On Thursday Della decided to take a break so the five of us went for it! We stopped at a winery called Dutch Henry. They produce the "chewier" wines as Jim likes to say. It's one of Mike's favorites! I enjoyed the kitties and the Airedales the most!
We left there and went to the V Sattui Winery. They have been in business for 125 years, 4 generations and built the Castle mentioned in the blog for last Tuesday. They have beautiful gardens and picnic areas and a wonderful deli. Oh and by the way, great wines! We had a picnic lunch there and ate too much of course!
From there we visited the Sawyer Winery. The winery hostess was fun and Mike, Sandy and Jim really enjoyed their wines. Before heading back to the campground we made a few stops in town.
As it was our last night, we had tons of appetizers and then dinner was carne asada, beans, spanish rice and more and very delicious! We didn't even have room for dessert! It was a great few days.
On Friday we all went our separate ways. Jim and Della towards home, Mike and Sandy to Lake Shasta and Ted and I are at Bass Lake, east of Fresno.
Great friends, great food and great wine..."Ain't Life Grand!"
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
And the fun continued...
On Wednesday the six campers; Jim and Della, Mike and Sandy, and Ted and I went wine tasting in the Alexander Valley area. Our first winery was Johnsons' Winery. We had all been there before. In the 1970's Mr. Johnson (the owner) bought a huge pipe organ that was in pieces. His dream was to put it all together in his tasting room barn. Tada! He did it. They select a song from the computer and the organ plays it. Unfortunately I didn't take a picture of the pipes but it is really beautiful organ.
From there we planned to go to Murphy Goode Winery but when we got there the name was changed to Vintner's Signature Winery. Murphy Goode still owns all of the grapes out there and are a part of Vintner's but the tasting room was moved to Healdsburg. So we tasted Vintner's wines.
Next was lunch at Jim's Store. It is a cute little place and a deli more than a store. After lunch we went to Hopland to our last winery of the day. It was suggested we visit Milano Family Winery by our friends David and Carol Prime. The owners Ted and Deanna Starr have been friends of theirs for a long time and they were in a "Gourmet Dinner Group". It is a fun winery with lots of critters including Willie the pig! The rooster that looks dead, isn't! He was digging a hole and looking for bugs!
They had lots of cute things for sale in the winery and some good wines. They also had a chocolate wine sauce that was to die for!
We got back to the campground and barbecued steaks, tried some of our new wines and had strawberry ice cream with the chocolate wine sauce for dessert! I think we died and went to heaven!
Chocolate wine sauce..."Ain't Life Grand!"
Next was lunch at Jim's Store. It is a cute little place and a deli more than a store. After lunch we went to Hopland to our last winery of the day. It was suggested we visit Milano Family Winery by our friends David and Carol Prime. The owners Ted and Deanna Starr have been friends of theirs for a long time and they were in a "Gourmet Dinner Group". It is a fun winery with lots of critters including Willie the pig! The rooster that looks dead, isn't! He was digging a hole and looking for bugs!
They had lots of cute things for sale in the winery and some good wines. They also had a chocolate wine sauce that was to die for!
We got back to the campground and barbecued steaks, tried some of our new wines and had strawberry ice cream with the chocolate wine sauce for dessert! I think we died and went to heaven!
Chocolate wine sauce..."Ain't Life Grand!"
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Napa Valley
On Monday we drove over to a campground at the Calistoga Napa County Fairgrounds. We met our friends Jim and Della Crownover here on Monday afternoon and Mike and Sandy Adamson came on Tuesday afternoon.
On Tuesday, my birthday, we went to lunch at a small bistro in town and had tapas. It was really delicious! We did some shopping after lunch.
Who are those crazy ladies??
