Things to do in Napa

Here is small list of things to do in Napa (and most I have already tried):  There are many other special events and activities that I have not listed below, mainly because I have not attended them.

1.  Napa Wine Train:  Whether you are visiting or live locally, the Napa Wine Train is worth at least one trip.    You can have a casual lunch or dinner, catch a Murder Mystery, wine tour or check out one of their special events.

2.  Oxbow Market:  I absolutely love the Oxbow Market.  My favorite bakery - The Model Bakery - is there and is one place I never miss when I'm in the area.  Check out the specialty cheese shop and Kara's cupcakes for some extra treats to take home.  Or pick from the several restaurants to eat at.

3.  Wine tasting:  Napa County as well as Sonoma and other neighbor counties are well known for their wine.  There are two many wineries to list, so pick a brochure or check them out online.  You can read about one of my visits HERE.

4.  Holiday B&B Tour:  There are many historic Victorian homes as well as other homes of architectural interest.  Many have been turned into Bed & Breakfasts/Inns or business buildings, a few are privately owned.  On the Holiday B&B tour, you get to tour several participating B&B's and Inns, sample local wine, beer, and restaurants   You can read more about my experience at last year's tour HERE.  The Historic Society also gives tours of other historic homes (see below).

5.  Searching for Ancestors in Napa:  This may only be of interest to those who know they have ancestors who lived in Napa.  The Historic Society has a great index of resources available as well as many special events.  You can read about my search at the Historic Society HERE or check out their website HERE.  Besides the Historic Society you will not want to miss the Napa Valley Genealogical Biographical Society's research library, the main Napa Library (which has most of the Napa newspapers on microfilm), Tulocay Cemetery (the oldest cemetery in Napa) and pick up copies of records at the Napa County Recorder-Clerk's office.

6.  Shopping:  There are many shops in Napa that may be of interest or you could check out the Napa Outlet stores.  Check out the Downtown shops HERE and the Outlets HERE.

Have fun!

Things I look forward to in the Fall

It's the first day of Autumn for us in the Northern Hemisphere, those in the Southern Hemisphere it's Spring.  The leaves on trees will start changing colors - brilliant oranges, dark reds and yellows.  Apples will be ripening and ready for picking.  Which means an Autumn splurge to enjoy some freshly baked Apple Hill fritters.  It's also time for decorating for the many fall holidays.

Seasonal fall teas, such as Republic of Tea Hot Apple Cider Tea

Republic of Tea

Apple Trees and apples

Pumpkins and pumpkin pie

Pumpkin Pie

Whale Watching off the California Coast

For a recent weekend trip, I went whale watching, something I've wanted to do for a long time.  This is where sites like Groupon, Google Offers and Travelzoo come in handy.  The special I had purchased several months ago was for whale watching with the Blue Ocean Whale Watching group out of Moss Landing, CA.  For those not as familiar with the California Coast, Moss Landing is North of Monterey and South of Santa Cruz and San Francisco.  There are many other whale watching companies, even ones leaving Monterey Bay and San Francisco Bay.  I enjoyed the ability to go to the top deck of the Blue Ocean group's boat, one of the few, if not, the only company with a top deck.  Just beware that some companies have smaller boats than others, so if you are prone to seasickness I would find out the size of the company's boat.

Moss Landing Harbor

Leaving the harbor, we saw plenty of sea lions and all sorts of sea birds.  The most interesting fish which was the biggest sight to start the morning out was the Mola or sunfish.  Now I've read many books about marine life and have been to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, but a Mola fish was one fish that I knew nothing about, I've never even heard about it until that morning.  So of course I needed to do more reading about it, because our naturalist guide piked my interest.  The Mola is a very strange looking fish and I was memorized just watching it that I didn't even captured a photo of it.  Thankfully the company's photographer did and he posts some of the photos from each outing on their website (such a great bonus!).  Check out National Geographic's site (here) for more information on the Mola fish.

Leaving the harbor

The rest of the trip was exciting watching a pair of humpback whales surface and dive and ending with a large pod of dolphins swimming and playing.  The dolphins put on quite a show!  I loved the outing and would go on another whale watching trip, maybe further south in Southern California or north in Washington and Oregon so I could see more whales and even some Orca's.

There!  I see the whale!

