 per person, inclusive of dinner, wines, tax and tip. Purchase Quaffing the Coast season tickets and receive a 12% discount when purchased together. Guests who also spend the evening with us receive our stay and play room pricing, $89 for a traditional room or 20% off larger rooms. 

We hope to see you here. You can call us to make reservations, 209-962-6455 or you can book online be sure to let us know in the comments section that you are joining us for the wine dinner package. See you soon!

3-day Writers Workshop

Writer’s Workshop March 23, 24 & 25 2010 at Hotel Charlotte.
The team at Hotel Charlotte in the Gold Rush era town of Groveland near Yosemite is absolutely thrilled to have Bill Manville on board to lead our 3-day Writers Workshop “Writing to get Published” on March 23, 24 & 25, 2010.

This is a three-day course, with a new lesson and writing assignment each night. The only prerequisite is a love of reading, a desire to write and get yourself published.

Bill is a former Village Voice columnist, editor for Helen Gurley Brown at Cosmo, author of six books, columnist for the New York Daily News, and now teaches writing for Temple University, Philadelphia. Program price includes 3 day workshop with a new lesson & writing assignment each night, Bill's guide “Writing to Get Published Student's Hand-book”, lunch daily, and a Welcome dinner Monday..

Pricing & Details:
$129 if you book by 12/31/2009 (includes welcome dinner)
$159 if you book 1/1/2010 or later (includes welcome dinner)
$49 per individual workshop day
$29 Welcome dinner only, per person with tax and tip included

Hotel Charlotte offers several room packages for participants.
$259 b&b 3 nights double occupancy
$199 b&b 3 nights single occupancy
$99 b&b per night 1 or 2 nights double occupancy
$79 b&b per night1 or 2 nights single occupancy
Extend your stay night before/after workshop $90 double, $70 single, includes breakfast

We hope to welcome writers of all levels.

Dinner with a Ghost Hunter

Dinner with a Ghost Hunter....The team at Hotel Charlotte is thrilled to have Jeff Dwyer on board to tell us about Ghosts of the Motherlode where he will share his research experiences from his newest book: Ghost Hunter's Guide to California's Gold Rush Country where the Hotel Charlotte is featured on page 172 with our "Tuck You in Ghost."

Doors will open at 6 pm on Sunday, March 7th, with a no host happy hour when guests will get to meet Jeff and enjoy an array of appetizers. We will sit at 6:30 for dinner and Jeff will make his presentations between courses with his final segment a question and answer period. The price for the 4-Course dinner is $34 pp inclusive of tax and tip.

This event qualifies for our Stay & Play Pricing, $89 additional for a traditional room or $114 for a large room. Stay with us both Sunday and Monday and we will include your Yosemite Pass also.

Hotel & Café Charlotte
18736 Main Street (Highway 120)
PO Box 787
Groveland, California  95321
Reservations: (209) 962-6455
Email: HotelCharlotte@aol.com

Monday, November 16, 2009

Mayor Goose and the Dog Park

Fundraising efforts for the Groveland Dog Park started this week with the GCSD announcement and subsequent article by Mike Morris of the Union Democrat, who we are please to say mentioned the Mayor's website in his article...(officially moving us out of the self published, vanity press genre!)

November 12: We received a $2500 matching funds annonymous donation. This is so exciting, Goose has never done anything like this before. Our first checks came in today and we received another paypal donation. We are 10% of the way to our matching goal!

November 9: At the GCSD Board meeting it was learned that GCSD was successful in their waiver request to Fish & Game to remove the $1993 fee for converting the idle land to a dog park. We now have a short waiting period before digging can commence.

The project has been broken down into the following steps (and in this order too!)
  • Map out leach field (GCSD)
  • Remove thistle plants (Community)
  • Disk & Roll field (GCSD)
  • Hand pickup rocks in field (Community)
  • Put up fencing (Community, GCSD can auger the fence post holes)
  • Dig trench for water line from restrooms (GCSD)
  • Seed field (Community)
  • Install poop bag stations and drinking fountain (Community, GCSD can auger the hole for the pole)
  • Wait ‘til spring (everyone)
As we get closer to a work date, we will send an email seeking volunteers to meet at the designated Dog Park area, near the base ball field behind EV Free Church. We have many names already on our mailing list and welcome more. Interested in staying on top of this news? Write to Bark@MayorGoose.com.

Since we are so close to a move forward position, the group has agreed to start the fundraising efforts for the development of the park. There are two ways to donate:

Write tax deductible check to GAINS and mail it to
Hotel CharlotteC/O Friends of Groveland Dog Park
PO Box 787
Groveland, CA 95321
Folks can also PapPal their donation, but this option may not be tax deductible.
If you would like to join the Friends of the Groveland Dog Park mailing list, drop Goose an email Bark@MayorGoose.com with your name and phone number and we will get you all set up. We are looking forward to seeing you all on the team!

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Hotel Charlotte weekly specials & schedule

Good morning Friends!
So, here we go, another week of exceptional weather and visitors from around the state, states and world—and Victor wants to keep the restaurant open another week. We will be serving dinner every night this coming week from 5:30 pm to 8:30. Lunches on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday or by reservation. Holiday schedule info below.
This week Victor has added two new items to the menu including the shrimp dish we fell in love with at the Quaffing the Coast Wine dinner last Sunday:
Rock Shrimp & Penne Pasta with a lemon-cream sauce $17.95
Beef Brasciole (Thin sliced and rolled with spices, ham, egg and tomato) $19.95
Fresh Halibut with lemon-caper topping $19.95
Homemade desserts: Turtle Bar, Signature Brownie, Pumpkin Pie
We look forward to welcoming you!
Lynn & Victor
Hotel Charlotte
Reservations: 209-962-6455
Holiday Schedule Notes:
Thanksgiving weekend we will be closed on Thursday and Friday, open on Saturday and Sunday. This is the weekend we visit our own families in the Midwest.
Christmas all days fall on our regularly scheduled nights and we will be open for dinner.
New Years Eve we will be serving by reservation at Camp Tuolumne Trails, please contact Ginny Gustafson to reserve your table, 962-6336. The restaurant will not otherwise be open.
We will be open the remainder of the New Year's weekend after which the restaurant will closed for our Recipe Research trip and reopens on February 11th in time for the Valentines weekend.
Coming events include
Halloween Charlotte Style (5 seats remain)
Cabaret Charlotte, (our last of the season) on Sunday, November 1st
Quaffing the Coast: Sonoma on November 15th
For those who REALLY like to plan ahead, and I just mention it because I've been asked...Trivia Mondays returns on Monday, March 1
Something for everyone, see you soon!
Lynn

Friday, October 16, 2009

Groveland's Mayor, Goose begins his Reign of Terrier

Mayor Goose Begins his Reign of Terrier
By Friends of Goose

The small but bustling Gold Rush era town of Groveland, California near Yosemite National Park recently “elected” a new mayor, and his name is Goose—and he’s a DOG! His was a hard fought campaign, the other three candidates were human after all, and so had a slight advantage when “stumping” for votes, but at the end of the day The Best Dog Won.

Goose has scheduled guest appearances and photo opportunities for press, neighbors and friends at many upcoming local events and good works causes, such as the Groveland Halloween Festivities on 10/31, Cabaret Charlotte on 11/1, Holiday Craft Faire at the Community Hall on 11/14 & 15, Hotel Charlotte Wine Dinner on 11/15, the Community Thanksgiving Dinner on 11/26 and Photos with Santa on 11/28 at the Groveland Fire Station.

Goose’s favorite charitable organization will always be Camp Tuolumne Trails (http://www.tuolumnetrails.org/) offering groups of all ages with special needs an outdoors experience, with fully accessible lodging, dining, and recreational facilities on 80 acres in the High Sierra of Central California, only 25 miles from Yosemite National Park. This year Goose will make an appearance to shake it up at the big Camp Tuolumne Trails New Year's Eve Extravaganza on Thursday, December 31st. All are welcome, Please contact Virginia Gustafson, 209-962-6336 for details.

