Wine Country!

START: Pacifica, CA      TODAY:     105 Miles

END:     Calistoga, CA   TOTAL:   4,227  Miles

Saying goodbye to the Pacifica beach was not easy this morning, especially knowing that a heat wave was predicted to engulf the inland regions today.  Why were we leaving this perfect spot with a coastal breeze? 

First stop of the day was a strip mall next to the San Francisco International Airport where we waited for Nancy to arrive by taxi.  Driving over The Bay Bridge, a beautiful structure, gave us an up-close perspective of the massive cables.  

It was a short drive to Napa where Ron instantly spotted Downtown Joe’s Brewery in the heart of the historic district, which made for a nice lunch.  

We tried not to ignore the temperature, but when it read 107 degrees, we knew we were in for a long, hot afternoon. 

After arriving at the campground in Calistoga we immediately unhooked the trailer, plugged in and turned on the AC.  We set out to tour the Castello di Amorosa vineyard and taste some wine.  

Although a replica, the 13th century castle made it easy to imagine being on a Tuscan hillside.  The Italian owner shipped old world furnishings, iron light fixtures and furnishings to add to the authenticity of the castle.  Local stones were hand chiseled with great attention to detail to complete the  130,000 square foot structure. 

We were happy to follow the path to the underground tasting rooms which were cool and comfortable. 

 The wines were tasty, the castle and grounds were stunning so it was a great way to spend the afternoon.

June 18, 2017

A drive over the Golden Gate Bridge took us into Marin County and a lovely drive along the coast.  It also yielded yet another view of the bridge looming large in the skyline.  Our view looking back on the city, and east to the Bay Bridge was obscured by the fog.  Ron yearned to be on the water as we watched dozens of sailboats crisscrossing Richardson’s Bay off of Sausalito, with strong winds and currents.  

 It was easy to fall in love with the Sausalito/ Larkspur area with lovely rolling hills, brightly-colored hanging flower baskets and old Sequoia trees that stretched to the sky. 

But the highlight of our day was a four-hour lunch with our niece, Kimberly.  We simply could not get enough of one another, trying desperately to fill in the void of the past several years.  The food was excellent, the company was better and we left feeling renewed of spirit with a promise to stay in touch.   Unfortunately Judi was not feeling well enough to join us, but we trusted Kim to convey our love and good wishes to her.