Being a dentist in Ohio affords me the opportunity to stay ahead of the trends and remain educated on an ongoing basis, as well as endless combined opportunities to travel and enhance my skills as a dentist. There are more courses and travel opportunities than time permits. We need to be wise in our selection to maximize learning and experiences. I have had the privilege over the last decade to travel to many wonderful places and learn from the masters in dentistry. This past week I attended a Pride Institute course in the Napa valley. The experience was so great that I had to write this article to share the experience with you. In fact, I am writing this on the floor in my room at the Heritage House on Deerfield Beach in Little River, California. This resort is awesome. Some of you may remember the movie "Same Time Next Year" starring Allan Alda and Ellen Burstyn. It was filmed here. It is perhaps, the ultimate romantic hotel. I'll return to it later.

Our trip began by flying to San Francisco on frequent flyer tickets earned by paying my laboratory and supplies bills on United airlines First Card. We spent the first night at the Clift Hotel just off Union Square. The Clift was a Four Seasons property years ago and is elegant, charming and very convenient. The Redwood Room Bar in the Clift has been described as the most romantic bar in the world. My wife and I capped our first night with a pair of drinks to a wonderful piano and bass combo. The next day we did the tourist thing and had an outdoor lunch of Dungeness crab and clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl at Fisherman's Wharf. This is a very touristy place but it doesn't seem to matter.

After lunch we drove the hour drive to the Napa Valley, stopping at Domaine Canaros at the foothills of the valley to taste champagne in a reproduction French chateau. Our destination was the Silverado Country Club where the Pride Institute Seminar was to be held. The speaker the first day was Frank Spear, a periodontist and prosthodontist from Seattle. Dr. Spear spoke about achieving the ultimate dental practice. He told us his story of the ups and downs of his career that lead him to the practice that he has today. His message was clear and inspirational. Everyone should see Frank Spear. His lecture format included beautiful photography with an accompanying message. Everyone in attendance was inspired and left motivated to achieve greater things.

That afternoon my wife and I had a phenomenal lunch at the four star restaurant at Domaine Chandon, the American vineyard of the famous French Moet Chandon, maker of champagne and sparkling wine. Although not cheap, the champagne, food, ambiance and service were excellent. The restaurant was set in the midst of beautiful gardens, ponds, and a grove of tall shade trees. Vaulted wooden half-round ceilings reminiscent of the inside of wine barrels and glass walls that brought the outside garden environment inside the restaurant made for a perfect environment.

After lunch we returned to the Silverado to indulge in an in room massage. The Pride Institute arranged for seminar attendee's to be housed in garden suites. These rooms were a bargain at $185 per night. Each suite consisted of a ground floor condominium like unit with a kitchen, living room, bedroom with a king size bed, and two outdoor sitting areas on each side of the unit. The main house and meeting rooms were but a few minutes walk through the beautiful grounds. The Silverado is a first class facility and was a wise choice for the meeting.

The next morning Brian Humbert spoke to us on the impact the millenium change may have on our lives and businesses. Brian prefaced the lecture with the fact that he had not previously been concerned with this problem and that with some research, his view has changed to warrant some concerns. Some investigation and preparation would be beneficial for dentists. He then went on to discuss his theory on investing in the stock market and why a market timing investment strategy could generate greater returns in the coming years. He opened my eyes as to why this strategy may increase returns versus the buy and hold strategy. Dr. pride closed the session discussing the future of dentistry with respect to managed care and the management companies that are trying to buy dental practices throughout the country. Dr. pride feels that these companies are doomed to fail as they have already demonstrated in medicine.

That afternoon, we traveled to Pride Winery, Dr Pride's own Napa Valley vineyards. Dr. Pride has taken his successes in the dental industry and applied them to the winemaking business. His wines are internationally acclaimed and his facilities are awe-inspiring. After a tour of the winery and vineyards, we gathered for a picnic and food and wine lecture in a spectacular setting under a beautiful grove of trees in front of an abandoned late nineteenth century winery on the grounds of Pride Winery. The director of the Napa Valley Wine Train gave the lecture. He talked about how different wines and food can change your taste perceptions. Yet another eye opening experience.

The following morning we traveled up the Napa valley stopping at a few more wineries on the way. The Niebaum Copolla winery was one of the more interesting stops. Francis Ford Copolla owns this winery, formerly the Inglenook winery. The buildings and grounds have been beautifully restored.

Inside the main building is a museum to highlight the careers of both Niebaum and Copolla. Captain Niebaum was a very successful shipper in the late eighteen hundreds. His fleet served the Pacific coast during the California and Alaskan gold rushes. Captain Niebaum started this winery as a diversion to his other businesses. Copolla has a large collection of film memorabilia here including a Tucker automobile, numerous Oscar,Emmy, and other awards, props from Apocalypse Now, The Godfather, and Bram Stoker's Dracula, and historical film treasures.

Our destination for the day was Mendocino and cooler coastal temperatures as it was in the 100's in the valley. Traveling through the Anderson valley, north, we ran into a redwood forest that descended to the coast with temperatures dropping 35 degrees. The Heritage House was a breath of fresh and cool air. This resort is spread over 45 acres at the top of cliffs that tower over a pounding Pacific Ocean. The scenery is spectacular. Guests are housed in various buildings throughout the property, each with it's own character and charm. Every unit has a spectacular view of the ocean. The restaurant was cozy with gourmet fare. After dinner a walk to the cliffs with a glass of wine to go and a stopoff at the hotel bar's roaring fire was the perfect nightcap.

The trip concluded back in San Francisco. This time we stayed in charming Sausalito across the bay. Our room at the hotel had a great view of the bay, the city, and Alcatraz. The concierge arranged a wonderful seafood dinner at a restaurant that was built out over the water. This is the kind of place that seafood was meant for. Our final day was spent doing the 49-mile drive, a driving tour of San Francisco highlights.

This vacation/educational opportunity gets an A+. I returned to my practice inspired and ready to get back to work. This is one of the reasons we went into dentistry. Let's take advantage of it and live and work to our fullest potential.

Continuing Education In the Napa Valley

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