15 May 2011
Hilton at LAX parking and LAX
B.A. And I started our journey by taking United Airlines from LAX to San Francisco. As usual, we utilized Hilton at LAX as hassle-free long-tem parking.
Enterprise at San Francisco Airport
Renting a car from Enterprise at the airport was his idea to have some freedom during our stay. Napa Valley is quite a vast county and it’ll be a bummer without a vehicle. We stopped by 香滿樓 near the airport for dinner, as suggested by Sherman Fan earlier. Boy, it was packed with Cantonese speaking crowds. Food was very tasty and it caused my uneasy stomach later on.
Marriott at Napa Valley
The room at Marriott was alright, with two double beds. Luckily we have a car so that we could have done some grocery shopping for fruits.
16 May 2011
Balloon Above the Valley, Winters
Throughout the morning, we tried out hot air balloon by ‘balloon above the valley’. Definitely something to check off the bucket list. We met 5:30am at the General Store, staff was organized, and then we drove in vans to the liftoff site at Winters. The valley was beautiful and Scott, our pilot, was too quiet to explain all the different animals, farms and crops growing below. We had a so-called ‘champagne brunch’ for celebration afterwards. They took a picture of us but it was left out in our hotel room. Oh, well.
Skyline Wilderness Park
It really gives you a taste of what Napa Valley was once all about: beautiful forests with mighty oaks, along with some chaparral country up on the mountain ridges. We tried a couple short trails. As they say, Skyline Park is really a great casual hiker's park.
17 May 2011
Petrified Forest, Calistoga
I joined the other spouses for some group activities. First, we visited Petrified Forest in Calistoga. I've heard that the fossil trees aren't the most beautiful, but according to the guide pamphlet they are the biggest found so far. The natural history of the site is very interesting, everything is well labeled, and it's a nice, beautiful short walk. It is on a hillside, and the trail is not paved, especially when the ground was wet and we needed to carry umbrellas. The gift shop is fantastic! There are lots of lovely fossil specimens and all kinds of rough and polished stones for collectors. I bought 12 different kind of seeds for my neighbor Jennifer.
Old Faithful Geyser, Calistoga
The next stop: Old Faithful Geyser. When we were there it was a dramatic rainy day and the geyser was erupting every 5 minutes because it erupts more often when it's been raining, which is pretty cool. I've been to the one in Yellowstone, and that one only erupts once every hour and a half, you can't get as close (spray is much taller), and there are tons of people so it is very difficult to get a good picture.
Downtown Calistoga
Stopped by Brannan’s Grill in downtown Calistoga for lunch. This is a happy group, comprised of a number of talkative ladies. The driver had to stop by downtown St. Helena because some ladies cried for shopping.
18 May 2011
John F. Kennedy Memorial Park
B.A. had a half day free and we drove out to John F. Kennedy Memorial Park. It runs along the Napa River south of downtown Napa. The Napa River Trail follows a 1.6-mile stretch of the river from the south end of the park to the bridge at Imola Avenue. The river trail is being constructed in sections. We walked along the river both south and north bound.
Jelly Belly, Fairfield
In the afternoon, the spouses got together to visit Jelly Belly in Fairfield, where we watched Jelly Belly candies being made. It was a fun tour looking at how a favorite treat is made.
Barber’s Q Restaurant
B.A. and I tried out the famous Barber’s Q and were not impressed.
19 May 2011
Chef’s Market, downtown Napa
Now it’s time to tour downtown Napa. This place truly is a hidden gem right in downtown. Unique buildings are surrounded by the winding Napa River. We strolled along the river walk to enjoy the scene. Chef’s Market happened on Thursday night during summer. Downtown Napa is essentially blocked off, and pedestrians get free run of the streets. There's a great selection of produce stands, and the fruit and vegetables are of super high quality. There are also many choices for hot food, including pizza, BBQ, and BBQ shrimp and oysters.
Oxbow Public Market
By the way, Oxbow Public Market is worth mentioning. All the stores are unique and fresh with a lot of selection of food. We have tried the Three Twin Ice Cream which is organic, unbelievable!
20 May 2011
Silverado Trail
People say you cannot come to Napa Valley without visiting Wineries. That’s why we hopped in and drove along the famous Silverado Trail. The Silverado Trail wineries are found on the quieter side of Napa Valley. Boy, there are tons of it, plus beautiful vineyards along the trail. We picked ‘Mumm Napa’ which is a sparkling wine winery. We got a one-hour tour of their processing plant. Now I know sparkling wine equals champagne!
Westwood Hills Park
Visited Westwood Hills Park which consists mostly of hills and valleys...no flat stuff. They say that all trails end up back on each other so getting lost is impossible. We only tried some short ones.
Mini Mango, downtown Napa
Dinner at Mini Mango for Thai food was not bad.
21 May 2011
Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco
Left Napa and went straight toward China Town for egg custard. And it was a disappointment because the store was closed for vacation. We ended up touring Pier 39 at Fisherman’s Wharf. We enjoyed sea breeze and seafood before heading back home. Considering a business trip for B.A., it’s a plus for me to tag along. Definitely worth it!
