I somehow survived planning and throwing my mom's surprise retirement party with my sister. This is no small feat. You see, my sister doesn't really like me and makes it a point to let me know this whenever possible. Don't get me wrong, we're family and love each other very much and she'd stab you in the eye if you were to badmouth me, but we are very different and it's sometimes painful to deal with each other.
For example, I suggested this place as a venue to her immediately. She dismissed my idea as stupid. But then when one of her friends told her how wonderful it was, she called me right up to say she thought we should do it here. Wow, sis, great idea.
Luckily, dealing with the people here is much easier than dealing with my sister. They made everything simple. This place is basically a private picnic ground set on tons of acres. There's a pool, bocce courts, a mini golf course, tennis courts, volleyball courts, a playground, and horseshoe pits. And you rent out the entire thing, so it's yours for the day. They offer several different meal options for your guests - basically it's like a pool club where you just walk up to the grill and order whatever you want. You bring in your own alcohol, which always helps keep costs down. And they have a great sound system, so you can have a DJ or just bring your iPod.
I've been to weddings here and they're always so much fun. Seven hours at an uppity banquet hall can be torturous, but here it's just pleasure. You really get an opportunity to spend quality time with your guests - and your guests have a blast.
In short, I cannot say enough nice things about this place and the wonderful people who run it. It's a very affordable way to throw a big party too (which is nice because while my sister doesn't like me, she likes my bank account a whole lot and thinks I should pay for everything). They helped my sister and I survive planning a huge surprise party together - and that ain't easy! read more
