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It seems the older you get, the more difficult it is to pull off surprises - especially travel surprises. There are so many variables to orchestrate: time off work, childcare, pet sitting and the most challenging of all: packing clothes for someone else.
So, I didn't suspect a thing when my wife suggested going to dinner in Beverly Hills for my birthday this year - even though it was a Monday night, not my actual birthday and I habitually avoid West LA and its ubiquitous traffic.
What made dinner at Il Fornaio seem reasonable was its relative equidistance from Santa Clarita and CSU Long Beach, where our oldest daughter attends. Meeting in the middle meant she could join us and still get back to campus.
Or so I thought.
Dinner was simply the opening move in a sophisticated scheme. It was the mechanism for getting Laurel home so she could handle managing the house, the pets and her siblings while April and I remained in Beverly Hills for two nights.
As we wrapped up a sumptuous meal at the famous Italian eatery, April casually mentioned that she and I weren't going home that night. My mind was racing.
Clothes? She had a bag in the car for me. Work? She orchestrated my exit weeks ago. All the meetings were covered. April had pulled off not only a surprise birthday dinner, but a surprise midweek birthday get-away.
After dessert, we parted company with the kids. They headed home on the 405 while we made the leisurely drive to the nearby Mr. C Hotel for a couple days of much-needed relaxation.
The Mr. C may not be as well-known as some other 90210 hotel properties, but it is ideal for an in-town get-away. Located at the corner of Pico and Beverwill, it is surrounded mostly by residential properties. That means the noise of traffic fades once you get upstairs to your room. And with no tall buildings nearby, your balcony offers expansive views of the city. It was a treat to
just sit with the sliding glass door open and watch the breeze rustle the palm trees while staring off toward the Griffith Observatory.
We slept late the next morning, eventually setting off on a 10-minute walk to Urth Caffe for a mid-morning breakfast. It was surprisingly busy - and not with the office crowd. Nearly everyone was dressed casually and lingering over their lattes like we did.
While Missing Persons insists that "Nobody Walks in LA," more people should stroll Beverly Hills. It's a pleasant place to wander. We explored the neighborhood surrounding the hotel and even ventured north to the other side of Santa Monica Boulevard.
We were in search of the Spadena House, also known as the Witch's House. Built more than 100 years ago as a film producer's office, it was relocated to its current location and became a private residence. It looks like a Disneyland transplant with its steep, pointy roofs and tiny windows. You wouldn't be surprised to see seven dwarfs working in the overgrown yard.
The walk was a needed prelude to dinner at Cut, Wolfgang Puck's Michelin-starred steakhouse in the Beverly Wilshire hotel. Given its extravagance, enjoying the meal means ignoring the prices and indulging in whatever you choose. In other words, go hungry to make the most of it. Everything on the menu sounded amazing, and we enjoyed the experience from beginning to end - bread basket starter, steak and fish entrees, decadent side dishes and a special birthday dessert.
This dinner was the final birthday surprise from April and she definitely saved the best for last.
Eric Harnish lives in Castaic, which hides some surprises of its own.

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Mr. C mrchotels.com/mrcbeverlyhills/
Cut wolfgangpuck.com
Urth Caffe urthcaffe.com