Napa is for Lovers

Napa is for Lovers

of good food. good wine.

And a feeling that you just took a few steps back

to a different place.

A delicious time

When hidden jewls lay

just waiting to be found

and plucked

and savored.

I Left My Heart in the the City of Vines, Part Two

I Left My Heart in the the City of Vines, Part Two

Day one of vacation and it was picnics and Pinots (ok, not just pinots but it sounds so good right? Lot's of red wine) lol

We headed to Regusci Winery, as we heard it had a sweet spot for picnic lunches.

We heard right. 

Surrounded by olive trees (they make delicious olive oil) and Cabernet grapes

we took in the scenery and enjoyed a casual lunch.

I swear I was in heaven.

Add a few pudgy--pudgy is putting in kindly, these doggies were quite the chubsters lol-- Corgi's guarding the grounds and a very kind server

who allowed us a taste of their $125 estate Cabernet and it was a really great beginning to our day.

I Left My Heart in the City of Vines

I Left My Heart in the City of Vines

A soft bed

after a long drive

is so satisfying.

A great first night

filled with river-views & bbq's 

and of course the obligatory glasses of wine.

We waltzed over to the Bounty Hunter based on reputation & review

and were greeted by 2-for-1 glasses of delicious wine, draft beers (Guinness-yum!), and

the aroma of slowly roasting bbq beef.

You cannot believe how delicious a $10 plate of meat can be.

The fact that they house over 40 wines by the glass & many more in the bottle

was the sweetest icing on the welcome-wagon cake.

A bottle to go on a fire-side terrace

and I knew this vacation would be a good one . . .

Wonderful days were to

 to follow.

And photos are to follow on here!

Just had to share a few to start off with.

There are almost too many to count.

The Avia is great.

The Bounty Hunter is great.

I would suggest both to any Napa travelers.

More adventures to come. And thank you all who gave great suggestions!

Summer Vacation Planning

Summer Vacation Planning

It's really getting down to the wire here.

I am walking the tightrope between staying fully devoted to my work

and letting myself get lost in daydreams about my upcoming 10 day vacation.

So far daydreaming is winning out.

Well I'm just spending my lunch hours squaring everything away.

And by squaring things away, I mean shopping for items to be used on the trip.

Items such as this beauty from Miss Makes Alot, which I will wear at some point on my trip

and this cutie I just snagged from Forever 21 to wear under a cropped navy blazer and khaki shorts. (It is way cuter in person, I will post an outfit pic!) Apparently it gets hot in Napa this time of year and my June gloom Santa Barbara wardrobe isn't quite prepared for hot weather yet. lol. Oh and pps I am super screwed because Forever 21 is just like 3 blocks from my work and I have absolutely no will power.

I thought I would share some packing/vacation tips since it seems alot of us are heading out of town soon.

I am in no way a doctor, travel agent, concierge or expert of any sort. 

I am just making lists & taking note of ideas I like as I come across them lol.

Hope you can glean something useful from this.

1. Get a mani/pedi.I am normally a total bum who slacks about having my nails done, but vacation is an exception. I plan on having my toes out & my hands on display so they need to look their best!

2. Since I am heading to Napa (aka a wino's dreamland) I am bringing my Crest 3D white toothpaste.

I already did the strips and the toothpaste isn't too expensive & is great at maintaining. Very important when consuming mass amounts of vino rojo.

3.  Be flexible. I know it sounds trite but I always have the best time when I'm being flexible about an itinerary. I always have ideas planned out and solidified but I leave room for changes because A. Things happen & B. I always find new things I want to try when I'm there!

4.  Pack your toiletries in plastic baggies. No spillage on your clothes!

5. Invest in a portable steamer. I bought one for like $40 and I love it. So convenient (it's like the size of a milk container & lightweight) just plug it in and stand there steaming away wrinkles! No hassle of ironing boards or laying items flat.

6.  Always over pack. I know most people would say the opposite (or not!) lol but seriously, there is no worse feeling that wanting to wear an item you didn't bring. It's torture.

