Learning about Nor Cal Part 3- San Francisco

The City by the Bay has been a place we have wanted to visit for a while now and this visit lived up to and beyond our expectations!

View from the car driving up from Napa- the Golden Gate Bridge is pretty impressive!

Monday, August 12th- Today we did not have scheduled plans so we designated today for taking it all in! We spent the day strolling around this beautiful city.  One of our first stops was at the famous Boudin Bakery known for it's sourdough bread!  This facility houses a tour-able factory, cafe, restaurant, and gift store. We also stopped by the touristy Pier 39 known for harboring hundreds of sea lions!  Check it out!

Outside there is a giant viewing window where people passing by can watch the bread makers craft masterpieces and take in the wonderful smell of freshly baked bread via vents that blow out warm, scented steam from the factory!

I've never seen this before- loaves of bread shaped like animals!  We actually shipped the crab seen in this picture to my sister in law as a thank-you for taking care of our dog Brooklyn while we were gone.

So the day started with food and ended with food with dinner at The Franciscan Crab Restaurant at Fisherman's Wharf (pier 43 1/2).  If you are a seafood lover like myself (if it's from the sea, it's for me- is one of my favorite sayings), then this place is for you.  Even my husband who wouldn't touch anything from the ocean with a ten foot pole, fell in love with The Franciscan's famous dungenous crab.  The crab arrived at our table basted in succulent butter and covered in secret spices (not Old Bay seasoning, but very similar).  This is the type of place where everyone is wearing a bib and wet naps are served with the bill!  I also had crab alfredo which was also crab-tastic!

We stayed at the Hyatt at Fisherman's Wharf and ended our day with a nice swim in their rooftop heated pool.  Check out Baby A :)  

Tuesday, August 13th- This was an exciting day because we had made reservations to visit Alcatraz.  It was a beautiful day and we had a wonderful time.  What I was really impressed with was the audio self guided tour which lasted 45 minutes and kept my attention (something that I lack when at museums) the entire time.  Baby A was strapped to the front of me and she was even well behaved!  Check it out!

Top Pic: The view of the island from the ferry. Bottom Pic: The teacher in me took this photo- lifelong readers made from jail time!  

Locked Up, lol!

This is the view of San Fran from outside of the prison- so beautiful!

When we got back from Alcatraz, we enjoyed more time walking around this beautiful city.  Highlights include stopping at Ghirardelli Square where I enjoyed an AMAZING ice cream sundae at their ice-cream and chocolate shop and got to view how they make their chocolate, trying west coast oysters (which are so much smaller than those on the east coast), taking a drive down Lombard Street (the crookedest street in the U.S.), watching electric cars and trolleys travel down the road without stinky street pollution and simply taking it all in!  Here are a couple more photos:

Such a pretty picture of the water and the bridge. 

My favorite picture from the entire trip!  The views from this restaurant were similar to the picture above- however there were people swimming laps in the water, some in wet suites and some not- cold, yikes!

What I learned about San Francisco:

*  We got lucky with the fog burning off pretty early in the morning, but people do not realize how chilly it is here and many tourists were seen wearing San Fran novelty sweatshirts and jackets because I'm sure they were not prepared.
*  San Fran is rated the #1 "Smart Places to Settle Down" according to Parents Magazine (October 2011)- this is def. a family friendly city and I can totally picture my family settling down here some day!
*  Not one restaurant served Rice-a-Roni-is it really"The San Francisco Treat"???
*  The trolleys are overrated, yet people wait hours to ride one.
*  Sadly, there are a lot of homeless people on the streets due to the stable (not to cold, not to warm- all year round) weather the city has to offer.

This was such an AMAZING experience to visit these parts of Northern California- San Francisco was the perfect spot to end our trip.
    

Learning about Nor Cal Part 2- Napa Valley

We have always been captivated by the beauty of Napa as seen on television, movies, and in books; so it made sense that we would spend some time here on our trip- not to mention our LOVE for vino!

