Tales of the celebrities, heads of state and famous guests who have graced the halls of the 120-year-old Mission Inn Hotel in Riverside, California were colorfully shared by a hotel historian this holiday season with current and future residents of Silvergate Retirement Residence, a boutique collection of senior living communities that places a strong focus on lifestyle enrichment for seniors. The entire Silvergate family, including nearly 100 residents and guests, came together to celebrate and enjoy the Festival of Lights at the mission-revival style inn.
Standing at the entrance to the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in Riverside, California, residents and guests of Silvergate San Marcos were transported to a holiday celebration that included a unique holiday fine-dining experience, a presentation from the hotel historian and a walk of the Inn’s annual Festival of Lights.
“Our annual holiday celebration has become a Silvergate family tradition,” said Joan Rink-Carroll, Executive Director of Silvergate’s San Marcos community, whose residents and guests enjoyed a delectable fine-dining experience in the same room where presidents, royalty and celebrities have gathered for more than a century. “Rather than being at home alone during the holidays, our residents have an opportunity to come together and enjoy the magic of the season like extended family. This event– like so many of our outings – is just one more reason why living at Silvergate makes such a difference for seniors who want unique things to do to do as part of their retirement lifestyle.”
Surrounded by the grandeur and beauty of the Mission Inn at the holiday season, Silvergate attendees were treated to a historical overview of the hotel’s priceless artworks and later meandered through an array of holiday lights and decorations. While dining in the hotel’s historic Spanish Art Gallery, Silvergate’s guests were enraptured by the stories imparted by Hotel Docent, BarbaraAnn Burns. In her talk, Burns recounted the history of the hotel’s colorful owner, Christopher Columbus Miller. She also shared about the weddings and honeymoons enjoyed at the inn by figures such as Richard and Pat Nixon, Bette Davis, and Ronald and Nancy Reagan. Burns spoke of the many visits made to the inn by famous figures like Andrew Carnigie, W.C. Fields, Clark Gable, Tom Hanks and Ted Kennedy. Guests left with a better understanding of the majesty of the hotel and why it is considered a national treasure on the West Coast.
“I’m so glad I decided to take part in this event with everyone from Silvergate,” said Nadene Berkos, who joined residents from the senior living community as a guest and is considering Silvergate as a future retirement living option. “I want to continue to go places like the Mission Inn in my golden years but making these types of outings happen on my own has become difficult to do. When I discovered that Silvergate takes care of all the planning, transportation and coordination to exciting locations like this, I decided to jump on the bus and go enjoy the holidays with some new friends. Being part of this community seems like such a great way to live in retirement.”
“Because our owners are locally based, they are able to regularly attend these kinds of events and be engaged with our residents and guests on a more personal level,” said David Nelson, Marketing Director for Silvergate San Marcos. “We are fortunate to have them so closely involved with all of our communities. They support these types of events because they are the caliber of activities that they would want for themselves and their own family members in retirement. That type of involvement is rare in senior living and really sets us apart from other retirement communities.”
Events & Activities at Silvergate
Planning events that keep seniors active and engaged has long been the aim of the Activities Teams at Silvergate, whose calendar of events are consistently filled with creative ways to keep residents on-the-go and entertained year-round. For those interested in learning more about Silvergate, call David Nelson at (760) 744-4484. For general information about the independent living, assisted living and memory care, visit SilvergateRR.com/SM online.
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