7. Buy jewelry! Ok, this is a silly tip but one I love. I used to stress whenever I went on vacation about what trinket I would get to remember the trip. I spent hours scouring tourist shops for stuff that I didn't even display half the time. If you need a bedspread, silverware set, artwork, jewelry, pillow etc.buy it on your vacation. You will use it more often & it will mean more to you than a snow globe.

8. Save your money for dinner. If you are trying to be thrifty (which I always am) scout out less expensive places for breakfast and lunch. It's pretty hard to screw up a sandwich or pancakes & you can save the big bucks for a really nice dinner somewhere. Also some of the most delicious food comes from a hole-in-the-wall or a taco stand so don't be afraid to get your hands a little dirty.lol

9.  Bring flats (and heels!) Ok big secret admission time ladies. I have fallen twice in the past month in heels. Ugh! This is after years of a clean high-heel wearing record. I'm not one of those wibbly wobblies who cant hang with three inches of heels. I can hang, and I can hang while intoxicated! Damn Santa Barbara bumpy sidewalks.

So I have vowed to give myself walking options based off of the Napa terrain. lol

10. Roll your T-Shirts. Helps keep out wrinkles! Literally, roll them like sushi.

Ok that's it for now because I know that like me you probably don't have too much of an attention span for advice. Happy Hump Day!

Vino Vino Vengo.

Vino Vino Vengo.

Time is just crawling by until my upcoming vacation to Napa CA

As it is approaching (not quickly enough for me!) I have been solidifying our itinerary.

In our relationship

I am the planner.

Which for the most part I thoroughly enjoy.

I love to create experiences, whether it be vacation planning, wedding planning or just a Friday night get-together.

Something I don't love planning is weekly meals

like when the bf looks at me and says "What are we doing for dinner?"

and I think to myself, "Do I look like the gatekeeper of your food intake here?!" lol

But I digress.

Here is a little sneak peek of our activities for your enjoyment

or inspiration! Because I think this is going to be a jolly good time.

1. Avia Hotel

 So we are staying at the Avia hotel in Napa.

This place got great reviews and the bf loves it because of its fancy bathroom (I know hilarious right!)

It's located downtown, which is experiencing a revival apparently.

A family friend who lives in Napa said the hotel is awesome.

Score!

It's also like 5 mins away from a winery we are crazy about.

Double score!

2. Napa Valley Wine Train

Ok I am really beyond excited about this one.

The Napa Valley Wine Train is a restored train (some cars are as old as 1915)

that takes you up into wine country to do some wine tasting!

On the way you get a 3 course meal (gourmet I'm told, & better be for the price!) in this awesome dining car.

The ticket we bought takes us to Grgich Hills Winery for an hour of wine tasting & touring

There was an option for champagne tasting but it was only available on Fridays/Saturdays and we won't be there. Boohoo about that.

3. Oxbow Public Market

Fashioned after the San Francisco Ferry Building Marketplace (a place I've never been sadly)

this seems to be like a permanently established farmer's market

Filled with artisan cheeses, specialty chocolates and little gems just waiting to be found

I think it will be a relaxing way to waste away an afternoon after wine tasting or mud bathing. Yes I said mud bathing!

4. Calistoga Mud Baths

I haven't decided which location yet, but I will be indulging in some volcanic ash mud bathing!

Calistoga is about 40 mins from downtown Napa and is famous for their mud baths.

Supposed to have healing elements I definitely want to make a stop at one

and maybe wrangle a massage in there too!

So thats the basics for now. There are of course restaurants calling my name and little shops whispering in my ear.

I didn't realize there was a river in Napa! So I want to check out the river-front shops and maybe take a little river cruise.

And of course Truchard Vineyards.

Seriously check it out.

 

Any native Naponians (I'm sure this is wrong, but so funny) out there with suggestions?

or ladies who've had the luxury of visiting?

I'm open for anything!

Except hot air balloon rides :)