Humpback whale tail as it dives

Dolphins

Visiting Dry Creek Valley & Healdsburg

Over the summer I made a trip to Sonoma County to visit a few wineries and sights.   Sonoma County has hundreds of wineries to taste, so you really need to decide where or what wineries you want to try otherwise you could spend weeks trying all of the wineries.  For my trip I decided to head to the Northern part of Sonoma County near Healdsburg to wine taste in the Dry Creek Valley.  Check out this link for a map of the wineries in the Dry Creek Valley Region.

There were more wineries in the area then I had time for, but here are the one's I did make it to:


                  Ferrari-Carano Vineyards & Winery
                  Dutcher Crossing Winery
                  Seasons of the Vineyard
                  Kendall-Jackson Winery Center           


The wines at Ferrari-Carano and their tasting bar, Seasons of the Vineyard, were excellent.  It is worth making the extra trip to their tasting bar as there are plenty of other shops, boutiques and restaurants in downtown Healdsburg.  Some of the shops are dog-friendly and the two dog boutiques are just lovely - for large and small dogs alike.  There are some great dog-gift items, dog toys and treats available.  If you are shopping for clothes or jewelry there are some great choices and local handmade jewelry that is quite unique.    Check out this link for a listing of menus and restaurants choices.  Besides shopping, wine tasting and checking out the local food, there is a great Muesum and Historical Soceity a few blocks from the all these attractions.  History buffs may want to check out the changing exhibits at the Healdsburg Museum and Historical Society.  Downstairs there is a research center where you can browse records with the help of the Research Curator.  I did a little genealogy research here and did find records that pertain to my family tree when they lived in the Healdsburg area.

Ferrari-Carano

Garden area at Ferrari-Carano

My last stop after leaving the Dry Creek Valley was at the Kendall-Jackson Winery Center.  Currently they were remodeling so there was some noise from the workers, but the gardens were still interesting to walk through.  You can ask for a guided tour of the garden grounds and the recommended wine tasting would be the wine pairing experience.  Plan for some time if you are up for the wine paring experience, personally I think I would try the dessert tasting.  I do think the wines are pricey here, but then wine can be expensive.

Driving up to Kendall Jackson

The garden area

             

Yarnival: A yarn fair

Yarnival - You are not alone if you have never heard of such a 'thing'.   I found out that Boeger winery in the foothills was holding a Yarnival event.  Intriguing, right? . . . and it was an experience.  Those who love dying and spinning yarn, this is for you, but if you knit or crochet you can definitely find some hand-crafted and spun yarn for your projects.

It was interesting to see how they dyed yarns and then would take the fiber and sit and spin it.  I never really thought about how they made yarn, but have read a bit, in passing, about spinning.  Personally, I thought spinning was a "lost" art, though it seems to be making a come-back.  And why not?  If you own sheep, llamas, angora rabbits or other animals with such fur coats, then why not use the fibers to make your own yarn.  Having the ability to control the type of dyes you use and the skill to spin it makes knitting or crocheting your own projects even more unique and rewarding.  Granted spinning yarn is time consuming, but it's a hobby and an art.

Besides the vendors and yarn, you could make your way to the tasting room to taste some red or white wines.  There are a few snacks and cheeses in the tasting room for purchase and home-baked doggie treats too.  It's a dog-friendly winery, just be sure that you have your dog on a leash, pick up after it and it is well-behaved.  I love finding dog-friendly wineries, but that can change if dog owners are not responsible.  Boeger winery is also on the Western edge of Apple Hill and all the orchards, but it wasn't apple season yet, so I didn't bring home any apples.

Another yarn shop - Anna's Yarn Shoppe

So here's another (and one of my favorite's!) yarn shop and it's not because of the spelling of shop.  Anna's Yarn Shoppe in Elk Grove, California is the perfect, quaint yarn shop for the fellow crafter.  When I first arrived at the shop I found that there was so much to look at that I didn't know where to start.  The owner is awesome and very helpful.  And if you are in the area you will find a great group to sit with while you knit (or crochet) and chat.  It's such a great atmosphere that describing it does not do it justice.

There are plenty of classes and even events going on to keep the beginner or expert busy learning.  Check out the website, listed above, for a list of on-going classes.

