I dine out nearly every night and I don't recall anyone ever being this proactive.

At one point, one of the three people working our table noticed I had not eaten much of my main course (a delicious, butternut squash risotto) and asked if she could bring something more to my liking. At no time did anyone try to interfere with our mission. Hotel staff were available to answer our questions smiling guests stopped by to compliment our work. Within 1/2 hour, we had transformed our space into a tropical oasis befitting the nobel bird that is the pink flamingo. I am certain we would not have had this luxury the day before. Thankfully, the resort had quieted down from its sold-out Labor Day weekend, so we were able to work in peace, without having to worry that we were tying up a table that another guest could have used. We selected a table in the corner and went to work decorating it - all with the blessing of the cute bartender. The lounge itself is tented, with strings of party lights, rows of comfy couches and several small dining tables. Had I known, I would have brought my vintage swimsuit and jumped right in. The pool area is straight out of a 50s movie set. Instead of being hauled off in a padded car, we were greeted with happy smiles and given directions to the outdoor lounge. We would have understood if a security guard had jumped us at the door - that candelabra is scary and we looked like a couple of nuts. A 2-foot high tiki piñata swung from my outstretched arm. Another was a huge cardboard box overflowing with tropical nonsense. One of the items we brought with us was a seven-foot, heavy, five-prong, iron candelabra that could easily double as some sort of Medieval weapon. My friend and I rolled into the Flamingo on a mission: That evening, we were treating her cousin - and my childhood friend- to dinner at the Flamingo grill and we hoped to be able to pre-decorate our table to reflect our mutual love for tiki/flamingo/tropical splendor. Then I saw IT - a magical, rotating, several-stories-high, pink tower, crowned with a bewitching neon flamingo. I am a sucker for 1950s/60s Hollywood glamour and old-school Vegas kitsch, but the area surrounding the Flamingo did not reflect either. As I drove up to the Flamingo for the first time, I had no clue what to expect. Had I known, I would have brought my vintage.

Pink flamingo hotel santa rosa