iPostcards from 15th Anniversary Road Trip

For our 15th Anniversary (August 11), we decided to celebrate by doing a culinary road trip in the wine country of Northern California (Napa-Sonoma-Russian River Valleys). I thought, since I've been unemployed since March, we better do a local trip to minimize on expenses. Boy was I wrong. In some ways, an international trip may have come out cheaper. This trip was all about enjoying each other's company and the pleasures of eating amazing food along with good wine. Prior to the trip, my honey sensed that I was feeling anxious about the future expense. But being a sweetheart, he informed me that anything that went beyond our vaca-sean fund, would be covered by him. So, I was able to close my eyes, savor every bite & sip and truly enjoy. Hey, what can I say..."I'm worth it!" :-)

For iPostcards of the following vaca-sean, please click on the name of the destina-sean:
San Francisco
Canyon
St. Helena, Napa Valley
Rutherford, Napa Valley
Spring Mountain District AVA, Napa-Sonoma Valley
Sterling, Calistoga
Calistoga, Napa Valley
Napa, Napa Valley
Guerneville/Russian River
Bodega Bay
Bodega

Or you can scroll down the blog to see them from latest to earliest.

iPostcards from Bodega, CA

Our plan was to find a nice ocean front/view hotel to spend our last night (prior to going back home) in Bodega Bay. By the time we got there, the fog had rolled in and so it didn't make any sense to necessarily stay on the coast. I checked Yelp.com and read from contributors that there was this highly-rated villa that is owned & managed by an Austrian couple a few miles down the road in Bodega. We discovered the Sonoma Coast Villa & Spa. It ended up to be a great find. We went for a nice horseback ride the next morning before we checked-out. We then drove back from Bodega via CA-1 S/US-101 S to San Francisco and flew out of SFO airport.

"Hello ladies. Look at your man. Now back to me. Now back at your man. Now back to me. Sadly, he isn't me. But if he stopped using lady-scented body wash and switched to Old Spice, he could smell like he's me. Look down. Back up. Where are you? You're on a boat with the man your man could smell like. What's in your hand? Back at me. I have it! It's an oyster with two tickets to that thing you love. Look again. The tickets are now diamonds. Anything is possible when your man smells like Old Spice and not a lady. I'm on a horse!"
(If you don't get this, click HERE.)

Have you guys ever seen an Ass-Bra?

It is what you get when you crossbreed a donkey and a zebra.
Came across a Zeedonk for the very first time.

The Zeedonk fell in love with Bill and followed him.

Saying good-bye to my sweet horse, Cody

For more pictures of this vaca-sean, please click HERE.

iPostcards from Bodega Bay, CA

From the Russian River, we finally reached the Sonoma Coast and drove down the Pacific Coastline on Hwy 1 from Jenner to Bodega Bay. Bodega Bay is a shallow, rocky inlet of the Pacific Ocean on the coast of northern California. It is approximately 5 mi across and is located approximately 40 mi northwest of San Francisco and 20 mi west of Santa Rosa. The bay straddles the boundary between Sonoma County to the north and Marin County to the south. It was the setting for the 1963 Alfred Hitchcock film, The Birds.

Goat Rock Beach

For more pictures of this vaca-sean, please click HERE.

iPostcards from Guerneville/Russian River, CA

On our drive from Napa Valley to the Pacific Coastline, we decided to skip the other wine country valleys and drive via Guerneville, which is located in western Sonoma County, along the Russian River on State Route 116. We stopped by a local farmer's stand and bought some fruits & cheese and found a secluded spot by the riverbank to have a picnic.






For more pictures of this vaca-sean, please click HERE.

iPostcards from Napa, Napa Valley, CA

The only time we spent in Napa, was when we first arrived in the valley and got some information from the Napa Valley Visitor Information Center and on our last night, where we had dinner with our host, Lorelei, and her wonderful friends/classmates (graduating Class of 2010) from The Culinary Institute of America California, at Morimoto Napa.

