Northbound to to Wine Country

After checking out of our residence in Carmel, "17 mile drive" was our next spot to hit.  You might be surprised to find you have to pay 9 bucks for this infamous drive but it is definitely worth it to get to see Pebble Beach Golf Course up close and personal.  We stopped at "The Lodge" which has a restaurant and bar with a view of the legendary 18th hole.  After a drink and a few practice swings with our imaginary clubs it was time to move on to more grandiose sights.

Next stop was Monterey Bay Aquarium - very impressive!  They didn't have the penguins this time, but the great white sharks and the "sunfish" were a site to behold along with tanks and tanks of glowing to transculent jellyfish--all shapes and sizes.

A plethora of red and orange leafs sweeping the landscape as far as the eye could see is exactly what we encountered in wine country.

Heading north we made a quick stop in skater mecca, Santa Cruz.  The boardwalk which was lifeless for the offseason, but the downtown area was a cool place for people watching and some good Thai Food.

The 101 took us through Silcon Valley and San Francisco on to Santa Rosa.  A brief cruise through San Francisco and we were officially in wine country. Cold weather awaited us along with friendly faces in Charlie Brown's hometown, Santa Rosa. (The Creator Schlotz lived here and there were various statues around the city.)

Wednesday was a wine filled extravaganza...in moderation of course. After gathering the information and suggestions from our hotel, we hit "River Road"...one of the popular locations of the wineries in Sonoma. A plethora of red and orange leafs sweeping the landscape as far as the eye could see is exactly what we encountered in wine country. We stopped at four different wineries, the first being Harvest Moon. A small selection here, the main focus was of the zinfandel variety. Next stop was Deloach...probably some of the best tasting wines here, very smooth reds and oaky whites. After that was Armida---gorgeous view with a patio to sit out on and even a bocce ball court if you wish to play a few rounds. They also have an assortment of cheese and crackers here, wish is a nice additive to the vino, of course. Last but certainly not least we came to Ferrari Carano winery. The most extravagant of the day, the view was the epitome of what one would expect to see in wine country. The architecture was also exquisite. In the basement of the building you can see the barrells of wine, a very cool sight especially because the whole place was decorated for the Christmas holiday. Definetely reccomend the Fume Blanc! Delicious.

FYI--wine tastings are very reasonable! usually between 5-10 bucks per tasting and and usually about 5 wines. You can find some complimentary tastings too if you search hard enough.

Thanksgiving! Its turkey time.

Friends and family are the best people to be with on the holidays. So luckily we were surrounded with great people and great friends. The quaint town of Petaluma has tons of character and is certainly a cozy place to be on a holiday. A typical Thanksgiving with turkey and potatoes and good conversation, the Brennans were great hosts and obviously great fun. It wasn't until later after stuffed stomachs and turkey coma that the plans for Friday were revealed....