After shopping we went to The Castle, Castello di Amoroso, for some wine tasting. The owner of V Sattui (in business for 125 years, 4 generations) planned and researched medieval castles throughout Europe for about 15 years before designing his 12th century Tuscan castle-winery. To taste and get a preliminary tour it costs $16.50 which is pretty steep but it was interesting investigating the castle. The castle is 121,000 square feet with 107 unique rooms, 8,000 tons of hand-squared stones and 8 levels (4 below ground) 900 feet of caves, a drawbridge and moat, dungeon and torture chamber. We didn't see the caves or chambers, that tour was more expensive. The castle also has 30 acres of vineyards. They produce Italian style wines that are made to go with food. Unfortunately; Jim, Della, Ted and I didn't care all that much for their wines. We enjoy V Sattui more but it was a neat castle with beautiful grounds!
When we got back to the campground we had appetizers and wine and enjoyed the cool weather. It was a wonderful birthday with beautiful weather and fun friends.
I need to catch up with all the fun we had the rest of the week but I will save that for another day. Tomorrow we leave beautiful Napa and head east of Fresno to Bass Lake. Hopefully we will have wifi so I can catch up on blogs and laundry!!!!
Having another birthday..."Ain't Life Grand!"
On Tuesday, my birthday, we went to lunch at a small bistro in town and had tapas. It was really delicious! We did some shopping after lunch.
After shopping we went to The Castle, Castello di Amoroso, for some wine tasting. The owner of V Sattui (in business for 125 years, 4 generations) planned and researched medieval castles throughout Europe for about 15 years before designing his 12th century Tuscan castle-winery. To taste and get a preliminary tour it costs $16.50 which is pretty steep but it was interesting investigating the castle. The castle is 121,000 square feet with 107 unique rooms, 8,000 tons of hand-squared stones and 8 levels (4 below ground) 900 feet of caves, a drawbridge and moat, dungeon and torture chamber. We didn't see the caves or chambers, that tour was more expensive. The castle also has 30 acres of vineyards. They produce Italian style wines that are made to go with food. Unfortunately; Jim, Della, Ted and I didn't care all that much for their wines. We enjoy V Sattui more but it was a neat castle with beautiful grounds!
When we got back to the campground we had appetizers and wine and enjoyed the cool weather. It was a wonderful birthday with beautiful weather and fun friends.
I need to catch up with all the fun we had the rest of the week but I will save that for another day. Tomorrow we leave beautiful Napa and head east of Fresno to Bass Lake. Hopefully we will have wifi so I can catch up on blogs and laundry!!!!
Having another birthday..."Ain't Life Grand!"
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Enjoying the kids in Fresno!
On Saturday Ted and I went to see the movie Inception! What a cool movie. It is complicated but very unique and entertaining! We enjoyed it!
On Saturday night we met Stephen and Marissa for dinner at Neighbors Tap and Brew. We had a good dinner and enjoyed being with the kids!
Today we had lunch with Craig and Claire. I think they have come back down to earth! We went out and looked at some model homes. They found a model they really liked and we looked at a couple of spec homes in that model. Not sure what they are going to do about a house yet but they will figure it out! The house is in an area they like and if it happens it will be great for them!
Tonight we are going to dinner with Claire's mom and dad. We really like Claire and she and Craig are really happy.
Meeting the in-laws to be..."Ain't Life Grand!"
On Saturday night we met Stephen and Marissa for dinner at Neighbors Tap and Brew. We had a good dinner and enjoyed being with the kids!
Today we had lunch with Craig and Claire. I think they have come back down to earth! We went out and looked at some model homes. They found a model they really liked and we looked at a couple of spec homes in that model. Not sure what they are going to do about a house yet but they will figure it out! The house is in an area they like and if it happens it will be great for them!
Tonight we are going to dinner with Claire's mom and dad. We really like Claire and she and Craig are really happy.
Meeting the in-laws to be..."Ain't Life Grand!"
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Big doin's in Fresno!
Craig and Claire are engaged!
For the last two days we've been conspiring with Craig in his surprise engagement to Claire. He and Claire had looked at rings but he told her it would probably be six months before they would be able to become engaged. Craig took Claire to dinner last night at Five, the restaurant where they had their first date, and he proposed. She said yes! Claire didn't know there was a group of us out on the patio waiting for them to come out and announce their engagement!
