California weekend

Bill and I had a fabulous long weekend in California. We flew into San Francisco and ate lunch in the Marina on Chestnut Street (my old neighborhood), on a record-breaking day of heat (why did it never get that warm when I lived there??), before heading up to Sonoma. We stayed at the lovely Lodge at Sonoma which was comprised of small villas and had a truly California feel. We arrived just (barely) in time on Friday evening to visit one of the local wineries with Jeff and Becca, and then headed to a delicious dinner with them at a quaint Italian restaurant on the Sonoma square. A great meal!

Saturday was a short day for Bill at the track, and I enjoyed lounging at the pool and resting up a bit while he was working. When Bill returned from the track, we enjoyed walking around and doing a little shopping in the Sqare, just a mile down the street. The temperature was unbelieveably hot so it was a little difficult to spend too much time outside. Saturday night was the big company dinner at the hotel ~ it was great to put faces with names and meet the NASCAR announcers and many other colleagues of Bill's who I've heard so much about.

Sunday was race day, and again, while Bill was at the track, I enjoyed familiarizing myself with the hotel amenities - breakfast spot, workout room, and pool. Another relaxing day in the California Wine Country! Being a big Olympic Trials weekend, I snuck away a bit to watch the USA Gymnastics and USA Diving Olympic Trials on TV. I felt a little guilty watching TV while at this beautiful resort, but these events don't happen everyday!

On Monday morning, we got up forst thing, headed to the gym for a short morning workout, and then got o nthe road. We drove up to Napa and visited a number of beautiful wineries on the way - Opus One (an unbelieveably modern and gorgeous building!), Mondavi (a huge estate with beautiful views and lots of artichokes growing in the fields), and Plumpjack (a quaint winery off the beaten track with a real out-in-the-country feel). Once we were finished with the wineries, we headed south, back to San Francisco, stopping in Mill Valley for a delicious lunch (and a new addition to Bill's Top 10 Sandwich list). After lunch, we took the winding road to Muir Woods and enjoyed a terrific walk through the enormous redwood trees, breathing in the incredibly fresh air and enjoying the beautiful natural surroundings.

We made it back to San Francisco later that evening, disappointed to find the city at least 20 degrees colder than it had been when we'd been there on Friday. I really could have used that coat that I'd bought in Seattle last weekend! A great meal at my favorite crepe place on Union Street topped off a great day of NorCal sightseeing. Tuesday morning, we made time to visit the great Bay Watch breakfast spot on Lombard (where we'd enjoyed the BEST blueberry pancakes on our trip back in '04) before heading to the airport and returning home.

A GREAT weekend! (photos coming soon...)