Goose is very enthusiastic about beautifying his home town. Last Spring, when a platoon of pillar painters with pails of purple paint painted the Hotel Charlotte pillars purple to fulfill a promise of Kay's mayoral race. Goose in turn promised to remove this pitiful purple graffiti if he became Mayor of Groveland. We are pleased to announce that the purple pillared reign of Kay has disappeared under a fresh coat of white.

Goose has established office hours on an irregular basis of nearly every Tuesday afternoon from 2:00 to 2:30pm for folks to drop by and give him their causes and issues to take up in the World Wide Political Arena. Brainstormers, Marketers and those with a great sense of humor are invited to join us to build the momentum. Goose is prepared to go to Sacramento and Washington to represent his constituents and community. In fact he already went to Sacramento at the California State Fair this year to campaign for Tuolumne County but he missed meeting Arnold Schwarzenegger in the crowd, him being so tall and Goose being rather close to the ground.

Thank you for helping to make Goose your Mayor, he won't let you down.

Goose, Getting it Done for Groveland

CONTACT: Goose’s Human Care Giver: Lynn Upthagrove, Hotel Charlotte
(209) 962-6455 hotelcharlotte@aol.com

Groveland's Mayor, Goose begins his Reign of Terrier

Mayor Goose Begins his Reign of Terrier
By Friends of Goose

The small but bustling Gold Rush era town of Groveland, California near Yosemite National Park recently “elected” a new mayor, and his name is Goose—and he’s a DOG! His was a hard fought campaign, the other three candidates were human after all, and so had a slight advantage when “stumping” for votes, but at the end of the day The Best Dog Won.

Goose has scheduled guest appearances and photo opportunities for press, neighbors and friends at many upcoming local events and good works causes, such as the Groveland Halloween Festivities on 10/31, Cabaret Charlotte on 11/1, Holiday Craft Faire at the Community Hall on 11/14 & 15, Hotel Charlotte Wine Dinner on 11/15, the Community Thanksgiving Dinner on 11/26 and Photos with Santa on 11/28 at the Groveland Fire Station.

Goose’s favorite charitable organization will always be Camp Tuolumne Trails (http://www.tuolumnetrails.org/) offering groups of all ages with special needs an outdoors experience, with fully accessible lodging, dining, and recreational facilities on 80 acres in the High Sierra of Central California, only 25 miles from Yosemite National Park. This year Goose will make an appearance to shake it up at the big Camp Tuolumne Trails New Year's Eve Extravaganza on Thursday, December 31st. All are welcome, Please contact Virginia Gustafson, 209-962-6336 for details.

Goose is very enthusiastic about beautifying his home town. Last Spring, when a platoon of pillar painters with pails of purple paint painted the Hotel Charlotte pillars purple to fulfill a promise of Kay's mayoral race. Goose in turn promised to remove this pitiful purple graffiti if he became Mayor of Groveland. We are pleased to announce that the purple pillared reign of Kay has disappeared under a fresh coat of white.

Goose has established office hours on an irregular basis of nearly every Tuesday afternoon from 2:00 to 2:30pm for folks to drop by and give him their causes and issues to take up in the World Wide Political Arena. Brainstormers, Marketers and those with a great sense of humor are invited to join us to build the momentum. Goose is prepared to go to Sacramento and Washington to represent his constituents and community. In fact he already went to Sacramento at the California State Fair this year to campaign for Tuolumne County but he missed meeting Arnold Schwarzenegger in the crowd, him being so tall and Goose being rather close to the ground.

Thank you for helping to make Goose your Mayor, he won't let you down.

Goose, Getting it Done for Groveland

CONTACT: Goose’s Human Care Giver: Lynn Upthagrove, Hotel Charlotte
(209) 962-6455 hotelcharlotte@aol.com

Dog Park suffers setback, Goose steps in

BREAKING NEWS! Groveland's New Dog Park suffers a set back!
This week it was learned that the dog park committee, (just a bunch of regular folks who have dogs and want a public place to run them) will have to foot a $1993 bill from the department of Fish and Game before the park can be developed. Mayor Goose will lead the fundraising charge with his paypal donation button. All proceeds donated from this date (October 16th, 2009) until the fee is collected will go to the dog park fees. Please help!

What Goose is up to?
Goose's Birthday: September 13th was Goose's second birthday where he met the flirty Lucy, but at the 49er parade he received a proposal of marriage and has decided that at two, he should keep all romance options open.

Purple Pillar Painting: One day last spring a platoon of pillar painters with pails of purple paint painted my pillars purple to fulfill a promise of Kay's mayoral race. Goose in turn promised to remove this ugly graffiti if he became Mayor of Groveland. We are pleased to announce that The purple pillared reign of Kay has disappeared under a fresh coat of white. Celebrate!

Celebrity & VIP Golf Tournament Dinner: Goose has been invited to his first public engagement as mayor. On Tuesday, October 21st, Goose will make an appearance at Camp Tuolumne Trails for photos and interviews with the Athletes playing the benefit golf tournament. www.TuolumneTrails.org for more details. There will be ample opportunities for press and photographers at this event.

Goose,
Getting it done for Groveland!

Groveland this week, and a tad beyond

Coming up:
Sunday, 10/18 Quaffing the Coast— a Sommelier hosted wine dinner: Mendocino County. Quaffing the coast pairs our favorite Sommelier, Nicole Darracq with Victor's great menus and a whole new geography of California, the coast wine regions. We start with 5 wines from Mendocino County. $64 per dinner, including wines, tax and tip, or save 12% with the purchase of season tickets for the 5 county series: (Mendocino, Sonoma, Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Louis Obisbo) www.HotelCharlotte.com/quaffing.html

Wednesday, October 21st, Camp Tuolumne Trails benefit Golf Tournament. Contact Tom Bickmore for details or visit www.TuolumneTrails.org

Saturday, October 31: Halloween, Charlotte Style! We remove the center table from our main dining room, detail a path for all the costumed children to walk past every table and serve dinner from our regular menu. Controlled chaos pretty much assured! Lots of giggles too. Reserved guests will have their tables guaranteed from 5:00 to 7:00 (the whole time of trick or treat.) This is not one you will be rushed on! Guests are encouraged to come costumed for a costume contest and special prize!

Sunday, 11/1 Cabaret Charlotte a Camp Tuolumne Trails benefit performance and a reprise of our Spring Show, Singing the Decades www.HotelCharlotte.com/cabaret.html. Lynn 209-962-6455. Our best show ever! Our first two productions of this show were totally sold out resulting in this special request from our local audiences to bring it back again. Join this spunky cast with their unique delivery of our favorite songs from the '30s, '40s, '50s, '60s and '70s. Soul filled music paired with 5 delicious courses This performance benefits Camp Tuolumne Trails, a camp for kids with special needs. http://www.tuolumnetrails.org/

Restaurant Schedule: We are open for dinner 7 days a week through Sunday, October 25th. Then we return to our regular dinner schedule of Thursday-Sunday nights from 5:30. Lunches by reservation.

For more events and details, www.HotelCharlotte.com/events.html

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Groveland's Mayor Invited to VIP Dinner

Hotel Charlotte
18736 Main Street, PO Box 787
Groveland, CA 95321
(209) 962-6455 hotelcharlotte@aol.com

PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Guest Appearance by Mayor of Groveland at Celebrity VIP Dinner

The highly esteemed Mayor of Groveland, Goose (the Dog) has been invited to participate in his first Celebrity VIP Dinner on Tuesday, October 20, 2009 at Camp Tuolumne Trails. This first of it's kind event features a cast of attendees that reads like a who’s who of professional sports, plus the 1st Dog-Mayor of Groveland, Goose. Photo opportunities will be scheduled for interested members of the press.