Then the party began. There were close friends, fellow law students, co-workers and of course Aunt Susan and Uncle Teddy at the party! It was a great celebration and I'm quite sure there are a few people feeling pretty celebrated out this morning!
They are talking about getting married in November 2011 (thank God they didn't want to get married in July or August)! It is all very exciting!
For the last two days we've been conspiring with Craig in his surprise engagement to Claire. He and Claire had looked at rings but he told her it would probably be six months before they would be able to become engaged. Craig took Claire to dinner last night at Five, the restaurant where they had their first date, and he proposed. She said yes! Claire didn't know there was a group of us out on the patio waiting for them to come out and announce their engagement!
Then the party began. There were close friends, fellow law students, co-workers and of course Aunt Susan and Uncle Teddy at the party! It was a great celebration and I'm quite sure there are a few people feeling pretty celebrated out this morning!
They are talking about getting married in November 2011 (thank God they didn't want to get married in July or August)! It is all very exciting!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
HOT in Fresno!
Sunday evening we had dinner with our friends David and Carol Wallis at Hooley's in Rancho San Diego. Of course we have a tradition of Cold Stone Ice Cream for dessert! An Enjoyable evening!
Monday we took the RV in to the repair shop. Ted noticed our middle tire on the RV was worn out and we were worried the axel was bent. The roads are so rough that it was actually the brackets holding the suspension that were broken. We had already replaced the brackets on the other side. We also had to get a new tire!
It took two days to repair so we spent the night in our RV in their parking lot! We were in Chula Vista so went to Zorba's for Greek food. We called our friends Jeri and Stach and they met us there for one last dinner before we left town today!
Yes, we are in Fresno. We had not planned to leave this soon afer getting back to San Diego but we have a special reason for coming up here! We will be here until Monday and will then head over to Napa to meet some friends for wine tasting.
Before we left a huge oak tree broke right down the middle and landed on three RV's. One RV that the tree crashed on was a little pop up camper and it was very lucky that the people weren't inside when it crashed as you can see in the pictures!
Thankful no one was hurt by the tree..."Ain't Life Grand!"
Monday we took the RV in to the repair shop. Ted noticed our middle tire on the RV was worn out and we were worried the axel was bent. The roads are so rough that it was actually the brackets holding the suspension that were broken. We had already replaced the brackets on the other side. We also had to get a new tire!
It took two days to repair so we spent the night in our RV in their parking lot! We were in Chula Vista so went to Zorba's for Greek food. We called our friends Jeri and Stach and they met us there for one last dinner before we left town today!
Yes, we are in Fresno. We had not planned to leave this soon afer getting back to San Diego but we have a special reason for coming up here! We will be here until Monday and will then head over to Napa to meet some friends for wine tasting.
Before we left a huge oak tree broke right down the middle and landed on three RV's. One RV that the tree crashed on was a little pop up camper and it was very lucky that the people weren't inside when it crashed as you can see in the pictures!
Thankful no one was hurt by the tree..."Ain't Life Grand!"
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Celebrating birthdays!
Last night we had dinner with friends Jeri & Stach at one of our favorite Italian restaurants in San Diego, Bellagio's. They have changed owners and done some remodeling, looks really nice! We were hoping the food would be as good as under the former owners and it was, including the yummy bread sticks!
We celebrated all four of our birthdays for the year since Stach is May and we were gone, and we will be gone for my birthday in July, Jeri's in August and Ted's in October! A great evening and a nice long dinner and of course, dessert!
Celebrating birthdays..."Ain't Life Grand!"
We celebrated all four of our birthdays for the year since Stach is May and we were gone, and we will be gone for my birthday in July, Jeri's in August and Ted's in October! A great evening and a nice long dinner and of course, dessert!
Celebrating birthdays..."Ain't Life Grand!"
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