Iron Chef, Masaharu Morimoto's newly opened restaurant in Napa, Morimoto Napa

An old friend of mine, Kip, who lives in Napa,
dropped by the restaurant before dinner to meet us for a drink.
We had not seen each other in 15 years.

I asked Iron Chef, Masaharu Morimoto for a picture with the group.
He only agreed as long as we didn't use a flash.
This was the result.

For more pictures of this vaca-sean, please click HERE.

iPostcards from Calistoga, Napa Valley, CA

Way before the "day spa" was popular, Calistoga was known far and wide for its healthful environment. Travelers came from all over to "take the cure", relax in the hot springs, and be immersed in hot volcanic ash known as a mud bath. So after getting sh*t-faced at two wineries, Clos Pegase & Sterling Vineyards, we got ourselves "mud-faced", a thermal bath, and ended with a massage. Ahhh, what a happy ending to a great day!

We went to two wineries: The Clos Pegase Vineyards
and the Sterling Vineyards (see other post).

Extreme Home Makeover Disaster or Food Network Challenge?

There I was trying to relax and enjoy my mud bath, when Bill, who was experiencing it for the first time, interrupts my Zen-like moment by asking, "I wonder if previous bathers have pooped in this tub?". From that point on the mud sure looked and smelled differently... LOL

For more pictures of this vaca-sean, please click HERE.

iPostcards from Sterling, Calistoga, CA

Before going for our spa treatments in Calistoga, we went to Sterling Vineyards, which has an aerial tramway that takes you up to the winery. I really didn't care much for their wines, but liked their self-guided winemaking tour. They also offered one of the best views of the Napa Valley.

For more picture of this vaca-sean, please click HERE.

iPostcards from Spring Mountain District AVA, Napa-Sonoma Valley, CA

One of the best views of the valley is seen from Spring Mountain, where the appellation sits on steep terraces of the Mayacamas Mountains that separate Napa Valley from Sonoma Valley and the Santa Rosa Plain. It lies in a northwestern portion of the Napa Valley above and behind the town of Saint Helena.





For more pictures of this vaca-sean, please click HERE.

iPostcards from Rutherford, Napa Valley, CA

South of St. Helena, where we stayed, is Rutherford. This is where we had our first great meal, crashed a wedding, and saw one of the best views of the valley.

view from Auberge du Soleil

Finally, some sweet soul offered to take a picture of us together.

The only wineries we got to visit in Rutherford
were ZD Wines & Mumm Napa

For more pictures of this vaca-sean, please click HERE.

iPostcards from St. Helena, Napa Valley, CA

St. Helena served as our base camp, while we went up & down the valley. We visited and stayed at our friend, Lorelei's house, just before she graduated as a pastry chef from the CIA. Why spend on accommodations when you can have more money for food & wine? :-)

one of our several Happy 15th Anniversary dinners

kinky looking dessert

Would I look good as a chef at
The Culinary Institute of America California?

For more pictures of this vaca-sean, please click HERE.

iPostcards from Canyon, CA

Before heading out on our 15th anniversary culinary/wine road trip around Napa/Sonoma/Russian River Valleys, we spent our first night with family at Kaya, Kelley, and Thaylo Westling's lovely home in Canyon, CA.

Swinging Thaylo.
He learned how to say, "Hold on tight!" as I pushed & pulled him. :-)

Lesson learned: Follow their specific directions,
not MapQuest, not GPS. :-)

For more pictures of this vaca-sean, please click HERE.

iPostcards from San Francisco, CA - 8.12/17.10

For our 15th anniversary culinary/wine country road trip, we flew in and out of SFO. We had such a very limited time in one of our favorite cities, but were able to grab some lunch, shop, and have dinner with some friends on our first day before heading out to Napa Valley. On our last day, we drove back from Bodega on CA-1 S/US-101 S to SFO.

We had dinner with some of my closest friends
at our friend, Barry Picazo's gourment Filipino restaurant, The Intramuros.

one of the delicious specials on the menu

rushing to the airport via the Golden Gate Bridge

For more pictures of this vaca-sean, please click HERE.