The Tuolumne Trails Celebrity Golf Tournament on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 features present and former Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, and National Football League players and coaches. Proceeds from this charitable event benefit Camp Tuolumne Trails, a camp specially designed for groups of all ages who have special needs, with fully accessible lodging, dining, and recreational facilities. This unique lodge set in the Sierra Nevada is not far from Yosemite.

The golf tournament is a 5 Man Scramble (plus a player or coach), with a 1:30pm Shotgun Start, at the championship caliber Pine Mountain Lake Golf Course, in Groveland, California near Yosemite National Park. The Gala Awards Dinner and Auction is at 7:00pm at Camp Tuolumne Trails. A limited number of Sponsorship entries remain. For more information visit http://www.tuolumnetrails.org/ or contact (209) 962-5527 Tom Bickmore.


CONTACT: Goose’s manager, Lynn Upthagrove, Hotel Charlotte
(209) 962-6455 hotelcharlotte@aol.com, www.HotelCharlotte.com/goose.html

Sunday, October 04, 2009

Did we miss fall?

Seems fall started two days ago, and now there is snow in the Sierras with major cross roads temporarily closed! Tioga Pass Road and Glacier Point Roads are closed.

I was really hoping for an Indian Summer to sweep in and warm us up again for another couple of weeks. Perhaps there is still a chance.

We still have tickets to our wine dinner: Quaffing the Coast part 1, Mendocino.

See you soon.

Thursday, October 01, 2009

Hotel Charlotte specials 10/1-10/4

Hello Friends!
This week has given us a definite change in weather, fall is falling! And while I love it, I also find this is when I have a little free time and fancy myself drifting around a lake in a on a raft, perhaps with a little glass of wine...but alas, a bit of a chill keeps me away. We will continue to have the Hotel Charlotte restuarant open for dinners 7 nights a week through 10.25 and then we will return to our regular schedule of Thursday through Sunday.
This week's specials Victor will be serving Osso Bucco and the fresh fish is Black Cod (similar to Sea Bass.)
I see delicious homemade blueberry pie on the dessert tray, chocolate brownie and creme Bruleé. (These change regularly!)
We hope to welcome you!
Lynn & Victor
Hotel Charlotte
209-962-6455
PS: Our fall calendar is out and we have oodles of stuff coming up in the next couple of weeks. We hope one or more of these catches your fancy.
10/3 Living History Day, a STCHS program at the Groveland Museum-Library complex. Free Guests will enjoy Food, Vendors, Costumed docents, historic displays, oodles of fun for kids and adults alike.

10/3 Airport Days Pine Mountain Lake Airport Free This annual event is fun for the whole family featuring free rides for youth, 8-18, displays, landing contest, Fly-bys and a whole lot more. Bring a chair & a hat, noon-3. Elderberry entrance. Hot dogs & Sodas available

10/10 Tuolumne County Historic Hotels Tour, Luncheon & Wine Tasting. Many venues, including Hotel Charlotte price varies by selection of neat tngs to do. infor@centralsierraarts.org Georgia 209-532-2787 Participants may purchase a two day pass to tour Historic Hotels for $10 or add the Luncheon and talk with author Jan Atkinson at the Hotel Charlotte with wine tasting at the Groveland Hotel and for yet another option, add dinner theater to your passport—a little something for everyone!

10/12 Monday Night Football an ROOFBB fundraiser, Hotel Charlotte cooks this week! Pine Mountain Lake Country Club. This weekly tradition during football season becomes Groveland's main Monday night social. For $10 you get nearly all you can eat, friends and fun and some folks even watch the game. The Hotel Charlotte will be serving an Asian Menu.

10/18 Quaffing the Coast— a Sommelier hosted dinner: Mendocino Hotel Charlotte Get season tickets, 12% discount www.HotelCharlotte.com/quaffing.html Lynn 209-962-6455. Quaffing the coast pairs our favorite Sommelier, Nicole Darracq with Victor's great menus and a whole new area of California, the coast wine regions. We start with 5 wines from Mendocino County. $64 per dinner, including wines, tax and tip, or save 12% with the purchase of season tickets for the 5 county series: (Mendocino, Sonoma, Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Louis Obisbo) www.HotelCharlotte.com/quaffing.html

10/25 & 11/1 Cabaret Charlotte a reprise of our Spring Show, Singing the Decades www.HotelCharlotte.com/cabaret.html Lynn 209-962-6455. Our best show ever and totally sold our request from public to bring it back again so they can see it. Cabaret with Dennis Brown $ Sierra Sounds returns for another two nights. Join this spunky cast with their unique delivery of our favorite songs from the '30s, '40s, '50s, '60s and '70s. Soul filled music paired with 5 delicious courses These two performances are benefit performances for Camp Tuolumne Trails, a camp for kids with special needs. http://www.tuolumnetrails.org/
For more events and details, www.HotelCharlotte.com/events.html

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Goose the Dog is Mayor of Groveland

It is somewhat difficult to believe, but the Dog named Goose won and is now Honorary Mayor of Groveland! Upon our return from up north, Goose has expressed an interest in setting up office hours. We will need to establish a list is issues we need Washington and Sacramento to be aware of and to work on for Groveland.

We are very excitied about the opportunities the coming year will present to us in the endless marketing portential and look foward to the fun. It has been an honor to have Camp Tuolumne Trails as our sponsor, http://www.tuolumnetrails.org/ and we hope our efforts on their behalf will bring them much more that the $1600 raised on their behalf by the mayoral race fundraiser effort.

Tickled!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

49er Festival Auction Prizes

Goose found this list of 49er donations sitting on Lynn's desk this morning and thought our internet readers might be interested in some of the details. We have some fantastic prizes donated this year and Goose doesn't want anyone to miss out on a bidding for an auction item they would really love to have.

Live Auction: 1:45 on the Main Stage, Auctioneer: Lynn Upthagrove with Robin Patterson
Sponsored by June Dee with Yosemite Gateway Properties

Calaveras Wine Grape Association Tickets to Wine Events

Letterois Yosemite Photo Art

Yosemite Highway Herald 1/4 page advert

The Golf Doctor Golf Lessons

Positively Pampered Spa Package Basket

Accounting Plus Huge Neat Basket

Evergreen Lodge Two night stay in a new king cabin and two guided tours

John Gumas, boutique advertising agency in SF Club level seats with Parking pass to the last
game of the season, do the Giants go to the playoffs?

Body Beautiful Gift Certificate for spa services

Cub Inn 2 Night Stay

Down to Earth Gift Certificate for a tree

Ironstone A mixed case of Red/White wine

Ironstone A mixed case of Red/White wine

Yosemite Chamber of Commerce Season tickets to Movies in the park, 6 nights, 4 people, 4 hot
dogs, sodas—the works

Special Photography by Terri Metz A Yosemite or Local Photo

All Seasons Inn B&B Tea Party for 10

Groveland Hotel Wine Discovery with Room

Hotel Charlotte A day of Sailing on SF Bay. Emery Cove to Tiburon for Lunch and back


Silent Auction: Closes at 3:30
Sponsored by June Dee of Yosemite Gateway Properties

Big Creek Meadow Ranch A leg of lamb roast with cooking instructions and spices

Barbara J's Organic Herb & Spice Co. 3 spice packages

Hetch Hetchy Board of Realtors Candle, Soap, Potpourri Basket

Big Oak Restaurant Weave Bag & Wallet

Letterois Live, Laugh, Love Sign

Sabre Design 1000 one-sided color Business cards, design & printing

Positively Pampered $100 Spa Package

Body Beautiful Certificate for 1/2 hour Massage

Paul Klahn Gorgeous hand made mirror

Exit Realty An antique nut cracker

Barbie Olivera Tarantula Tequila & Mix

Barbie Olivera Tarantula Tequila & Mix

Good to Go Catering 2 Dinners delivered along with a Kitchen/food themed basket

Stacie Brown Tarantula Tequila & Mix

Big Oak Restaurant Bottle of Petron & shot glasses w/ Stand


Raffle Prizes: (all those Mayor Tickets!) Winning tickets announced at 4:00
Sponsored by the Yosemite Chamber of Commerce

Black Oak Casino $40 dinner coupon

Round Table Pizza $10 Gift Certificate

Papa Murphy's $5 Gift Certificate

Mountain Bookshop $15 Gift Certificate

Kathy's Miracle Cleaners $25 Dry Cleaning

Beauty Nails II Manicure

Renegads Harley Tshirt

Papa Murphy's $5 Gift Certificate

Tanning Delight $25 Gift Certificate

Black Oak Casino $40 dinner coupon

Tannery Winery in Murphys A bottle of Petite Sirah

Stacie Brown Tarantula Tequila & Mix

Jamestown Hotel One night stay

$200 Gas Cash $200 CASH

Night out of Town Seven Sisters Dinner for 2 + Romantic Getaway King Room with Fireplace & BOC Goods (Chairs, Ts, Bags, Water bottles, Mugs…)


Lists subject to change!