Friday afternoon, August 9th- we left Monterey and took the two hour drive inland to Napa.  It was interesting how the moist, cool air turned into dry hot air by the time we pulled into our hotel at The Westin Verasa Hotel in Napa.  This hotel is pretty AMAZING-  as we walked into the lobby, we found ourselves instantly transformed from seaside beauty (Monterey) to wine country sheik (Napa) as samples of wine were freely being passed out (I took full advantage).  The entire back wall of the lobby gives way to a giant veranda with a large heated pool/jacuzzi.  In the bar, lavish appetizers laid across a thick butcher block counter top to accompany the many wine offerings.  After we picked our jaws off of the ground, we made our way up to our room- and the jaw dropped again as the door opened way to a very comfortable suit with a full kitchen, sitting/living room area and a balcony to boot!  I got to wash baby A's bottles in a dishwasher to sanitize and started a load of wash as we went off to dinner- this place was like home!

Saturday, August 10th- after one of my favorite breakfasts (lox and cream cheese on a bagel with capers, tomatoes and purple onions), we meet our limo driver for the day out front- you always need a DD when in Napa!  First stop was Beringer's Vineyard- known for their beautiful grounds.  Take a LOOK!

There was a calypso band playing out front and Baby A and I sung and danced the early afternoon away!

After a couple of hours of dancing, singing and tasting, we were ready for lunch at The CIA a.k.a The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone.  The moment I walked in I was captivated by the smell of roasted chicken.  I never order chicken when going out to eat because it is too boring, but here I couldn't resist!    

In the center of the CIA restaurant you can watch the soon to be chefs receive training from top talent- even the hostess and servers are in training!

After a satisfying lunch, we hopped back into the limo and headed to another vineyard called Castello di Amorosa- an interesting experience.  Take a LOOK!

No, this is not a castle from long ago, however, it is an authentic castle built by the winemaker!

This winery often throws Renaissance parties here where guests dress up from the time period. 

You cannot buy this wine at any package store.  The wine from this vineyard is only served at select restaurants in the area, so we made sure to buy a few bottles to be shipped back home. 

The most interesting experience here was that during a tasting, the solemner asked us to try a very sweet dessert wine- yuck!  After he noted that we were not a fan so much, he asked us to wait and disappeared for a couple of minutes, only to come back with a bar of dark chocolate- I was intrigued!  He broke the bar up into many pieces and had us put a piece into our mouths and melt over our tongues.  This chocolate tasting was surprising because as the piece began to melt, large crystals of salt rock were uncovered.  Next, he told us to taste the sweet wine again...WOW- this time the wine tasted completely different.  Instead of overpoweringly sweet, the wine tasted crisp and refreshing with a subtle sweetness that did not get in the way of enjoying the wine.  Needless to say, we left this winery with a bar of this magic chocolate and some wine!

Sunday, August 11th- One can NEVER sample too much wine, so we decided to go visit another vineyard- one that my DH's parents discovered when they last visited.  Artesa Winery took my breath away.  Take a LOOK!

We enlarged these photos and are using them around the house like in the guest bathroom!

This winery is very contemporary and features many beautiful water structures (like the ones above).  Artesa is built into a mountain (see below), preserving the views around it and also making it unique- they use 50% less  air conditioning than other wineries.  

Below is a picture of where they store barrels (barrels can be reused up to three times)- the sound of Monks chanting fills this room, as it is said that the vibrations of the music agitate the wine, thus enhancing its flavor.   

Another beautiful water feature inside of the winery, used as a reserved tasting room.

The next couple of photos are taken outside of Artesa and are for your viewing pleasure!

What I learned about Napa:

*  Until you actually pull into a particular winery, the land is pretty barren.

*  August through October can be very warm- it was 85 degrees, dry and sunny the two days we spent here.

*  The largest bottle of wine I saw was called a Nebuchadnezzar (named after the king of Babylon) and it needs three grown men to lift and pour from it.

*  The tops of wine barrels make beautiful lazy susan turntables.  

*  Napa has many hidden gems like Artesa and can be found by doing a little research- like digging around in Wine Spectator magazine.  These wineries are often less crowded and offer unique experiences.  

*  Hiring a limo driver for the day can make traveling to many wineries in one day fun and SAFE!

*  I could spend a full week here and would LOVE to go again!

Next up, the final installation... San Francisco!  

