Vegas and Trip Home

To break up the long drive back to Phoenix, we stayed one night in Las Vegas.  We didn't win big at the casino (you have to play in order to win, and we can think of better ways to spend our hard-earned cash).  But it wasn't too hot outside at night so we joined the throngs of people meandering around the Strip.

This morning we drove over the Hoover Dam.  We just had to pull over to take some photos of the nearly complete Mike O'Callaghan - Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge.  The immense concrete and steel structure practically dwarfs the dam (which is still pretty impressive).  When completed, it will allow folks to bypass the Hoover Dam entirely.  I have always wanted to tour the inner workings of the dam, but it was too crowded today so we'll have to come back some other time.  With the bypass open, the Visitor Center will probably be less crowded as well.

The Hoover Dam

The almost-complete Mike O'Callaghan - Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge

And that's it for the great California Road adventure.  We had a wonderful trip, but it is always good to come home!

Sequoia National Park

After the splendor of Yosemite, I really did not have high expectations for Sequoia.  However, once again I was astounded by the natural beauty here.  Sequoia/Kings Canyon is a little more out of the way than Yosemite, and therefore it seems much less crowded.  Obviously, the main attractions here are the Sequoia trees.  If you are lucky enough to have a stretch of trail to yourself it almost feels as though you are alone on a primeval planet.  In a way, it really is primeval -- the trees are among the oldest living beings on Earth (some of them are 3500 years old or more).  The largest tree is General Sherman, located in the Giant Forest.  But there are many other equally impressive trees in the grove, and you can spend hours wandering among these silent sentinels.  The photos don't begin to do them justice.  We felt absolutely insignificant standing next to them.

Another impressive attraction at the park is the Crystal Cave.  Getting to the cave entrance involves a 15 minute hike down a steep hill (which makes for a good workout getting back to the car!)  They provide flashlights at the entrance, but we were glad to have our headlamps for the extra light.  Although we have seen more impressive caves, it was still quite a sight and our guide was very animated and informative.  She deftly handled the incessant questions from the two-dozen rambunctious Boy Scouts on our tour.

We stayed only one night in the park.  When we checked into Dorst Campground we were warned that they'd had bears prowling around nearly every night looking for food.  We were lucky(?) that the teens at the campsite next door stayed up super late and made enough noise to keep the bears away.  We did unexpectedly come across a small bear ambling across the road early the next day.  I just barely got the camera out in time to snap a couple photos.

For more information, see the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park website

Crystal Cave
45 minute guided tours daily from 11am - 4pm (June - Sept)  |  Information 559.565.3759

Yosemite National Park

We have spent the past four days here in Yosemite and I feel like it wasn't nearly long enough.  This is truly one of the jewels of our national parks system.  We booked a tent cabin in Curry Village and it had beds for four, so it was extra roomy for just the two of us.  We liked Camp Curry because it was so close to the restaurants, grocery store, and bar...the only drawback is that you are in close proximity to your neighbors.  But, let's face it, Yosemite in the summer time is a very crowded place so if you don't enjoy mingling with your fellow man it is probably best to visit off-season.

We did two hikes while we were here.  The first of the two was the popular (and rewarding) Vernal Fall trail.  As you get close to the waterfall the spray makes the narrow trail very slippery, so watch your step.  It's best to get a very early start if you want to avoid the crowds.

The hike to Yosemite Falls the next day was much more tranquil.  Either it's not as popular or we just got an earlier start that morning.  Either way, there was hardly anyone on the trail and we were treated to some stunning views of the valley below.

One of the most relaxing ways to see the park is from the Merced River.  We had a nice, cool ride after our hike.

A highlight of the visit was the one-man performance of "An Evening With John Muir" at the Yosemite Theater (near the Valley Visitors Center).  The actor, Lee Stetson, channels the character of Muir perfectly.  I am not very familiar with Muir's writings other than what I had to read in high school, but he made the words come alive on stage.

Some more shots from our fantastic stay in Yosemite.  We will definitely be back again.

