Seattle and the Olympic National Park If you like wine, food and nature, you will enjoy the activities of our dazzling six-day excursion in the Pacific Northwest. Our Stay in Seattle For our three-night stay in Seattle, we chose the Seattle Courtyard Marriott at Lake Union. The hotel is 20 minutes from the SeaTac Airport. Beautiful … Read more
The new Yorkville Cellars Our last visit to the Yorkville area had been in 2019. COVID struck and we missed going through this area the past two years. We were quite surprised to learn that one of our favorite hidden wineries has new owners. Yorkville Cellars began in the 1980’s and, apparently, the original owners … Read more
Picnic and Hike at Riverfront Regional Park in Sonoma County Since the COVID pandemic, it has been difficult for wine travelers to find a winery where one can enjoy a picnic lunch with vineyard views. Many wineries have restrictions on their picnic areas. Often reservations are required. Some offer picnic tables to wine club members … Read more
Napa Valley on a Budget – It can be done The recent announcement by Heitz Cellars of their $1000-per-person wine tasting experience, and the recent opening of Napa’s Stanly Ranch ($1000-a-night rooms), triggered a bevy of news reports on the high cost of visiting the Napa Valley. Lettie Teague wrote in the Wall Street Journal: … Read more
Napa Valley Wine Tasting Index Planning trip to the Napa Valley? Be sure to include wine tasting fees in your expenses. Realize that wine tasting fees will take a big chunk out of your budget. For 2022 we’ve seen a significant increase for travelers to sit down and taste wine at a winery. Many wineries … Read more
A visit to Ridge Monte Bello The Ridge Winery address is 17100 Montebello Road, Cupertino. One might think the winery and tasting room sit in the middle of Silicon Valley. Or one may think the winery is a neighbor of Apple Computer. Such is not the case. Ridge Monte Bello is far from the high-tech … Read more
Visit Guerneville for wine and other fun activities Guerneville is a sleepy little town on the banks of the Russian River in Sonoma County. The town is 150 years old and, for most of those years, has been a resort and vacation destination for San Francisco and Bay Area residents. In the 1970s, Guerneville became … Read more
This article is the third in a series featuring wine and Coastal Redwoods in a wine country getaway. Head to the Anderson Valley for wine and Redwoods. Why we love the Redwoods and Why you will, too The Coastal Redwood trees are some of the oldest and tallest trees in the world. When you walk … Read more
Santa Cruz Mountains The Santa Cruz Mountains are all about the stunning forests of the Coastal Redwoods. Interspersed among the Redwoods are mountain homes and mountain wineries. The Santa Cruz Mountains have thousands of acres of Redwoods and 200 small vineyards. It is a stunning area and where one can enjoy wine, vineyards, and Redwoods … Read more
Why we like Mustards Grill Yountville is one of the best restaurant cities in the entire U.S. Most restaurants in Yountville are on Washington Street in the downtown area. Mustards Grill is on Highway 29 just north of the business area. Travelers can easily miss Mustards Grill. That’s fine for the locals, less waiting time … Read more