Blogs from Napa Valley, California, United States, North America - page 7

There is a reason I've been schlepping a pair of strappy black heels and an impractical sundress over mountains and deserts, through forests and fields, allowing them to take up precious space in our very limited cargo hold, and that reason is Napa Valley. The very thought spins visions of elegance -- sunkissed vineyards, romantic B&Bs, limosines and vintage bottles of wine being sipped on the terrace. And though we'll be admiring all of it from a tent, we are not stopped for one second from trying to look the part. This was the only campground I'd made reservations for all summer. Although we've had remarkable luck at grabbing spots in peak season, we didn't want to take any chances. I was hesitant because reservations require a committment to a certain date and time and lately, ... read more

Hi Everyone, We’ve had a really fun time the last 2 days in Napa Valley. We’ve got free internet today on the Verizon phone so we decided to take advantage and send a short update. Boy, the trip over from Yosemite to Napa was NOT fun! We got to within about 30 miles or so from Oakland and San Francisco and the traffic was horrific! It took us an hour to go 5 miles and across the Sears Point toll bridge over San Francisco Bay in 10 lanes of traffic moving at a crawl. I’ll find a better route next time. Napa Valley though is really an awesome sight, we had no idea the meticulous care that goes into maintaining the vineyards. Shawn would really enjoy this. Went on several wine tours and tastings…. Mondavi, ... read more

We are now in wine country, in the Sonoma valley - Napa Valley’s prettier neighbour. It is lovely, but we think Slovenia beats it for beautiful countryside. We are staying in a little cottage just off the main plaza - with orange trees on our doorstep and every possible detail thought through with style. We had a day the vineyards where we drank a little wine. The next day we drove to the coast to peer over the cliffs at elephant seals snoozing in the sunshine. A couple of little pups were a bit restless and barking as the elders slept like the dead. We had a picnic lunch overlooking the Francis Drake bay - wonderful.... read more

So-cal to nor-cal, and departing tomorrow for Pacific Island Paradise. Staying with family friends at an almost self-sufficient ranch on the northern coast. It is beautiful, with great food (best home grown lamb and veg ever!), and lots of fun company. We even got to have a shower and do some laundry. Did you know, dirty laundry can asexually reproduce in the compression sack, bursting out to fill an entire room! Have seen a lot between here and LA, and it's obvious there is never enough time to do PCH (Hwy 1) properly. I loved the wild Cornish-style nor-cal better, alex the surfer-bum beaches and warm water of so-cal. Seen beautiful sunsets, camped (and blown away) only steps from the beach, worn the same pair of pants til they could walk off, and loved the flip-flops ... read more

We leave from Napa this Sunday arriving in our first stop of London on Monday 12/18. We are going to attempt to update this blog regularly. Please hit the "subscribe" button to get an email every time we update. Larry... read more