Join us on Saturday, September 19th for tons of all day fun!

Monday, September 14, 2009

Dog named Goose runs for Mayor of Groveland

The Hotel Charlotte dog named Goose runs for mayor. The dog is perfect for Groveland. We can shape the future of our community through a voice someone with some influence might actually listen to, if not out of humor first. What do the other candidates REALLY bring to the table? A dog for mayor is funny, refreshing and a friendly concept to our many out of town visitors, endearing them ever more to Groveland and assuring many return visits and referrals to their friends and family. I can hear it now..."Groveland is so cool they even have a dog named Goose for mayor"

Neither Kay nor Peggy nor Barry need be concerned about losing to a dog, within a week after the finals, nobody will remember who else was even running. Well, they might remember Kay, but Peggy and Barry...don't need to worry. The dog will still love you.

Let's make a difference today. Try something new. Want change, this might be the smallest investment of your life for the greatest return. What if someone takes notice of our town dog for mayor and we really do see some action up here on things we need? What if.....What if everyone who reads this gets online and donates $20 to the cause....We might actually stand a chance against that professional fundraiser Kay. What if you did it right now. www.HotelCharlotte.com/goose.html. Go ahead, make the donation...What if we win?

Committee to Elect Goose Mayor
www.twitter.com/goose.html

Only 36 hours remain to final count down....even less by the time you read this...Don't wait another minute.

Besides the Good for Goose, good for Groveland bit, your donation is also good for Camp Tuolumne Trails! www.TuolumneTrails.org.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Fall Entertainment Schedule

Now that Summer is over....Let the fun begin!

During the summer months the Hotel Charlotte supports their neighbors entertainment programs waiting for the quieter months when there is a bit of a chill in the air and a less hectic pace to bring you our entertainment schedule.

Cabaret Charlotte with Dennis Brown & Friends, Sierra Sounds returns for another two performances of last spring's well regarded Singing through the Decades, a show that brought many a patron to the dance floor and a tear to the eye as we remembered some of our very favorite songs served up by our good friends and singing neighbors.

The shows are Sundays, October 25th and November 1st with doors opening at 5:30. Priced at $54 this fantastic evening of exceptional song and food will surely be the highlight of your fall excursions. Make it extra special, add a room for just $89 more including breakfast. Details are updated regularly at www.HotelCharlotte.com/cabaret.html. The Cabaret Shows have always sold out, so make your calls early for the best seats.

Fall starts Wine Time at the Charlotte with our new series: Quaffing the Coast with Sommelier, Nicole Daracq. This is a 5 evening program featuring favorite wines from the northern California Coastal Counties paired with delightful dinners from Victor's kitchen. We introduce our wines from North to South: (Full menus and wine selections to follow)

  • Mendocino: October 18th:
    Roasted Red Pepper bruchette appetizer followed by a heart of palm and artichoke heart salad, a hint of lemon pasta with shrimp, Filet Mignon and Creme Brulee for dessert.
  • Sonoma: November 15th
  • Santa Cruz: February 21st
  • Monterey: March 21st
  • San Louis Obispo: April 18th

Priced at $64 inclusive of tax and tip, you will find these wine events rival the best of the best offered in SF or any of our California wine regions. Nicole is an entertaining and very knowledgable wine hostess. Add a room to any of these dinners for $89, including breakfast. Purchase season tickets for all shows and receive a 12% discount. Details are updated regularly at www.HotelCharlotte.com/quaffing.html

When enjoying event evenings at the Hotel Charlotte, tax and tip are always included. This makes a big difference when comparing entertainment prices else where. No real gas milage, great food, and good friends. Call to sign up for your favorite programs today!209-962-6455.

By the way, with the holidays right around the corner, a wine dinner series or night at the Cabaret might be just the treasured gift you want to give! We already know it's the gift many want to receive! 209-962-6455

We look forward to welcoming you!

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Dog Named Goose, running for mayor of Groveland!

Only 17 Days Left to Bribe our candidate!


High Noon, September 17th, is the deadline for the 49er Festival sponsored Honorary Mayor Race. The candidate turning in the most $money$ is named Mayor, a very simple process. Dollars are accepted in exchange for raffle tickets with great prizes, like $200 gas cash, a night out at the Black Oak Casino with dinner at Seven Sisters and casino cash and a whole lot more! For every $1 you spend on raffle tickets, a candidate gets a vote and the candidate's sponsor gets funding too. This is a win-win-win program. And if you don't win at the raffle, you might take your receipts to your tax professional and ask him or her about their deductibility.

While the 1st year Mayor, Kay Glaves, has had no demands put upon her by the Chamber in honor of her position, this coming year if Goose is Mayor, he will actually act like one—firing off posts to Arnold and Obama, who he is in contact with already via Twitter. Goose will reach out to people from all over the world acting as a delightful ambassador to this wonderful town we call home, Groveland: The Gateway to Yosemite.

We have taken unofficial counts and the Goose will need a big donor to pull this one off. Kay who had made a lifestyle of collecting money for causes is clearly the leader. Given that she has all day and all night every day of the week to work on the project, it's no wonder. Goose hasn't had the exposure to getting your $ that Kay has had because he works all day, every day, and most the nights too!

This is one of our last chances to ask for your support and you can give it anonymously. We promise we won't tell Kay that you voted for the dog. www.HotelCharlotte.com/goose.html or twitter us at www.Twitter.com/GooseForMayor. Stop wishing us luck and come one in to the Hotel Charlotte and put your money down on a result that will catapult Groveland into world wide headlines.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Hotel Charlotte weekly update 6/17

Hello Friends!
Busy little week last week with the Quilt Festival—how very lovely the town looked. I would really enjoy some good photos of the Charlotte and all the festival if any one took any they would like to share with me.... :)
Goose has taken over management of our calendar, www.HotelCharlotte.com/calendar.html and wants you to know about some of the things going on this weekend: (more listings online!)

6/21 Father's Day Dinner Hotel Charlotte Delicious treats this week for Father's Day: Ribs by the slab and Lobster stuffed ravioli, either choice: $19.95 along with our traditional favorites! Special night, regular prices.

Yosemite Chamber of Commerce Monthly Mixer on Thursday, June 25th at the NEW YCC offices at Mountain Sage. All are welcome! Tour the Yosemite Chamber of Commerce at their new setting inside Mountain Sage with visitor Information center. Free program starts at 5:30 and there will be a band!

Goose for Mayor! For Information go to our web site, http://www.HotelCharlotte.com/goose.html Bribes bought and sold from the Hotel Charlotte. Come down and vote for the dog! Fundraiser for Camp Tuolumne Trails. www.tuolumnetrails.org

Daily Wine Tasting From 11:30. Wine Tasting until 5:00 daily, and Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. In addition to our new lunch hours with the Café Lunch Menu we are now serving from our traditional menu 7-nights a week.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Lunch Menu now online!

