Michael and Melissa were flying in to Northern California the weekend of February 1 and asked if the gang was available to get together in Napa...sure! It had been little over a year since we were all together in Mexico at Secrets Silversands so it would be a fun reunion.
Everyone was able to make it on Saturday except for Sandy and Neuzil as the latter fell ill just before the outing. The day's itinerary started with a visit to the beautiful Castello di Amorosa in the morning; as Kaleb and I had been there a couple of years ago, we opted to meet the rest of the group for lunch at V. Sattui.
Our drive to Napa on Saturday morning was uneventful. We were lucky with the weather as it had been gloomy the past few days, but today was gorgeous.
Our drive to Napa on Saturday morning was uneventful. We were lucky with the weather as it had been gloomy the past few days, but today was gorgeous.
 |
| wine tasting at Castello di Amorosa |
While the rest of the group were doing a tour at Castello di Amorosa, Kaleb and I visited the Napa Valley Museum. Free admission was provided through Bank of America's Museums on Us program, a benefit for its credit/debit cardholders at participating museums on the first full weekend of every month. The permanent exhibits focused on Napa's history. There was also a section that featured works by Matisse, Pissarro, Picasso, Chagall and others. The temporary exhibit contained art by Lucy Liu, famous for her acting roles in movies and television. Some of her work was for "mature audiences" and had its own cordoned-off section. They certainly were interesting, imaginative pieces. Overall, it took about an hour to go through the entire museum.
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
We got to V. Sattui early enough to park on the asphalt lot near the winery. As Kaleb and I walked to the entrance, we noticed a new check-in area outside the building to purchase wine tasting tickets. The inside of the building was still the same, selling deli items, baked goods, ice cream, wines, cheeses and accompaniments. The V. Sattui food truck was parked on the grounds, so we decided to buy lunch from there. It took forever for the food to come out, but it was tasty. Michael and the gang were running late; we had finished dessert by the time they arrived, but at least we still had claim on half of a picnic table to share with them, as there were a ton of people on the grounds.
 |  |
|
|
After lunch, we entered the winery for wine tasting. It was so busy that it took a while before we could find open counter space.
Afterwards, we headed to Sutter Home for their complimentary wine tasting flight.
The last tasting stop of the day was Mumm Napa, known for their sparkling wine. The grounds offered the perfect setting for a spectacular sunset. We were fortunate to get a table with an unobstructed view of the vineyard.
 |  |
 |  |
After our Mumm visit, we hung out at their hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn Napa, for a bit before heading to dinner at CIA at Copia. It shared a parking lot with Oxbow Public Market, which I'd been to a few times before. We were early for our 8:30pm reservation, so we toured the rest of the building, which housed a museum dedicated to the culinary arts, plus a temporary photo exhibition featuring Paul and Julia Child, which I really enjoyed.
 |  |
 |  |
It happened to be Napa Valley Restaurant Week, so a specially priced prix-fixe menu was offered, but Kaleb and I ended up ordering a-la-carte.
 |  |
|
|
|
|
And that was the end to a wonderful Saturday in Napa! Many thanks to Melissa for organizing the outing and making reservations. :)
What's next? Kaleb and I meet up with Jarrett and Kate for the annual Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, an event I've always wanted to attend...stay tuned!
(Missed reading about our New Year's Eve bash in Las Vegas? Click here! Don't miss a single update! Click here to have the latest delivered straight into your inbox...opt out anytime.)
***
If you came here from a Facebook or Twitter link, thanks for clicking the "Facebook Like" button below or retweeting!
Don't miss a blog entry! Sign up for updates direct to your inbox here or add the blog to your RSS feed.
Getting excited reading about these trips and want to go? Contact me at yellowdogtravel at gmail d0t com with your ideas and I can help you plan it! Or if you've already put a deposit on a cruise through the cruise line, contact me to get more information on transferring the reservation to me to get bonuses like extra onboard credit or gifts. I have lots of happy returning clients - references always available.
Come check out my other blog "What in the world is Kat Kong doing now?", documenting things other than traveling...sign up for blog updates direct to your inbox here!
Another disclaimer: The intention of this blog was to remind Future Me in full detail about where I went and what I did. I could have made it private, but I frequently get questions from family, friends and internet folks about how I planned things, got deals, etc., so instead of repeating the story over and over, I direct them here. If you are offended by anything I say or do, save yourself the discomfort and kindly click away from my blog. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!
Previous post: New Year's Eve at Las Vegas Fremont Street Experience
No comments:
Post a Comment