Learning about Nor Cal Part I- Monterey

I've been wanting to write about the trip my family took to Northern California for a while now.  Hurricane Irene caused this post to be delayed as we just got internet service back recently.

*This is the first post in a series of three posts covering the places we visited on this trip.

MONTEREY-

Wednesday Night, August 10th we arrived in Monterey and stayed in a wonderful hotel called The Clement Monterey from InterContinental Hotels and Resorts Click here to be linked to this hotel!

This hotel had the most comfortable bed to relieve my jet lagged body with down everything (featherbed, pillows, and comforter)!  My DH and I put our DD down after a day of exhausting flying and ordered room service from The C Restaurant, which we later learned is known as a top notch place to eat in the area.  I ordered the dungeness crab salad and this became the first of many crab dishes I experienced on this trip.

Thursday, August 11th we went sightseeing all day starting with a walk through the Red Wood Forests of Big Sur.

Look at how small the stroller looks compared to the base of this redwood!

The DH was getting creative with his camera shots- he wanted to show just how tall these trees are.

Next, we took the 17 mile drive along the Pacific Coast line.  We stopped at many interesting sight seeing attractions like:

The Lone Cypress recognized among “10 Most Magnificent Trees in the World” by World Amazing Events.com February 2009.

Pebble Beach Golf Course- rated #1 Public Course in the U.S. by Golf Digest

I most enjoyed gazing out the window as baby A (a.k.a. my DD) soundly slept in her carseat.  It is amazing  (and a little scary) how close the road is to the coastline, however it makes for breathtaking views from the car.  The only way that this day could have been any better is if the sun were out!

Friday Morning, August 12 we visited the well known Monterey Bay Aquarium.  I had heard about this aquarium from other people that had visited this region and was told that it is amazing (I use this word a lot when I get excited about something) and a must-see!                IT IS!

My two favorite people!  This attraction produced the most smiles :)

The best part parts of this aquarium are:

*  the "Open Sea" exhibit-which is a tank that reaches from the floor to the very top of the ceiling and when you stand in front of it, you feel as if you are standing on the bottom of the ocean in the deep blue sea.
*  adorable sea otters floating around on their backs and silly penguins up for a photo op.
*  multiple touch tanks all over the place= never crowded and always room to pet a sea cucumber!
*  live shows outside with the ocean as the backdrop- cast members dressed as jellyfish, penguins and other sea animals dancing and singing in an effort to communicate with children the need to preserve sea life and help keep oceans clean- the DD LOVED this and clapped throughout the whole performance.
*  WHAT I REALLY LIKED is that they had a special section just for toddlers to explore!

Abby experiencing the motion of the ocean in the toddler only section- I couldn't get her off of this thing! 

If this aquarium weren't on the other side of the country and I would definitely purchase a season pass to this AMAZING aquarium!

What I learned about Monterey:

*  It can be very chilly and was in the 50's when we were there.
*  Dungeness Crab is native to the west coast and DELICIOUS- much meatier and fulfilling than crab from the east coast.
*  Sea lions and sea otters are swimming around all over the place- keep your eyes peeled!
*  Cannery Row (where we stayed) is famous for canning and producing sardines- there is an exhibit on this at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
*  John Steinbeck was inspired to write about this local.
*  this is SHOCKING but, I thought chowder from Fisherman's Wharf was better than New England Clam Chowder (I feel like such a traitor)!

Next Up...Napa a.k.a. Wine Country!

Top Ten Tuesday- What I will miss about Summer Vacation

It's officially back to school time for me and I will throughly miss my time at home.


1. Spending time with my DD-cuddling, playing, giggling!


2. Getting to wake my DD up every morning and having her look at up me from her crib and smile :)


3. Spending time with my fur baby Brooklyn.


4. Watching the "Today Show" every morning with a cup of coffee.


5. Not getting dressed for the day until I want to, or not at all- I LOVE comfy clothes.


6. Going for leisurely trips to the grocery store daily for fresh meal ideas.


7. Having time to do laundry, vacuum and clean the house.


8. Staying up late and not having to worry about being tired the next day because I could take a nap when my DD does.  


9. Eating whenever I want to- not just the allotted 15 minutes a day I get for lunch at school!


10. Having nothing to really worry about and enjoying life in the moment!

What does your list look like?