It was startling to hear from so very many folks at the quilt festival yesterday that they didn't know we were open for lunch. I am seriously rethinking our paid advertising


Today's Café Menu
· Ham & cheese panini with a side $10.95
garden salad
· Filet mignon tip sandwich served $12.95
with a side garden salad
· A selection of cheeses served $11.95
French fashion with hunks of mixed cheese, crusty bread and sliced apple
· A bowl of award winning Chili or $7.95
Soup of the day, served with bread
· Caesar Salad or Greek Salad $7.95
Add grilled chicken breast $3.00

Homemade desserts $5.95
Homemade Ice-cream $3.95

Soda, Tea, Coffee, Beer, Wine, Cocktails & more!

Enjoy!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Groveland this week: 6/12

Additional details www.HotelCharlotte.com/events.html
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6/12 & 13 Live at the Door: James Faifua & the Jukes www.iron-door-saloon.com 209.962.8904
6/13 Groveland Quilt Show Downtown Groveland & Mary Laveroni Park Free This is an absolutely stunning event. The ladies hang over 400 original quilts throughout all of downtown. Some are for sale too. Antique and especially delicate quilts will hang inside the Hotel Charlotte.

6/13 Movies in the Park: Open Season 2 Lower Mary Laveroni Community Park $3 for adults. info@groveland.org Jackie 209.962.0429 Weekly movies in the park is sponsored by the Yosemite Chamber of Commerce. Great family movies, bring a picnic & blanket!
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Thursday, June 04, 2009

National Parks free entry for 3 weekends

Earlier this week, the National Parks Service has announced that all NPS sites that charge an entry fee will be free of charge on the following weekend dates: June 20 & 21, July 18 & 19, and August 15 & 16. This would include our Yosemite National Park.

Good news if you have already made your plans to join us in the Seirra this summer, great news if you were still just thinking about it. Make some reservations today!

Also, there are oodles of neat-o things going around in the surrounding communties that will enhance your experience, check out www.HotelCharlotte.com/events.html for a listing of cool things to do around Groveland for your dates of travel.

See you Soon!
Lynn & Victor

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

May Newsletter

Our monthly newsletter goes out at the end of every month and is available for viewing online also with photos and a bit more detail: www.HotelCharlotte.com/newsletters/05-09news.html

Dear Friends and Guests,
Summer is here, Tioga Pass through Yosemite is open and the waterfalls are crashing down for a few more weeks. Make your plans for a visit today!

New stuff from the Charlotte: These last few weeks we have added some new pages to the website. Visitors can now find out about our community park with world class skate boarding, and excellent bird watching. With so many new questions this year, we have added a section on Hetch Hetchy and the city and family camps on the way to Yosemite. Summer Events in Groveland! 6/1 Honorary Mayor Race kick off at the Groveland Hotel patio at 5:30. Come be the first to get your bribes registered. Goose for Mayor! ww.HotelCharlotte.com/goose.html If you can't make the kickoff, bribes are bought and sold from the Hotel Charlotte through September 17th. Come down and make history with us--vote for the dog!

6/6 Sierra Earthfest, Herb & Mountain Craft Faire Mountain Sage Mostly Free mtnsage.com This annual event is a huge draw in Groveland for locals and visitors a like. Information from Yosemite National Park, Stanislaus National Forest and more. Good music & food all day long.

6/7 Where the Hell is Groveland Car Show Mary Laveroni Community Park Free www.Groveland.org This annual car show brings over 150 unique and antique cars to our little park. The all day event includes raffles, food, auctions and is a fund raiser for Groveland area schools. Mayoral candidates will also be strutting their stuff! Car buffs will love this one!

6/8 Garden Club Tour at select locations throughout Groveland, including Hotel Charlotte $15 floreszone@mlode.com Tony 209.962.0824 A great annual event, different gardens each year. This year somehow, we got selected for the tour. Had to bring in my parents to get the garden looking good too! Hard to do when you have only 2 feet by 150 feet!

6/13 Groveland Quilt Show Downtown Groveland & Mary Laveroni Park Free This is an absolutely stunning event. The ladies hang over 100 original quilts throughout all of downtown. Some are for sale too. The Hotel Charlotte will host the antique and delicate quilts, others are hung outside.

6/13 Movies in the Park: Saturday evenings throughout the summer starting at dusk and just a pittance. A great family event every Saturday through the summer. Have dinner at the Charlotte, take a blanket down to the park to have a serine finish to your evening.

Hotel Charlotte serves dinner 7 nights a week: Okay, you said it was great that we were open 7 nights a week, but now you have asked for our regular menu for the new nights instead of the lite bites menu...Okay we gotcha! Seven nights a week with our regular styled menu, steaks, chickens, pastas...Yum!

Serving lunch too: We are now open daily from 11:30 am with a nice little lunch menu and wine tasting. Our menus include grilled sandwiches, salads, soup, chilli, cheeses and more. We hope you will join us. www.HotelCharlotte.com/winetasting.html.

Group travel couldn't be easier! We have long managed a few vacation rental units, andthis summer just brought on three brand new houses, a triplex with 3x3-bedroom houses all togeter able to sleep up to 22 people. Need even more space, this unit is one lot away from the duplex which can sleep another 16. Walk the other way a block and you are at the condo which can sleep 9. So if you are planning a retreat, family reunion or big party needing lots of space, give us a call. Vacation rentals can be one night or many--convenient for whatever your holiday plans allow. www.YosemiteRegion.com

Reservations: 209-962-6455

Having ourselves traveled many of the freeways, byways and out-of-the-ways in and beyond Groveland, we are well prepared to help plan your trip to our little town and points beyond. Feel free to browse our handy Itineraries to get you started

We look forward to welcoming you (Again!)

Lynn & VictorHotel Charlotte
209-962-6455
www.HotelCharlotte.com

PS: We twitter at www.Twitter.com/HotelCharlotte and Goose twitters once a day at www.Twitter.com/GooseforMayor. Join us online in this lively forum!

Groveland this Week


*************************************************
6/5 & 6/6 Live at the Door: Spellbound Iron Door Saloon, www.iron-door-saloon.com Chris 209.962.8904 Live music on the weekends at the Iron Door.

6/5 Yosemite Courtyard Theatre: Hale Baskin Evening of Jazz The Groveland Hotel at Yosemite National Park $20 guestservices@groveland.com Peggy 209.962.4000 A fantastic performer! This show was a favorite last year and promises to be just as good this year.

6/6 Sierra Earthfest, Herb & Mountain Craft Fair Mountain Sage Free mtnsage@mlode.com www.mtnsage.com Robb 209.962.4686. This annual event is a huge draw in Groveland for locals and visitors a like. Information from Yosemite National Park, Stanislaus National Forest and oodles more. Good music & food all day long.

6/7 Where the Hell is Groveland Car Show Mary Laveroni Community Park Free info@groveland.org www.Groveland.org Jackie 209-962-0429 This annual car show brings in over 150 unique and antique cars to our little park. The all day event includes raffles, food, auctions and is a fund raiser for Groveland area schools. Car buffs will love this one!

6/8 Garden Club Tour All around Groveland, including Hotel Charlotte $15 floreszone@mlode.com Tony 209.962.0824. A great annual event, different gardens each year.

6/13 Groveland Quilt Show Downtown Groveland & Mary Laveroni Park Free This is an absolutely stunning event. The ladies hang over 100 original quilts throughout all of downtown. Some are for sale too.

