Imagine the Spring charm of the French Countryside as you savor a shady picnic overlooking a sun-splashed field of lavender in full bloom. Unfortunately, you have to fly 6,000 miles, deal with traffic, a foreign language and strangers before setting off to rural France. Instead, why not relish in the spirit, color and scent of France in the Capay Valley in Northern California? It’s Cache Creek Lavender, an organic lavender farm operated by hosts Charles Opper and Linda Barrett.
The couple relocated from the Bay Area in 1996 and began their enterprise with 2,000 plants. Today it is more than double that amount with close to an acre of this beautiful crop. “We grow three varieties of lavender,” reveals Opper. “Provence for its oil, Grosso for its color and fragrance and English lavender for its use in culinary products.”
A genuine cottage industry, Cache Creek Lavender has so much to offer those of us drawn to the heady fragrance of this beautiful herb. Their brand new greenhouse and store is ready to welcome visitors this season featuring 28 different products with world-class lavender as its main ingredient. You’ll find soap, lavender wands, bushels of lavender, loose lavender sachets, and gourmet lavender sugar, as well as salt, linen spray, massage oil, essential oils, skin cream and more at very reasonable prices.
If you don’t have the opportunity to peruse their product line at various Farmer’s Markets in the region, on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 15th, 2008, it’s the Cache Creek Lavender’s annual Lavender Festival. You are invited to taste their French countryside lunch accompanied by Capay Valley Vineyard’s finest wine, complimentary lavender lemonade and lavender iced tea.
“This is the fourth year for the festival,” continues Opper. “Each year the festival grows. It’s very low key and you see not only Capay Valley at its best, but our huge oaks, flowers and gardens. It’s closer to home than France and admission is absolutely free.”
Highlighting its new cabernet release, Capay Valley Vineyards returns to the festival this year, and there will also be live music with Linda Deering’s jazz ensemble. The festival, taking place in historic Rumsey on Hwy 16 (just 12 miles from Cache Creek Casino and Resort) is held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can embark on field tours, participate in crafts, enjoy food and even pick your own bundle of lavender.
The healing properties of this intoxicating herb are plentiful. Not only have people utilized lavender for stress relief over the years, it’s also for muscle aches, tension headaches, dream pillows and mosquito repellant, as well as its use as an antiseptic that is perfect for your Spring cleaning needs. Look inside an herbalist’s diary, and you’ll be amazed at all of its uses.
Discover what the fuss is all about, and visit Cache Creek Lavender today. It’s simply wonderful.
CONTACT
Cache Creek Lavender
3430 Madrone Street
Rumsey, California
Local: (530) 796-2239
Toll Free: (800) 323-0063
www.cachecreeklavender.com
Connie Werner Reichert is the President of Write Side Up Travel Journalism. The former Newscaster and Radio Personality has a new PR/Copywriting website to share with you. Please visit www.conniewreichert.com or email Connieis.pacbell.net. She was recently inducted into the International Travel Writers & Photographers Alliance “Wall of Fame.” Also, follow Connie on Facebook, Twitter, Linked In and Chickipedia.
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