California Tunnel Tree in Mariposa Grove

View of Yosemite Falls from Glacier Point

The stunning Yosemite Valley

Curry Village Cabins
Book online or by phone 801.559.4884.  (For campsite reservations, call 877.444.6777)

Yosemite Conservancy Theater Programs
Performance dates and ticket costs vary, but the shows start promptly at 7pm

Mendocino and Independence Day

You know your 4th of July weekend is off to a great start when you take part in the official World's Largest Salmon Barbeque. The event is held annually and the proceeds go to fund the salmon fishery restoration efforts. We gave little thought to the irony as we and 3000 other people chowed down on delicious grilled salmon.

The festivities continued as we had a birds-eye view of the Independence Day Parade from the balcony of our hotel.  A quick word about the historic Mendocino Hotel -- the building dates back to 1878 and you do feel as though you've stepped back in time when you check in.  The lobby bar and dining room are filled with Victorian-era antiques and the restaurant is a great place to have dinner or linger over a glass of wine.

The main balcony of the hotel overlooks the water and Mendocino's quaint Main Street.  It was the perfect spot to enjoy a sunset or, as it happened, a 4th of July Parade.

Our primo parade viewing spot

Salmon

Practicing yoga on a moving float just adds to the challenge

One of the more interesting parade entries

World's Largest Salmon BBQ
Annually 1st Saturday in July at South Noyo Harbor  |  Fort Bragg, CA

Mendocino Hotel and Garden Suites
45080 Main Street  |  Mendocino, CA 95460  |  800.548.0513

On the road to Mendocino

Cuffey's Cove, on Highway 1 south of Mendocino

Culinary Institute of America

The CIA at Greystone looks more like a castle at first glance than a culinary school.  But don't expect any knights, swords, or maces, unless by "mace" you mean the spice made from the nutmeg plant.

Photo courtesy of CIA Photo Archives

Students enrolled in the credit programs can choose to earn an Associate Degree in Culinary Arts, or specialize in Wine Studies or Baking and Pastry Arts.  Over 2000 students attend classes at the California campus (there are also campuses in TX, NY, and Singapore).

Of course, anyone with the desire can attend one of the cooking demonstrations or take what's known as a Food Enthusiast course, a one-day class which usually focuses on one recipe or culinary technique.  Calling oneself a "food enthusiast" sounds so much more refined than saying "I like to eat a lot"; I think I'll use that phrase from now on.  Some of the Food Enthusiast courses offered include: Gluten-Free Baking, The Flavors of Asia, and One Dish Meals.

Housed inside the school is the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant.  Diners can watch chefs and students work in the open kitchen to prepare their meal.  We found the waiters and chefs very friendly and willing to answer questions and discuss the ingredients and techniques used to make our food.

For a great happy hour, stop in and try the 5 Bites deal.  For just $10, you will get a 5-course tasting menu of small bites and a glass of wine.  This special menu is only offered from 4:30pm to 6:30pm Monday - Thursday.

Our small bites included soup, oysters, salad, fish skewers, and crab wontons.  Delicious!

Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant at the Culinary Institute of America
2555 Main Street  |  St. Helena, CA 94574  |  Reservations 707.967.1010

CIA Cooking Demonstrations:
Saturdays and Sundays only at 1:30pm  |  Cost: $20  |  Demonstration Schedule

CIA Food Enthusiast Courses:
Various Course Topics Available  |  Cost: $250  |  More info

Napa and Sonoma Wine Tasting

Our hotel, the River Terrace Inn, is just a short walk from downtown Napa and the Napa Wine train.  Although we didn't take the train we did stop in at Bounty Hunter, a downtown wine bar that boasts some great BBQ brisket in addition to being the "go to" place to sample local vino.  We also made sure to hit the Oxbow Public Market, which hosts many food- and wine-oriented shops as well as Gott's Roadside (great burgers).   But the primary focus of this leg of the trip has been driving around the picturesque countryside and sampling the great wines of the Napa and Sonoma regions.

Each estate seems to have a unique architectural and landscaping style.

Domaine Carneros

Rubicon Estate

Ornate Columns at Darioush

Some can only be described as over-the-top ostentatious, like the Castello di Amorosa which looms like a medieval fortress over the highway.

Are we in Italy?  No, we are just at the Disney-esque Castello di Amorosa

Some of the interiors are very elaborate as well.