And if you are looking for yarn, look no further.  There are so many choices you will spend hours deciding.  I really love the specialty yarns that are available to pick from.  But if you are not looking for those specialty (or "trophy yarns" as those at Anna's refer to them) you will find a rainbow of colors in different weights.  The yarns are arranged by weight which I find very useful when you know what weight you need for your pattern or project. 

If you need another reason to check out the shop and the website you don't need to look further.  Anna's offers complimentary ball winding in-store and online.  Now go find your projects so you can go shopping (you know you want more yarn for your stash)!

Happy yarn crafting.

Charles M. Schulz Museum & Snoopy

For all Snoopy and Peanuts & Gang fans this is the museum for you.  A whole building and grounds dedicated to Charles M. Schulz and his comic strip Peanuts.

Check out the website.  There are different events and exhibits going on as well as some permanent displays.  It is a hidden treasure in Santa Rosa and can be easily missed, but don't skip this attraction!

Tile Wall

Plan on spending a day as there is so much to see and enjoy, even some videos to watch in their theater.  If you are adventurous and have time head on over to the ice rink and give your ice skating skills a try.  And if you are looking for a place to take your kids or celebrate a birthday this is a great choice too.

On my visit I saw the "Level the Playing Field" Exhibit and found it very intriguing how Charles M. Schulz used current events to inspire his comic strip.  Now I understand why he had some of the girls playing sports.  And if you had questions the volunteers are very knowledgeable and helpful.

This is a gem and I enjoyed my day at the museum.  Be sure to check it out if you find yourself in Santa Rosa.  (You might be surprised to find out that Charles M. Schulz lived in the area and if you go to the museum you will learn why there's an ice rink next door!!)

Need some color in the yard?

With winter fast approaching, for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, many of us are planning our spring garden.  Well, maybe not all of us.  For me, I love having vegetables and fruits.  I mean you can't beat reaping the rewards with fresh fruit and vegetables to eat.

Now I admit I do like other plants and flowers, but I do not like to tend ones that I have to replant every year (unless they are fruits or vegetables).  If I am going to plant something I want to benefit from the plant in some way. 

I love lavender, it's a natural pest control around the house and the flowers can be harvested.   If you plant the English or French lavender you will have a lovely smell in the garden and around your house.  Another great bonus is that lavender plants are drought tolerant.  Besides lavender, I like to plant bulbs, such as irises, day lilies, freesias and tulips to name a few.  I find that I do not have to tend the bulbs much, other tend trimming dead leaves and flowers and separating the bulbs every few years. 

My Aunt introduced me to a few local iris and day lily farms in Northern California.  This year we made it to the Pleasant Valley Iris Farm while the irises were still in bloom.  It was a sight to see, so many combinations to choose from.  You can view the catalog and even order online during the season.  If you live in the area it is worth the trip.  The grounds are nice to stroll through and there are picnic tables to enjoy your lunch (be sure to bring one with you).  In addition, there are several local farms and farm stands to pick up local produce.

 

 Here are a few of the many colors and variations of irises.  You would be surprised with all them.  The names are always interesting and amusing. 

There are many other iris farms, especially in Northern California.  See if you have an iris farms near you!  I'd love to hear about it. 

The next flower I really love is the day lily.  Some of you might be wondering why, right?  You probably see the typical yellow day lily that many landscapers like to use.  Again there all the colors of the rainbow and type of flower bulb as well.  My favorite is the Amador Flower Farm in the foothills, that my Aunt introduced me to.  But you will find more that just hundreds of day lilies here.  Many other plants and trees are for sale in their nursery and they have a pumpkin patch in October.  It's a great place to visit with the family and you can picnic there as well.  But if that's not your thing, there are plenty of wineries in the area and you can have lunch at one of them with some wine tasting.

These day lilies are available on their website, so you can order them if you do not live close by for a visit.  Each of these bulbs add such great color to your yard and do not require a lot of gardening.  So you can see why I love to add color to my yard with some flowers, but even you can grow these, you don't need a "green thumb". 

Dog-Friendly Sonoma

I am always in search of places that I can take my dogs and go on a trip.  If you haven't been bitten by the "travel bug" you may consider yourself lucky.  I have been, years ago.