6/13 Movies in the Park: Open Season 2 Lower Mary Laveroni Community Park a pittance www.Groveland.org Jackie 209.962.0429 Weekly movies in the park is sponsored by the Yosemite Chamber of Commerce. Great family movies, bring a picnic and blanket!
Don't forget the dog running for Mayor! www.HotelCharlotte.com/goose.html. Now accepting Paypal for donations.
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Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Groveland this week 5/25-6/1

Groveland this week 5/25-6/15/29 & 30
Live at the Door: Jake Mackey & the Muddy Suns Iron Door Saloonwww.iron-door-saloon.com Chris 209.962.8904

5/30 Wine & Dine on the Lake fundraising cruise for Southern TuolumneCounty Historical Society $45 www.grovelandmuseum.org 209-962-0300. This isthe 5th time around for this fantastic fundraiser. Participants are ferried from house to house around Pine Mountain Lake where they enjoy a differentrestaurant and winery serving from 7 locations. Desserts at the Lake Lodge following. 4:00-7:30

6/1 Honorary Mayor Race kick off: Goose for Mayor! Hotel Charlottehttp://www.HotelCharlotte.com/goose.html Lynn 209.962.6455 Kick off for the mayor race. Bribes bought and sold from the Hotel Charlotte. Come down andvote for the dog!

6/1-6/6 Plein-Air Workshops: Yosemite & Scenic Sierras (Jim Salchak)Groveland based, painting regionally cbieler623@aol.com Corawww.myyosemitearttours.com. Daily plein-air excursions to various sitesincluding Yosemite and some hidden wonders. Each program is lead by arecognized professional providing guidance and instruction throughout theweek. (HotelCharlotte - 5/26/09)

See you around town!
Lynn & Victor

Monday, May 11, 2009

What's coming up in Groveland

Last month Carolyn Botel shared with you some stories on who was visiting the Hotel Charlotte and where we were. This month I want to tell you about the neat Groveland things we are looking forward to.

My very favorite of all events is just around the corner, May 14th the Rotary presents another Night at the Races. I like to think of this as Bay Meadows East with six races, full bar, snacks and tons of fun! Parlay your winnings into more bets and then into raffle tickets for great prizes! Gates open at 5pm, first race at 6. $25 contact Jim 209.962.7161.

Then of course the very famous Strawberry Music Festival throughout Memorial Day weekend up at Camp Mather, near the Hetch Hetchy entrance to Yosemite National Park.

Next weekend is the May 30th, STCHS wine and foods cruise on Pine Mountain Lake, an annual fundraiser for our Historical Society. Participants are ferried from house to house around Pine Mountain Lake where they enjoy a different restaurant and winery offerings from 7 locations. The Hotel Charlotte will be at the Baker's house again and Linda Struhm and her husband Rich will be serving filet mignon tips with a cajun dip and artichoke crostini. Desserts at the Lake Lodge following. 4:00-7:30. For more information or tickets: 209-962-0300 www.grovelandmuseum.org

Next up is the June 1st kickoff for the Honorary Mayor Race at 6pm at the Groveland Hotel. Goose, the Hotel Dog is making another try this year and continues to represent Camp Tuolumne Trails. This fundraiser benefits both the Yosemite Chamber of Commerce and their marketing efforts for Groveland and Camp Tuolumne Trails. To participate as a candidate, and there is room at the top for more of us, contact James Nagle, 209-962-1122. To donate to Goose's mayoral effort, come on in with your check, cash or credit cards and place lots of bribes!

Our next event is wonderully social as we head out to Mountain Sage for teh Sierra Earthfest, Herb & Mountain Craft Fair on June 6th. For more information on this fun way to spend a day contact Robb, 209-962-4686 or visit their website: www.mtnsage.com Good music & food all day long

The next day we will enjoy one of our favorite annual to-do's, the Where the Hell is Groveland Car Show on Sunday, June 7th in Mary Laveroni Community Park. This car show brings in over 150 unique and antique cars to our little park. The all day event includes raffles, food, auctions and is a fund raiser for Groveland area schools. Car buffs and just the curious will love this one!

The next weekend is one we have waited two years for! The Groveland Quilt Show on Saturday, June 13th throughout downtown Groveland & Mary Laveroni Park Free This is an absolutely stunning summer event. The ladies hang seemingly 100s of original quilts throughout all of downtown. Some are for sale too. Inside the Hotel Charlotte we will be hosting the antique quilts and those that need a little more care and less of the elements. We will also be serving our Cafe Menu and offering Wine Tasting on this day, so plan on a whole afternoon in downtown Groveland.

That same night, June 13th, is the grand opening of Movies in the Park with Open Season 2. Follow the families down to Lower Mary Laveroni Community Park. The price is a pittance. For more info and a full schedule of movies, contact Jackie at the Yosemite Chamber of Commerce. 209.962.0429 These weekly showings are great family movies, bring a picnic, blanket & popcorn!

Okay, that sums up what we are doing in the next couple of weeks and we hope to be doing many of these events with you!

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Trivia Finally

Ah, what a show last night. For a game that boiled down to attendance it was a brilliant ending. We very much missed the noise that Amanda and Patti bring to the game as they cheer each of their correct answers....Their team did very well covering the spread between the first & second place folks, had they been here. Alas....such was not the case.

Following the game we had the final awards presentation giving out the $25 weekly gift certificate to the winning team which had the generous Tony, Linda, Shirley, Roy & Rita.

This was followed by the Grand Prize to Jim and Cindi for highest score of the 10 game series. Next Gift Certificates were given to:
Patti for most comptitive,
Roy & Rita for the most team mates (changing it seems nearly every week)
Amanda for the most pouting over questions she didn't like.
These 6 folks made it to 10, 9, 9 and 8 of the weeks and their participation made the game so much fun.

Total Prizes given out for the 10 week program included 10 x $25 gift certificates and an additional $75 on the last day, $325 in all. Much of it going to the regular Groveland players, but we did see some travelers come in and whisk away a weekly prize! Good fun!

Great thanks go also to those who followed the game as much as their busy schedules allowed:
Bonnie and Wayne, Linda, Shirley, Linda, Our friends from Hetch Hetchy....

Put us on your calendars for next season. We will start on the first Monday of March and go for another 10 weeks.

Lynn

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

The twittering Hotel

Yes, we do, we twitter daily and then some. www.twitter.com/HotelCharlotte check us out. Also www.twitter.com/GooseForMayor to follow our online fundraising campaign for Camp Tuolumne Trails in association with the Yosemite Chamber of Commerce and the 49er Festival on September 19th.

Trivia Monday update 4/27

Another fun week of inane questions with equally silly answers. Our top two teams tied again, and Dave Purse of Willow Creek Winery was here to wave his magic wine bottle over the table that didn't win the gift certificate for the night. All are sated!

Six points remain between the leaders and pending absences have been reported. Some are demurring their intensions and the tension is building. Next week will hold the truths!

Good luck ladies and gentlemen!

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Trivia Results, 4/20

Another rousing game. Lots of players this week as we had the 21 bicyclist who heroically climbed Priest Grade or Wards Ferry to get to us from Oakdale. These folks start every year from Livermore with an overnight in Oakdale, then the Hotel Charlotte in Groveland and on to Yosemite for two days and then back to home. WOW! Very impressive. One of their trivia teams came in on a three way tie for third and the other team had fun.

This week the Cindi, Jim, Bonnie & Wayne team again took first place, by 2 points. Congratulations. The spread is now 6 points between the leaders of this team and Patti, but absenses have been announced and that opens the whole thing up to our second tier of players for the Grand Prize money!

Aren't we having fun!