Peju Province Tasting Room - Note the marble floors

Staircase in the mansion at Rubicon

Feasting hall adorned with frescoes at Castello di Amorosa

How many wineries did we manage to visit in all?  These are just the ones remembered to photograph:

River Terrace Inn
1600 Soscol Avenue  |  Napa, CA 94559  |  Reservations 866.627.2386

Domaine Carneros
1240 Duhig Road  |  Napa, CA 94559  |  800.716.2788  |  Tastings with table service daily 10am - 6pm

Darioush Winery
4240 Silverado Trail  |  Napa, CA 94558  |  707.257.2345  |  Tastings daily 10:30am - 5pm

Peju Province Winery
8466 St. Helena Highway  |  Rutherford, CA 94573  |  800.446.7358  |  Tastings daily 10am - 6pm

Rubicon Estate
1991 St. Helena Highway  |  Rutherford, CA 94573  |  800.782.4266  |  Tastings daily 10am - 5pm

Castello di Amorosa
4045 N. St. Helena Highway  |  Calistoga, CA 94515  |  707.967.6272  |  Tastings daily 9:30am - 6pm
                                                                                                                 (until 5pm Nov - Feb)

Rubicon Estate

Just wanted to share this lovely stained glass window found in the chateau at the Rubicon Estate.

Inglenook was the original name of the winery and estate (it was founded in 1880).  Francis Ford Coppola bought it in 1975 and he has painstakingly reconstructed the estate and restored all the original acreage to the vineyards.

Rubicon Estate
1991 St. Helena Highway  |  Rutherford, CA 94573  |  800.782.4266  |  Tastings daily 10am - 5pm

Carneros - Bouchaine Vineyards Tour

The Carneros AVA (American Viticultural Area) is sandwiched between Sonoma and Napa, and it exhibits the perfect conditions for growing pinot noir grapes -- fog, warm days, and a long growing season.  So many variables go into making a good wine -- climate, orientation of the vines, slope of the terrain, soil quality, and rainfall, to name a few.  But one of the most important variables is the human element.  The winemaker selects the grapes and decides when to harvest, then blends and fine-tunes each vintage to his/her perfect ideal.

We were invited on a private tour of the Bouchaine Vineyards and Winery.  Our guide was the winemaker and general manager, Michael Richmond.  Michael wanted to show us the entire process from start to finish, so we hopped in a pickup truck and headed for the vineyards.

The vineyards seemingly stretch before you as far as the eye can see.

Michael made sure to stop frequently and tell us a bit about each type of grape that is grown on the estate.  He explained how the decisions made when planting the vines (such as orientation, spacing, and trellising) can have a great impact on the wine that is produced.  Each vineyard block is optimized for the type of grape grown there (pinot noir, chardonnay, pinot gris, or pinot meunier).

Approximately 80% of the grapes on the estate are grown using sustainable agricultural practices.  Michael emphasized that in most cases, using the sustainable practice was just as easy for them as it would be to use traditional techniques.  Some of the "green" practices include: using organic compost instead of inorganic fertilizers, using careful and deliberate water management, and planting other crops between the dormant vines to enhance the soil composition and reduce erosion.

After our vineyard excursion, we headed to the cellars for the barrel tasting.  Our first stop was the steel tanks holding the cold-fermented Chardonnay juice.  The wine itself was cloudy and tasted not quite ready for the table, but in the final steps it will be refined and blended with the Chardonnay juice that has been barrel aged to produce a fruity, spicy, aromatic Chardonnay wine.

From there we went to the barrel room and began sampling the Pinot Noir being aged in barrels.  Michael was very passionate about the subtle variations in each different lot that we sampled -- but for me, after 8 or 10 tastes I really couldn't tell the difference from one vintage to the next.

For anyone wondering if we ended up too intoxicated to drive after tasting so many wines, never fear.  As we watched Michael taste each wine, we observed him spit it out and dump the remainder of the glass on the asphalt floor, so we followed suit.  Each time we dumped our glasses, Michael's dog rushed over to lap up the spoils.  She seemed to prefer the Chardonnay.

Bouchaine Vineyards
1075 Buchli Station Road  |  Napa, CA 94559  |  800.654.WINE (9463)