Sonoma is a great town with lots of history and plenty of wine!  There are many places that are dog friendly in Sonoma.  You can even find some gourmet dog treats at the Three Dog Bakery in town.  Check out these websites (just a few of my favorites) Dog Friendly.com, Sonoma UnCorked and Best in Sonoma.  There are so many places if you just look.

On my recent trip I took my dogs to Bartholomew Park which is amazing.  You can hike the many trails, wine taste, picnic or enjoy the great scenery.

Here's the map:

My next stop was the town square and shops.  You cannot walk your dog in the park square, but there are many people with dogs walking around the shops.  Not many shops allow dogs inside.  There are some restaurants with outdoor dining and of course the Three Dog Bakery.  Just check polices before you go.  I highly recommend stopping at one of the local cheese shops (though Fido might have to wait outside)!

Finally, I had dinner at the Schellville Grill.  And yes dogs are allowed on the patio which is spacious.  The whole environment at the Grill is great.  Many choices for dining and excellent desserts.  Even Guy Fieri visited the Grill on his show, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.

There is so much more to check out in Sonoma and Sonoma Valley.  I haven't even checked out the dog parks yet!  I see another trip in the future. 

Maybe I have inspired you to travel . . . Sonoma is a great destination and your dogs can have fun too!

Paris, oh Paris

I found some great Normandy Brie cheese today at Whole Foods Market.  Specially imported from Normandy, France.  I found that it was hard to resist, since it was on sale, so I treated myself to a slice.  Not sure yet how I want to serve it . . . maybe baked in a pastry or with some of my preserves and crackers.  Choices, choices . .  hmm. 

Either way, I will enjoy my brie with thoughts of Paris in my mind.  I've actually travelled to France two times and I love buying a simple crepe while wandering the city or picking up local baked bread, cheese and other fresh toppings (even a bottle of wine).  The simple delight of great food and cultural experiences are some of the joys in travelling.  I highly recommend travelling to France, be sure to learn a few French words and don't worry if you are single traveller.  The experience is definitely worth the time and money.  Hopefully I can go back to Paris in the near future and enjoy the culture again in a different season.

Here's a few of my photos from Paris in the summer.

 

It's Fall and that means Pumpkins!

Fall, here in California, means apples and pumpkins to me.  I love the delicious smells when baking and cooking with both ingredients.  Today though I want to talk about pumpkins, I'll save the apples for another day.

Most people think of pumpkin pie at their holiday table or carving Jack-O-Lanterns.  But there are so many more recipes you can cook with pumpkins.  I could spend hours going through all my recipes that involve pumpkins.  There are also so many decorative ideas that pumpkins can be used for, besides a carved pumpkin.

What does that mean, you ask?  Hand-blown glass pumpkins.  These are not your typical decorative pumpkins.  Don't get me wrong, I have the lighted grapevine pumpkins, as well as others both ceramic, fabric and other material types on display in my home.  But these hand-blown glass pumpkins are the most unique ones I have seen yet.

I made a day of it with my Mother and went to the art center event in the Bay area to see these hand-blown glass pumpkins.  I love most things made of hand-blown glass.  From my own travels, I have a Norwegian hand-blown dog, Venetian glass pendants and earrings and now Bay Area pumpkins!  If you don't have anything made of hand-blown glass, I would highly recommend finding a piece.  The price is worth it when you have a piece of art that is unique and will hold many memories of the trip or day.

Here's is a tiny preview of the pumpkins I saw.

Large or small in every color of the rainbow.  There were too many to choose from, but I finally found one that called to me.  I can say it is happily on display for the season.

Now I do have one more project that involves pumpkins.  And that involves carving pumpkins, not real pumpkins, but the craft pumpkins you can buy at a local craft store.  I found that carving pumpkins each year as a kid is great fun, but now it's kind of a waste of a good pumpkin.  There are two patterns in particular that inspired me, a German Shepherd dog and stars.  Last season I found a magazine that featured patterns of various dog breeds that you can use to carve pumpkins.  The German Shepherd is quite intricate and I expect it will take me a while to carve just one pumpkin.  The second was a picture of stars in different sizes carved around an entire pumpkin.  Eureka!  I knew that I wanted to carve a few craft pumpkins with these designs to light up on display in my house for the holiday.  This season I think I will be able to get to the project, since I bought the craft pumpkins on clearance last year.  (just another way to save money).  So stay tuned for that project!