Earlier this month I attended the annual
CAPA Conference. Every year the Conference is held in a different part of the state of California and is put on by the local paralegal association. You may remember
last year the conference was held in Hollywood; the year before that it was in Burlingame, but I apparently didn't write about it. This year it was held in Riverside, CA at the
Mission Inn Hotel.
The Mission Inn Hotel.
The Interior Courtyard.
The Cathedral.
The Clock Tower.
Lord, but that place is beautiful! I heard several people comparing it to Hearst Castle, while others thought it was more like the Winchester Mystery House. Personally, I think both comparisons apply: the hotel's architecture and interior design is very much like Hearst Castle - opulent, and beautiful antiques - while some of the details were quite mysterious, such as stairways that went no where. There was something in every nook and cranny - everywhere you looked there was a painting, an old chair or table, a stained glass window, a bell, a fancy box; something!
Stained glass window and other artifacts at the end of a hallway.
Another stained glass window on a door leading to an outside walkway.
One of the many bells the Mission Inns' builder collected.
A plaque on the wall in one of the courtyards.
While the Inn was a lovely place to visit, I wasn't there for fun. I had seminars to attend and other paralegals, legal assistance and even a few attorneys to hob-knob with. Too bad I managed to come down with a crappy old cold on Friday night! I was able to attend all the sessions and get-togethers, but really didn't have as much fun as I did last year. I didn't do as much, either - no swimming or hottubbing, no eating out, no exploring, no sightseeing. I just felt to miserable, so I spent my evenings in my room - which was very nice, btw! - ordered room service and a movie on Saturday night (
Starsky and Hutch; very funny!), and tried to sleep. It was nice, but not as nice as it could've been if I'd been feeling better.
But, oh, well. Riverside and the Mission Inn will still be there if I ever decide I want to go down there for a weekend of fun - take the tour, visit the museum, basically do touristy stuff. Maybe someday I will.
