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We have some really exciting things on the calendar over the next several months, and the fun officially kicked off last week with a mommy and daddy trip to Napa Valley, California!
This was especially exciting because we were long overdue for some adult alone time. My husband had never been to California, nor had he desired to, and I had only been to SoCal (Los Angeles). I was really excited to see what NoCal was all about and well, hubby was just grumpy but went along with my plans. He left on a Sunday to attend a conference in San Francisco, and I flew out Wednesday afternoon when his meetings ended. After doing a little sightseeing that afternoon and hitting up a nice little Italian restaurant and the largest Nordstrom in California (that's what the salesgirl said and I totally believe her), we crashed to get ready for our weekend in Napa. Side note: I wish I'd had more time to peruse the fabulous four-story Nordstrom, which was literally a block from our hotel, but that's another trip and probably a whole blog in itself.
Bright and early Thursday morning (I was still on Dallas time), we headed to breakfast at the highly rated Hollywood Cafe. I wish I had had the same experience as the other diners on TripAdvisor, but I honestly just thought this place was OK. Then, ready to head out of the city and into the valley, we set our sights on the Golden Gate bridge. Thankfully, we were able to get one nice Golden Gate photo, albeit a bit grainy. Special thanks to the fisherman who didn't speak English, but at least understood "Can you take our photo?"
As we drove farther from San Francisco and into Napa, I was surprised to find the city of Napa itself very commercialized. I was a bit disappointed to see an outlet mall and a Kohl's. I was thinking...is this is my weekend retreat? But luckily I'd done my research, and we continued north to our destination - the perfect tiny town of Yountville. Located just north of the city of Napa, Yountville is part of the Napa Valley wine country, but with an unspoiled aura. The shops are locally-owned boutiques, the restaurants are Michelin-rated, and the hotels are quaint yet five star. While we were only there for a couple of days, we did get to try a couple of great restaurants, and we stayed at the wonderful Napa Valley Lodge. The people at our hotel were so friendly, our room was enormous with a great view, and the complimentary breakfast was plentiful. (I really must get that muffin recipe!) It was the perfect quiet little retreat. You can check out my full review on TripAdvisor. Here are a couple shots of the grounds at Napa Valley Lodge.
I simply cannot get over the beauty of Napa Valley. Luck was in our favor, because while we were there, the valley was experiencing warmer than normal temperatures, and I was pleased to escape the cold weather we'd been experiencing at home. I was not expecting the rolling hills (mountains), the wildflowers and the extensive, scenic winery grounds. While we didn't even begin to scratch the surface of what there is to see and do in Napa Valley, we did get to see quite a bit of the countryside.
Geese at Etude Winery
What an interesting way to hang your Stars and Stripes.
Interesting trees at the entrance to Etude Winery
Here's a photo of the tasting room at my favorite winery, Swanson Vineyards. They do have the best whites.
Swanson's Tasting Room
This is one of the most impressive-looking wineries, Domaine Carneros. They are known for their sparkling wines, but the view drew me in.
