Hearst Castle
| Pebble Beach | Tide PoolOK, now its my turn. Yes, California was awesome! Helena knows her stuff out west. Joe and I were very impressed. I would have to say that Nappa Valley and Santa Barbara were the best out of all the cities and towns we ventured into. In Nappa Valley, we toured a collection of vineyards which included Opus One, Mondavi, Inglenook, St. Soupouri, and Beringer. We were able to sample wine at almost all of them. The wine sampling included a small lesson on how to taste wine (the "proper" way). Needless to say our wine drinking skills were less than perfect (after all we are Engineers). Joe insisted on chugging each sample and seemed to want more after each sample J !
We ate our lunch by the vineyards at Sattui (a famous deli in the Nappa Valley) with our fresh bread, brie cheese and wine. The weather couldn't have been better; sunny with just enough of a cool breeze. It was quite the perfect day.
Our main road trip in California was the drive down coastal Hwy 1. Each of us had an official title and responsibility during the road trip. Helena was the driver (which I could never do on such a crazy highway). Joe was 'map boy' and was the official navigator person. And I was 'CD girl' which…well wasn't a huge job but probably the best as I was able to enjoy the view down the coast (btw I was promoted to 'map girl' on the drive back home).
The drive down highway 1 was amazing. Being so close to the ocean is quite an experience….food to the soul for New Yorkers who are used to seeing only cement and tall buildings. Our first major stop was Santa Cruz where we saw surfers, surfers, and more surfers! Of course Helena and I didn't mind watching these blonde, blue-eyed, great bodied men loitering about the beaches but I think Joe was getting a little bored so we weren't there very long. Our next major stop was Monterey Bay which is where we decided to spend the night. Joe and Helena wanted to stay at the first Motel we ran into, however I insisted that we look for a nice Bed and Breakfast. So we started our search and within ten minutes we were able to find a relatively inexpensive Bed and Breakfast; the Centrella B&B in Pacific Grove. Wow! Now this was a great place. It had been around since 1889 and it has all the fixings from back then; antique tables, photos, beds. They provided us with evening wine and cheese and a full breakfast which consisted of quiche, muffins, croissants, fruits, freshly squeezed orange juice, coffee and tea.
After Monterey Bay, we headed down to Santa Barbara. This city is beautiful! Picture palm trees, lush green mountains (well ok rolling hills compared to Vancouver) and sunny beaches all year round and you've got Santa Barbara. Helena and I have decided to either retire here or open a Bed and Breakfast here (once we get sick of our current jobs of course).
All and all it was an awesome trip! It was great venturing off to new places with old friends. Thanks Helena for all your tour guide expertise! Next year, the plan is to continue our road trip; this time from LA down to Mexico. Anyone else interested? See you then!
Urvashi