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Support Cherylann, Hotel Jeffery

Hello friends,
Sunday was a fundraiser for Cherylann Schimmelfennig, of the Hotel Jeffery. She has had a difficult medical year having recently been diagnosed with cancer. Her story is online at www.SupportCherylann.com. If you didn't make it to the event, but want to help, please consider sending a check or using the paypal account they have setup at the website.
Cherylann and Peter have been supporters of Groveland since they bought the Hotel Jeffery nearly 6 years ago. They have participated in every Chili Cookoff, many of the 49er Parades, several of the STCHS wine and appetizers on the Lake programs and Cherylann has been a director on the Yosemite Chamber of Commerce's Board of Directors for many years and I am sure there are a whole lot of things they have done for Groveland that I don't even know about to relate here.
I was thrilled to see so many Groveland folks there, thank you for participating, it means the world to Cherylann and Peter.
Lynn & Victor
Hotel Charlotte
209-962-6455



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Thursday, April 16, 2009

Hotel Charlotte weekly menu 4/16

Hello Friends,
What a week. We were "bombarded" with trivia players on Monday, Hetchy and Rotary on Tuesday and beautiful weather all week long, a bit chilly in the am, but nothing we can't sleep through! Goose is running for Honorary Mayor again and will be sparring against Jack Slocombe, campaign manager and wordsmith for Barry Scales, the other announced candidate. It will be a grand competition again this year. Has your club found a candidate yet?
Fresh Fish of the Week
Thursday will be Halibut, Friday and Saturday will be Salmon

Lamb Shank
Simmered all day with Victor's secret seasonings. Big and delicious, we call this the Barney Rubble!

Seafood Pasta
Shrimp, crab, clams and fresh fish in a white wine sauce with a touch of marinara served over linguini

3– courses, $24.95 or order these dinners ala Carte, $19.95

Note that we have the Cabaret Charlotte with Dennis Brown & Friends, Sierra Sounds on Sunday night, the show is sold out, so please plan on joining us on Thursday-Saturday for our regular menu, Mondays for our trivia & special menu or Tuesday and Wednesday for our wine tasting and lite bites.

See you Soon!
Lynn & Victor
Reservations encouraged: 209-962-6455
www.HotelCharlotte.com


Coming up:
Metz Mania Photography Show: Yosemite Seasons & Sierra Springs Sunday, 4/26 from noon to 4pm. Meet the photographer and enjoy great savings and giveaways.

Wine Immersion Days, April 26th & 27th. Mark your calendars! Dave Purse of Willow Creek winery in El Dorado County joins us for two days of events: Reception, dinner and picnic in Yosemite followed by a wine team at trivia on Monday night. Details online, www.HotelCharlotte.com/willowcreek.html

Daily Wine Tasting at the Charlotte, a tradition of Wine, Food & Fun! Serving a Lite Bites menu from 11:30 daily and on nights our restaurant is traditionally closed.

4/17 & 18 Live at the Iron Door Saloon: Jake Mackey & the Muddy Suns
www.iron-door-saloon.com More info, contact Chris 209.962.8904. Live music on the weekends at the Iron Door. Enjoy great rock & roll, dance music, sometimes blues...a collection of styles!

4/18 19th Hole Lounge: Rockslide at Pine Mountain Lake Country Club Free
www.pinemountainlake.com More info, contact Charlie 209.962.8636. Open to the public, The 19th Hole Lounge offers entertainment throughout the year including most Saturdays and holidays



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Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Mensa Mondays Trivia Score update

We had a blast, or half a blast as it might be for those who were here! First the scores then a bit of banter about the evening!

Monday's game was the first where we had a run-away score with the lead team finishing 5 points ahead of the next closest follower. (Cindi & Jim, there was a scoring problem on the photos page that I have corrected. There were 13 questions on the page, 2 wrong is 11 right. Your score keeper used my recopied, but not corrected number 20 as count of questions, subtracted 2 and gave you an 18 instead of an 11, but all is right now) Patti, this should make you grin. Spread between the top players is now 4 points.

There are 4 contenders following closely behind this lead group...it will come down to attendance! Roy, Rita, Amanda and Jim of the Hetchy group. Good luck!

Now, on the the Other Event of the evening! Due to forces beyond our control the highway was closed to our west blocking off access to Pine Mountain Lake where our Trivia players, local dinner guests and my whole staff live. While updates throughout the evening indicated there would soon be a change in status, it dragged out to midnight before the road was reopened. During that time we a dinner party of 10 with 4 adults and 6 kids. When they finished in the restaurant I gave them a room key to our largest room so they could hang out, watch TV and just enjoy each others company. Three of our staff ended up staying the night with us too.

Between entertainment sets by Goose as he ran through all of this new tricks, Victor's antics and the best of Lynn's jokes our guests played the real trivia pursuit. I don't think it was nearly as fun as the game I produce each week!

Here is my favorite trivia question, and one I made up all by myself when the players took a private vote and told me no more anagrams....Okay, so math problems it is!
  • If I woke up in Wisconsin on Sunday at 9:30am
  • Arrived in San Francisco at 11:30pm
  • Checked into my hotel at 12:30am
  • Went to sleep at 2:30am
  • And arrived back at groveland at 9:00am Monday morning
  • What is my middle name?

I bet you thought I was going to ask a differnt question! This is the kind of inane fun we have.

Alas, the road opened and all were off....Just when I was getting my 4th wind. May we never have the same situation that brought us all together Monday, but another get together would always be welcome!

Monday, April 06, 2009

Trivia update, 4-6

Ah...the plot thinkens, the scores even closer and the leaders have whispered they may have to miss a night. That puts lots of folks back into the running!

Winners Roy, Rita & Ben, a second win for this team. Congratulations!

We had a great showing tonight with our regulars and 5 week guests: Glenn, Dan & Jim and several tables of visitors and first timers. We were even playing both dining rooms.

See you all again next week.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Trivia Madness—Monday Mania!

This week's game was our biggest ever with 7 playing teams and two that played, but did not enter the scoring round. We had our two time returning champs Jim & Dan (shy of Glenn, who we learned was clearly an asset to their team)

A two person team from out of town won the game, a young couple who with their explorations of Groveland were able to get some of the answers. Our museum is running a display on historic valentine's day cards and one of the answers was right there, on display: 1913. Congratulations!

So we have had 5 games, three won by visitors to Groveland, two by local teams. The standings are very close for first place. Patti has taken the lead over Jim & Cindi by 2 points but there are several contenders who could step right in should any of these folks miss a night.

We celebrated three birthdays during the game and one of my questions has been questioned! Mary wrote today thinking that a minute of kissing shouldn't burn as many as 26 calories. Her chart showed that it would take a 220 pound person 15 minutes of kissing to burn 26 calories. Hmmmm, Who measures these things?

Emily our trivia waitress handles 40 people needing constant attention very well especially given that we are also playing the Trivial Game. Brilliant work last night Emily!

Reservations might be required next week!

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Lite Bites Menu, Daily Lunch

Today's Menu
· A selection of cheeses served $10.95
French fashion with hunks of mixed cheese, crusty bread and an apple
· A bowl of award winning chili or potato leek soup, served with bread $7.95
· Lox & crackers, cream cheese, and tomato slices $9.95
· Pita & homemade humus $7.95
· Ham & cheese panini with $10.95pasta salad
· Caesar salad $6.95 Greek salad $7.95
Add grilled chicken breast $3.00

Homemade desserts $5.95
Homemade Mango Ice-cream $3.95
Soda, Tea, Coffee (refills) $1.95
Beer $3.00 imports/micro $3.50
Cocktails: Well $3.50 Call $4.75 Premium $5.75

Delish!

Friday, March 27, 2009

Ride for Cherylann

Ride for Cherylann of the Hotel Jeffery April 19th, 2009
11am to 6 pm at the Historic Hotel Jeffery in Coulterville
Group rides are leaving from the Whiskey River Saloon in Oakdale and Bud's Place in Snelling. Sign in on the day of the event, Sunday, April 19th from 9 to 10:30 am or just ride to the Hotel Jeffery from where ever you are. Both locations will be preselling tickets so you can avoid lines at the door. $20 includes lunch & a live band. There will be a 50-50, raffle, bake sale and more. Any questions, please call Lora at 209-480-7038.
Those who can't participate in person but would like to support Cherylann are encouraged to donate a prize for the raffle. Let's all give a hug and hope to our friend Cherylann.
Lynn


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Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Trivia Update Week 4

Well, our traveling team of guys missed tonight and we missed them. I believe they would have made great challengers! We now have a 3 way tie with Cindy, Jim & Patti. Amanda would have been in the running, but bowling took priority last night. A new team joined us spear headed by Stacie, thank you Stacie and they placed very well for first timers.

