May 2022
We flew into Sacramento International Airport. Easy-peasy airport. Friendly airport experience and easy freeway access. Rented a car through Costco.
The hardest part of traveling is planning. Friends have asked me for recommendations from trips my husband and I take. Why re-invent the wheel?
If I tell you where we’ve stayed, it’s because it passed the test: we’d stay there again.
Tips:
- The best times to visit Napa are January, February, and March when it’s not too crowded or hot. We went in May because we visited Yosemite first.
- If you are traveling with others and sharing costs, download the free app called Splitwise splitwise.com It records expenses easily and splits them as you travel so when you settle-up with your traveling companions at the end of your trip it’s hassle free.
We were in Napa for a total of 3 days. I used packing cubes.
I packed just for Napa:
- Sweater
- 2 short sleeve shirts
- 1 pair of shorts
- 1 pair black pants when you go out to eat. My fav: Athleta Brooklyn Ankle pants https://athleta.gap.com
- Hat (Luv, luv Wallaroo Victoria Fedora)
- Rain jacket
- Tennis shoes
- Sandals
- If I hadn’t traveled to Yosemite first, I’d have pack a casual dress.
Tips:
- On the plane I wore jeans, slip on shoes My favorite are: https://www.nordstrom.com/s/ilse-jacobsen-tulip-139-perforated-slip-on-sneaker ,long sleeve pullover shirt and light jacket.
- Carry extra pair of underwear and toiletries in a carry-on just in case you get stranded on one of your legs of travel.
Napa: 3 nights
Hennessey House B&B: https://hennesseyhouse.com
The Victorian Bed and Breakfast home is in historic downtown Napa. You can’t beat the location. Easy walking to many Napa restaurants. It was renovated in 2017.
The inn keepers, Kevin and Lorri Walsh were very welcoming. They allowed us to check in early and gave us a downtown Napa map and offered restaurant suggestions.
The room was charming and most important the delicious breakfast each morning.
Restaurants we walked to:
Pasta Prego– appeared to be a local Italian restaurant favorite. Very cozy with white tablecloths. (Large portions, so consider sharing if not too hungry) Make reservations. Very small inside.
Bounty Hunter Wine Bar & Smokin BBQ– unique is an understatement. Great place to experience. 18-page wine list with wines from around the world. No reservations so get there early. It’s not big inside. Mac & cheese was awesome.
Restaurants we drove to:
The Red Grape in Sonoma. https://theredgrape.com/
Pizza, pasta, salads. The pizza, chocolate cake and wine were yum!
Tips:
- Make sure you don’t need a reservation for dinner. It wasn’t crowded when we were there but that’s unusual.
Adventures:
- Oxbow Public Market: Just a fun unique place to explore. 40,000 sq ft with outdoor decks and a diverse mixture of local food vendors, produce, chocolate vendor and cafes.
- Sonoma historic plaza. The plaza is the largest in California and dates back to 1835. Loved the variety of roses in the square.
- The historic Sebastiani theatre built in 1933. You can see movies and events are held here. We saw No Time to Die. https://www.sebastianitheatre.com/
- Wine tasting. Gotta do it when in Napa and Sonoma.
Highlights:
- Sebastiani Vineyards & Winery. Sonoma. https://www.sebastiani.com/
This was our second visit to this winery for a tasting. This is where I discovered a taste for white wines. (The reds are delicious too) The staff is friendly, and you can sit outside near the pool. Be sure and ask to tour the Barrel Room. There is a hand carved redwood tank which is one of the two largest redwood tanks in the world and is over 100 years old.
- Castello di Amorosa winery in Napa Valley. https://castellodiamorosa.com/
An authentically styled 13th century Tuscan castle winery build to honor the builder’s Italian heritage and love of medieval architect. The castle sits on 171 acres overlooking the vineyards. The wine tasting in the cellar is fun and the wine is only sold directly to the public. Good wine! Take some home or have it shipped.
- Nichelini Family Winery. Napa Valley. https://www.nicheliniwinery.com/
Off the beaten path. Unique, small and top-quality wines. Nichelini is the oldest family-owned winery in the Napa Valley. Staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. After tasting (loved the refreshing taste of Moscato) I joined the wine club.
Tips:
- Make reservations to the wineries you want to visit before you travel. They book up fast.
RECIPE: Hennessey House Lemon Pound Cake Muffins
Courtesy of Hennessey House BnB, Napa
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teas baking flour
Zest of 4 lemons (save lemons for the syrup)
3 eggs
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
1 ½ cups milk
Syrup:
½ cups lemon juice, freshly squeezed
¾ cups sugar
Use silicon muffin cups OR grease muffin tins and set aside
Directions:
Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder. In separate bowl, combine the eggs, oil and milk. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture, stirring until just combined. Stir in Lemon Zest. Measure into muffin tin, bake muffins approx. 350 degrees until done.
In a sauce-pan, mix together the sugar and the lemon juice (if 4 lemons do not make enough juice, add water to make up ½ cup). Over medium heat, bring the lemon syrup to a simmer. Gently simmer until sugar is completely dissolved.
Pierce muffins with toothpick, then top warm muffins with lemon syrup.
We had these one morning and they are delicious!
Enjoy!
I love to drink wine