Mark and Cassey: BRING ON THE WINE

SONOMA, NAPA VALLEY, AND SAN FRANCISCO

I definitely wasn't in Mississippi Anymore.....

Where do I start.... This might actually be my longest most detailed blog post to date. There are so many stories, and so many ways to describe what I thought about San Francisco, Sonoma, and Napa Valley. I guess I'll just start at the beginning....
Rachael got engaged after Christmas, and I immediately starting dreaming of the perfect get-a-way before she tied the knot. Bachelorette parties seem so cliche when your 30. I was in no mood to party and stay out until 3am at some sleezy bar wearing a bachelorette sash and forcing Rachael into a tiara with a fake veil draping down the back covered in manly parts... just not my idea of fun anymore. And, I can assure you, it was not Rachael's either - so we opted for the "over 30, working moms with money, go big or go home" route. And, what better place to eat, drink, and be merry than the WINE COUNTRY ???? Every Single Person Was 100% game ... so right then and there... the planning began. We rented a house in Sonoma before February I think, our flights were booked long before summer, and as the saying goes... "that's all she wrote"
We definitely went all out!!! From hot air balloon rides, to horseback riding, to renting our own private driver, to a 3 bedroom cottage with a jacuzzi and a game room, to a fully loaded Suburban, to not waking up before 10am (their time might I add - noon here in MS - except for the Balloon Ride day), and last but not least - to drinking wine all day long! I mean, it could not have been a more perfect vacation!!!!

Sausalito

After arriving in San Francisco and meeting up with everyone at the airport - we were Sonoma bound! We took the scenic route thru the city to view Presidio and get the best view of the Golden Gate Bridge. A-MAZ-ING might I add. To be honest, I just loved the Bay. Sailboats were everywhere. Alcatraz stood tall and firm in the distance. The fog moved in and out as quickly as the tide can change. Dragon Boats raced, paddle boards are the new rave, and sea lions bopped up and down only letting you catch glimpses of their faces every now and then. After we crossed the GGB out of SF we entered the most quaint "doll house" kind of town - Sausalito. If I lived in San Fran this is where I'd want to be. The weather was beautiful. The people were so extremely nice. The food was fantastic. From what I hear this is definitely the nicer side to SF - where all the big people have houses - like Clint Eastwood and Robin Williams. I can see that... Who would want to leave that view? The bay on one side - the Pacific on the other.... ? Nobody. Nobody. Nobody.

My view from my first California Dinner!

Hot Air Balloon:

By Far, my favorite adventure. Hands down. You could see the entire valley from the top. At one point even the Pacific was visible! Our pilot was very knowledgeable and I truly enjoyed every minute of our flight. When else do you get to see the sunrise from the sky??? Feel the fog on your face, and watch as God unveils the vineyards and grapevines in them - row by row with the sun? Absolutely Breathtaking.

A view from the top at sunrise

The fog is moving out

Marijuana garden

The Wine Tours:

We rented JIM, the driver for the day. He took us to 3 different wineries in Napa Valley. Each one had it own charm and personality. Each one was totally different. Each one possessed a Pizzaz about it, that left you wanting to know more about them.

Artessa:

This one was more modern. The views from the top were magnificent. The front of the winery sat on top of one of the highest hills in Napa. The entire front of the winery was covered in Infinity Pools that looked out over their vineyards. At one spot the pools edge touched the view to the Pacific Ocean and it appeared the water went on forever - a sight I will never forget.

Wow! What a view!

Del Dotto:

This one was my FAVORITE!!! If I ever get the chance to go back to Napa, this will be at the top of my list to go back to. The winery itself was in the side of a mountain and the majority of it was all enclosed in caves - lit only by candlelight. The lobby was made of marble and had paintings on the ceilings and walls. At first the sight was screaming "Italian Catholic" to me, but the aire about the vineyard and its winery ended up being my top pick by a long shot! The experience was indescribable. The wine tastings here were done straight from the barrel in the caves. It ended with food parings of different meats, cheeses, and pizza. We also treated ourselves to Port wine with chocolate dessert. I mean? Seriously?? Such a unique experience.

I really hate that these are blurry ... it was very hard to get a picture that captures the setting of the caves

The caves were only lit by candle-light - which really threw off the flash on my camera... ugh..

Our wine tasting group

V. Sattui:

This one was more family oriented. It was 4th generation grandson owned. It had its own deli and an enormous food selection. Picnic tables engrossed its own park and rest area. The barrels here were enormous compared to the small barrels at Del Dotto. I loved their Wine Cellars. Its charm was relaxing and peaceful. This was definitely the more casual of the three.

A wine tasting room

cheese anyone???

With this much wine... you gotta have the right cheese ...

The Town of Sonoma:

The people were lovely. I took an oath to only tell people it was horrible, the food was terrible, it was crowded and unclean. I think it is just a tourist trap now and sometimes the people just want to relax in their quaint little town without all of the hustle and bustle. But, contrary to what I promised to portray of the town - it was lovely. I loved the village and the town square.

The Amadora House (the house we rented) was covered in fruit trees. We had fresh apples, oranges, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, table grapes, grapefruits, strawberries, limes, etc... every morning. What a fun experience - to wake up and walk outside to pick your breakfast???

Dianne picking her apple of the day

Horseback Riding:

ha ha ha ha.... oh geez... well I got thrown off... not on purpose; however, I don't think anybody intentionally gets thrown off a horse. What I mean, is that my horse did not intend to throw me off. I think something was really wrong with my horse. He kept tripping and falling down... I informed our guide multiple times about the condition of my horse, merely to learn "that I was just an inexperienced rider and needed to sit back in my saddle more." well... I may not be experienced but I am also no idiot either. I did have horses in my orchard when I was little. I actually have ridden before - and although I'm not a horse expert by any means - I also know it is not normal for a horse to collapse on all four feet and fall down. Its a horse for crying out loud. The animal acted like he had narcolepsy or something. I really felt bad for the poor thing. Yes, I'm all bruised up, but that is nothing in comparison to how bad I feel for the horse. Something is bad wrong with him. I really thought he broke his legs and they were going to have to euthanize him right then and there and I would have to watch and I could not handle that.... The guide was like "no your horse is fine".... I'm sorry, did you not just see my horse lying on the ground???? The only thing that caught his fall was a giant redwood tree. Oh well, that was its on adventure! We rode all thought the Jack London state park. I got to see a few Redwoods

Meeting Maxx - before I knew he had something wrong with him

Off to a great start .... yikes ...

Poor Maxx - I really did feel bad for him...

The Process:

We visited all kinds of different vineyards in Sonoma as well. We even did a few wine tastings at some shops downtown. I have learned so much about Wine and the process of making it. I am no connoisseur by any means, but I at least know a few things now. I have had lots of practice!!! :)

Step one - grow the grapes

Step two - make the wine

Step three - bottle the wine

Step four - Taste the wine

The City of San Francisco:

Busy Busy Busy.... I would not live there if you paid me to. The houses are stacked one on top of the other - straight up a mountain. Foundation problems I'm sure? It makes our Delta Soil not look so bad after all. Lots of Asian influence, which was not a bad thing, just much different that the Mexican influence we experience in the south. I very rarely saw an obese person. The food was much more healthy. The people were nice, but I could not tell between tourist and citizens of the town - unless they too were snapping photographs like me. It was very interesting, but not somewhere I would ever want to live or raise my kids. It made me miss home. It made me proud to build a house with land and a front yard. I think I would get claustrophobic if I stayed there very long at one time. I did witness a man get hit by a car and thrown into the air. Rachael's brother had to give a police statement. That was horrific. I wont forget that either.