Not only was this gem of a place both darling and in a quaint setting, each morning we walked down this beautiful little path to a delicious breakfast, and evening hors d'oeuvres.
Truly, the valley was gorgeous! We decided to get as close to nature and enjoy the setting as possible, so what better way than a local hike?! Our nature walk turned out to be close to ten miles, and definitely no "walk in the park", but once we reached the top, the views were amazing!
The views from the top were a perfect way to see many of the hundreds of vineyards below......
This deep red-colored tree was abundant along our hike. We had never seen one before, but it was as interesting as it was beautiful!
After checking out the vineyards from up above, we decided to even get a closer look at some of the finest wineries in the area. We obviously were not up for any of the wine-tasting the wineries offered, but just learning the process of how the wines were made was interesting enough! The first winery we visited, Sterling Vineyards, was located on top of a mountain. A gondola ride was necessary to take us to the brewing area.
Short films and "read it yourself" informational stops helped us understand the time and delicacy that was necessary to produce the best tasting wine. I had no idea how the precise timing for not only picking the perfect mature grapes, but also brewing the grapes affected the taste and quality of the wines. I also had no idea how many thousands of different wines were available in quality and taste. But my biggest shock came when I realized the millions of dollars invested in the wine industry!
Another absolutely amazing winery we visited was the Castello di Amorosa which is one of Napa Valley's most unique wineries. The owner of the winery's dream came true when he built this over- the-top 121,000 square feet authentically-styled Tuscan castle and winery. It truly felt like we were swept back in time and placed in Tuscany!
Regardless if we were in one of the most prestigious and famous wine making areas of the world, no wine was consumed by us, however, there might have been several grapes sampled from various orchards, and YES, they were DELICIOUS!
Not only were the grapes delicious, but the restaurants in the area were amongst the most delicious food we had ever tasted. Literally hundreds of restaurants with famous chefs and menus are located in this area, and it was an experience just to sample from a few.
The highlight of our anniversary weekend was a ride in a hot air balloon, Neither John nor I had ever experienced a hot air balloon ride before, and neither of us had no idea what to expect. I'm happy to report the hour and a half experience was beyond fabulous, and neither one of us felt our safety was at risk in any way. Starting our flight at the wee hours of the morning allowed us to enjoy watching the sunrise in the balloon, and the sights were picture perfect!
Being up this high allowed us to see the San Francisco Bay. Every day is a "foggy day" in the bay, but we were lucky to see as far and as clearly as this!
I loved the views of the orchards from the very beginnings of plant life to the more mature plants......
Once our pilot decided on the best place to land, he radioed ahead for a crew just waiting to help us safely back down. The whole process was smooth and enjoyable!
Smooth and enjoyable was for sure a perfect description of the hot air balloon ride, as well as our anniversary weekend in Napa Valley. Here's to many more smooth and enjoyable years ahead with my main man!
1 comment:
Oh, Alison! This was the perfect get-away! And your picture taking and narrative were fantastic! You need to be a tour guide, definitely! I surely hope the earthquake didn't affect that beautiful castle! Great couple, great parents, just plain great!
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