The theme for this week was Catchy Slogans for the Mayor Race (Goose the Hotel Dog is running for Mayor again this year) Needless to say, I didn't get anything out of the group that I could use unless the team named Goosey Girls wants to dress up as cheer leaders and participate in the Stumping events....That might work!

Roy and Rita were back and are in great position should attendance continue to plague the leaders. They teamed up with Ben last night and stole the prize winning by one point. We missed Ginny, Bruce, Kitty & Ed and hope they return next week. I even got Ed's special beer, Miller 64.

The menu was great and I had the fish & chips again, this time made with shark. If you enjoyed our Thai Thursdays last week, you should join us on Mondays, Victor has been making a Thai dish each week priced from $10.95 to $12.95 and way delicious! You don't HAVE to play trivia to enjoy a good meal, having the two dining rooms makes this very easy to separate.

Featured treats with new items weekly
Burgundy Filet Tips $12.95
Shrimp, Fennel & Radish Salad $10.95
Mini Bouillabaisse (clams, lobster, shrimp) $12.95
Fresh Homemade Fish & Chips (shark) $10.95
Thai spiced Chicken Breast $10.95
Mini Sierra Kabob $12.95
We look forward to welcoming you. Also, the newsletter for March is out and we are carrying some great room specials, if you haven't seen it, www.HotelCharlotte.com/newsletters/03-09news.html. A cute read!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Trivia Dining a third night of winners

What fun we had. Nobody knew what a barbie was worth, everyone thought they knew how long a snail can sleep and the game designer (me!) mixed up Bonanza with Gun Smoke and ruined a whole photo question....They laughed at me, but I will get them next week with some really smart questions like what is the origins of the word Gymnasium???? Get ready teams!

We have one team that are two time winners and they are just visiting the area while working on a project for HH. The locals are getting fresh trying to scare them away. The standings are as follows: Visiting Guys: 104 points, Amanda & Patti 101 points, Cindi & Jim 100 points. The rest of us are hoping these folks in the front take a night or two off so they can catch up!

Grand prize will be awarded on the 10th night of play in May. Come on down for a good time, good fun and new friends!

This week's special menu continued with some new items and well priced along with a selection from our traditional menu:

Featured treats with new items weekly
Mixed Trio: Salmon, Steak & Sausages $12.95
Shrimp Salad $10.95
Sausage & Peppers $10.95
Fresh Homemade Fish & Chips $10.95
Petite Chicken Parmagiana $10.95
Rigatoni with Gorgonzola $10.95
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Traditional Selections From the Charlotte Grill:
Chicken Argentine with a tangy garlic sauce $14.95
Charlotte “Stake” with peppercorn sauce $15.95
Pampas Steak with a tangy garlic sauce $15.95
New York Steak with peppercorn sauce $23.95
Rack of Lamb with mint jelly $22.95
Filet Mignon with peppercorn sauce $22.95
Linguini Marinara (vegetarian) $ 9.95
With Clams or Meatballs $13.95
Add a soup or salad $2.95

Saturday, March 14, 2009

We have your daily dose of wine!

Hotel Charlotte Has… Your Daily Ration of Wine!

Starting on Saturday, March 28th, the Hotel Charlotte presents Daily Wine Tasting from 11:30am on. We start the program featuring six wines with selections from Sierra Foothills, Napa, France and Italy. There will be a small fee for tastings, but this charge will be taken off the price of a bottle should you find one to purchase. We fully expect to live up to our “Wine, Food and Fun” reputation with this latest adventure.

While our wine tasting is open, so too will our dining room with a small and simple menu complimenting our wine selections. Both wine choices and menus will change regularly. The Lite Bites menu will feature a only a few items perhaps a mixed cheese platter served French style with crusty bread and apple slices, salad or sandwich of the day, our award winning chili, pita & humus, maybe even fondu. You get the idea, nice but light selections. Our Light Bites will also be available to travel should you prefer to picnic in the park after your tasting time.

Hotel Charlotte wine hosts are recognized Yosemite Experts, and have been selected for their breadth of experience and their passion for the area, which will enable them to advise our wine tasters, travelers and the locals alike, on all things Yosemite.

Jeannie Tasker: I've been visiting Yosemite since 1958, when my family moved to California, and my indoctrination to Yosemite included every ranger led hike and evening talk offered in the Park. I've hiked every trail in Yosemite Valley, including some that no longer exist. I've hiked to the top of Half Dome and Clouds Rest, and to the top of Yosemite Falls more times than I can remember. My favorite hiking is the high country, out from Tuolumne Meadows. I've hiked the complete High Sierra Loop (60 miles) twice, as well as to each individual High Sierra Camp numerous times. Sunrise is my favorite High Sierra Camp. I'm a life member of the Yosemite Association, and have enjoyed numerous backpack trips and seminars with YA members. My husband and I moved to Groveland 28 years ago to be close to Yosemite's beauty, and I often sneak off for an afternoon hike somewhere in the Park.

Kris Corey: My background stems from the natural sciences and I have lived in the local area for 17 years. One of my personal goals is to hike every trail in Yosemite, so far I have accomplished about 450 trails, a total of about 800 miles, and I plan to keep at it! For travelers with only 1 day to spend in the park, I recommend Sentinel Dome or Taft Point, these trails are off the beaten path plus offer the hiker awesome views of the valley and neither one calls for the a high degree of climbing skill. My favorite High Sierra Camp is Vogelsang for its Alpine beauty. I write for the Yosemite Gazette, and am in the process of developing a start-up company to provide travelers to Yosemite who have a limited amount of time to experience the park, with an audio tour guide that will maximize their visit to Yosemite. I worked for the Hotel Charlotte during the summer of 2008, providing hotel guests with information and advice on Yosemite during the morning breakfast hours and am thrilled to be back for the 2009 season.

So, take a break from your journey, or just from your day, come and set a spell with us and sample some fine wines! Tasting room opens at 11:30 am daily. If our restaurant is not open for the traditional Hotel Charlotte dinner experience, the tasting room and Lite Bites menu be open until 9:00 pm providing guests and travelers alike another choice, now seven days a week! Won’t this make a great birthday luncheon for you and your friends? For more information or to book a group (10 or more folks) please give us a call, 209-962-6455

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Sleep Deprived Trivia

This was our second Monday with the restaurant open, and word has gotten out about how fun these nights are. We had our returning champions from last week here, hotel guests working on a project for Hetch Hetchy and a new locals team, Sleepless in PML and some growth in our other local teams bring the game players to 20 (with room for more!)

This week the competition was heavy with folks studying current events and brushing up on Barbie trivia (but I didn't ask anything Barbie, that got a good laugh!) There were math and logic questions this week and the game ended tied. The tie breaker ended tied and we had to flip a coin to pick the winner! Luckily, Dave Purse from Willow Creek winery was here doing a preview for his coming wine maker dinner on April 26th and he tossed in a prized bottle of wine so both tied teams won! It was cool for sure!

Victor always puts out a special, lighter and lower priced menu and adds a few of our traditional items for those who can't live without their favorites. These were this weeks new items:

Baked Rigatoni $10.95
Shrimp Salad $10.95
Sausage & Peppers $10.95
Petite Filet Mignon Kabob $12.95
Fresh Homemade Fish & Chips $10.95
Petite New York Steak & Onions $12.95
Thai Shrimp with Green Curry (spicy) $12.95

So, the standings right now are Cindi, Jim, Rita & Roy at 64 points, Amanda, Patti at 63 points and new comers Stacie, Linda and Victoria at 40. (missing a night affects your cummulative score, so the fewer nights you miss, the better your score will be, but everyone will likely have a night or two off so it will even out by the end...And it isn't too late to get into the game. Total prize value to date: $75.

What a cool thing to do at the Hotel Charlotte in Groveland on the way to Yosemite!!!