Last night we had such a good time as Steve (against his
will) took me to see a movie, “ARGO” that is a new release with Ben
Affleck. It was good and fun to relax!
One interesting thing that I noticed about signage in
California is how they point DOWN when showing you the correct road to take, as
when you are entering an on ramp for the interstate. Not right or left, but down. Funny.
Also, I wish they showed clearer what is available at each exit. In Arkansas, you see the gas stations and
some restaurants that are available at each exit. Not here!
We woke up in the Union Hotel without having any ghostly
apparition sightings during the night.
The bed was almost too soft and I think the sheets were made
locally. It was just a fun, different
sort of place to stay. We went down for
the breakfast in the hotel dining room.
It was cool this morning, but the sun was shining! Enjoyed eggs, bacon and toast….the kind of
bread that Steve and my kids all love with lots of grains in it. Me, not so much…I’m still a white
bread/sourdough bread girl. Boring, I
know.
Today is vineyard and winery tour day. We had tried to make plans to take a tour bus
or shuttle through some vineyards, but their schedule and availability didn’t
work out. So, we decided to read about
some of them online last night and make a plan.
We used what the tours were visiting as a guide. We decided on a list of about 7-8 and wrote
the details down about the cost, hours, locations and went with that.
We ended up first at Andretti’s Vineyard (as in Mario
Andretti, the race car driver). It was
funny that we kept having trouble finding it on the GPS until I realized I had
typed what looked like 1171, but Steve had written 4171…I thought his 4 was a 1 with a checkmark! That can cause problems. We finally made it. It was pretty, but very limited in what they
had to offer. The tasting area could
have really been any small bar anywhere.
Grapevines that have been picked this season.
Gorgeous view of a sunny, perfect weather kind of day. On to our next vineyard!
The next stop was V. Sattui Vineyard and Winery. Oh goodness—this may have been our favorite
part of not just the day, but maybe even the entire trip. Steve and I enjoyed sampling several of the
wines available. I’m not a big wine
drinker, but I actually enjoyed several of theirs. Steve LOVED them! The guy that helped us was very knowledgeable
and not pushy about selling cases of wine.
Another couple next to us were very interesting and we learned they
owned homes in Arizona as well as Seattle, Washington. I enjoyed shopping in the deli where they had
over 200 different cheeses, as well as wonderful meats and breads…all for the
perfect picnic! On a weekday, we would
have bought items for a picnic on the grounds.
However, we were fortunate that this happened to be a weekend at the vineyard
where they cookout on the grounds. This
was the best! We couldn’t decide what to
get! We settled for a plate of bbq ribs
with potato salad and then a small brick oven pizza with basil, tomatoes and
cheese. We found a quiet bench under a
sprawling tree and enjoyed. There were
people from all over the world there.
Lots of Asians, which surprised me.
The talking was lively. Everyone
was enjoying themselves, drinking wine and eating the great food. I can’t imagine a better time. A tour bus leader gathered a large group up and told them it was time to leave. We were suddenly glad to be on our own timetable.
Inside the wine tasting area...
So many choices...so little time.
Steve enjoying the tasting...thank goodness their samples aren't too large!! 
Yummy pizza for lunch.
And some ribs and potato salad since we couldn't make up our mind.
Everyone was in such a good mood---we heard so many different languages from people all over the world!
Our next stop was a stunning vineyard/winery called Sterling Vineyards. As you will see, the grounds and building, as well as the aerial tram were all amazing. Too bad the wine wasn't! By this time, we were ready to enjoy another experience like the one earlier this afternoon. It was a $25 charge for the aerial tram, six tastings and a souvenir wine glass. I had found a $5 off each ticket coupon on my phone that we were able to use. There was a long line to get in and you HAD to take the tram ride to see the winery and taste the wine.
No problem.
Beautiful entrance as you can see.
Aerial tram to the top.
Another tram passing by.
A view from the winery at the top. Nice!
After we both couldn't hardly stand the first drink of wine and I didn't try any until the end, we decided this was NOT a favorite! I tried to throw my second one over the wall into the bushes, but Steve said "oh no, I'll drink it." Funny thing after another one, Steve was also looking for a place to ditch his! He told me "that's just a waste of good grapes." I have to agree with him. Back in the car into bumper to bumper traffic and on to South Lake Tahoe for the night! We were really tired at this point and just pulled into a McDonalds to grab a bite to eat.
We also passed Six Flags Discovery and made me a bit sad to think about days gone by when we wouldn't have been able to get by without stopping there for a day with the three children.
This photo was taken the next morning because it was dark when we arrived at the Aston Suites for the night. Our room was really great...another one that we could have spent a LOT of time visiting this area. Lots of shopping, hiking trails and restaurants to check out.
A very weird thing was that night, I was going through the channels and started watching one of my typical crime stories based on true stories....on TLC. I love those things. It was especially weird when about 10:00, one came on about Jaycee Dugard, the little girl that was kidnapped by a psycho couple when she was 11 years old. She lived right here in South Lake Tahoe!! They kept her for 18 years. She had two children by the crazy man. It was an interesting story of how she was found and eventually returned to her family...along with her two daughters.
The next morning we ate at The Red Hut Cafe, enjoying biscuits and gravy. Likely the best breakfast we've had so far, we both agreed. Service was good and the decor was like an old 50's restaurant. Yum.
Views as we left South Lake Tahoe heading to Yosemite National Park.
Milk at this price. My brother would have to have his own milk cow!
I know it's overload on the photos. I took about a million cause Steve was driving and I kept my camera out the window most of the drive! I just had to edit a lot out already, so just scan on through them!
Emerald Bay. Gorgeous!! Steve went for a hike and I stayed in the car to read and nap. Perfect. When he got back it had started spitting snow a bit. By the time we left, it was snowing quite a lot.
The trees are getting larger and larger up here!
Check out these clouds....look like postcards!
Steve watched some guys scaling this wall while out on his hike. I have no desire to have that on my bucket list of things to do before I die!
Aspens were in bloom everywhere on the mountains.
Very good days in California so far.....loved what we saw from early Yosemite, but wish we'd had more time and better weather to visit some of the sights. I will start tomorrow's blog with some of the photos I took late on Sunday as we made our way through the park.
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