A Brief Visit to Eskaton Village

Our 3500 sq. ft. "Resort" here on the lake in Lake Wildwood has become way more than Mary and I need for just the two of us. Also, maintenance inside and out will eventually be a chore we can no longer handle. However, the wonderful view of the lake, and boats pulling children screaming with delight as they tube, ski or wakeboard, or older friends and neighbors just passing by more gently in party boats, are things we will not give up until we absolutely have to. Still, the time will come when we must leave, and we must be ready. Eskaton offers smaller homes and apartments, with services ranging from an occasional meal to three squares a day, a good size swimming and exercise pool and so on, and eventually "assisted living" apartments. They also maintain a small squadron of buses of various sizes to provide transportation when driving privileges are revoked by the DMV.

Today we visited former Lake Wildwood friends Joe and Peg Vielbig, who have a beautiful home in Eskaton Village. They toured us through their home and landscaping (much of it maintained by Eskaton) and then took us to lunch in the beautiful Eskaton dining room in "The Lodge". Joe arranged for Rhonda Herrin (Marketing Director) to meet us at the restaurant and join us for lunch. In fact, Rhonda picked up the tab and had several of the staff, including the chef, stop by our table.

Grass Valley map with pointer pin at a typical home in Eskaton Village

Satellite view with a pin at the center of "The Lodge". Nevada Union High school is at left.

Streets and home lots.
The Lodge is labeled "senior living units".
(This map is rotated 90 degrees right from the Google maps.)

Receptionist Michael Ozanich at the Lodge and dining room.
All of the Eskaton staff are very friendly and attentive.

Reception desk, with lounge rooms behind it. Note mobility devices at left.

Other side of reception area, with fruit and coffee always available to Eskaton residents.
There are two lounge rooms, so this is a good place for coffee and reading, to get out of the small apartments.

Mary, Joe, Peg, and Herb -- taken with my camera by Rhonda, available light from windows.

Same group, with flash

More of the dining room, and balcony above it

Attractive peaked ceiling and heavy beam trusses increase feeling of spaciousness.

Mary and Rhonda in the balcony during our tour of the apartments

Double Kwanzan flowering cherry tree in full bloom near entrance to Lodge and dining room

Main entrance to the Lodge and dining room.
There are five entrances to the lodge at several levels.
The Lodge is two stories high on this uphill east side and three on the downhill west side.

A ramp entrance to the assisted living rooms, just up the street from main entrance.

Before going to the Lodge Joe took us on a brief tour of the recreation buildings (see lot map near the top of this page) to see a large card and party room, ping pong table, pool table, exercise room, and the beautiful indoor pool, which had three lap swimming lanes and a parallel ramp entrance into the pool, in addition to the usual ladders. Joe says they keep the pool temperature at 86 degrees F, way too hot for serious lap swimming (I prefer from 75 to 80 degrees).

All in all, Eskaton looked like a great place to move down into living quarters more suitable for two people. The small houses, like the one Joe and Peg are living in, have a second bedroom and den, which Mary and I could share for our desks and my computers. It would be a serious shock to leave our spacious home and lake view here, and to get rid of our furniture and collected treasures. But the most severe shock would be to live in a community of entirely elderly people, some enfeebled. That would be depressing after our mixed community here, ranging from small children to senior citizens enjoying tennis and golf.

It's going to be tough leaving this view from our deck and all that goes with it.
I hope we can stay here for quite a few years before we have to pack up and go.

Viewed from our boat in the lake while taking our grandchildren tubing.
It's going to be very difficult to give all this up.