5C's Que Pasa

Thanks for the comments re Part 1 of this post.  Yes the wine tastings are very expensive but that is no reason to not visit the wineries.  There is no charge to walk around inside nor outside and it is worth the time to do so.  Such a variety of architecture, some lovely art & sculpture displays and wonderful grounds to explore and so much history to discover.

The last two wineries we visited Wednesday were huge and so very different.  We spent over six hours touring that day.

Castello Di Amorosa often referred to as the Castle Winery.  Is is 136,000 square feet surrounded by 30 acres of vineyards.

The owner spent decades researching medieval castles and built this authentic 13th century inspired Tuscan Castle.  It took years to build and he brought in European workers and as much product as he could.  It is a fascinating read to read from start to finish.

http://www.castellodiamorosa.com/History

This is the great room, the castle also has a moat, a dungeon, a torture chamber and more. It truly is authentic and one has to remember it is also a winery.

It even has a consecrated chapel and this is an antique confessional.

The light just wasn’t right for a good photo. We should have been there early in the day not at the end but we didn’t know.  Sadly there was no way to get up high into those towers unless paying a lot of money for a tour.  Yes all the wineries in addition to charging for tastings also charge for tours where you get to go to s few special places as well as the caves where the wine is stored.

The view from the parking lot.

Next and last stop for the day was the Chateau Montelena established in 1882, right at the top of the Napa Valley map.  It would prove to be my favorite stop of the day for so very many reasons.

Jade Lake the first thing we saw next to the parking area. Sadly we lacked the time to walk the perimeter.

The winery.

This painting was done in 1890.

The tasting here was only $27.00 but again I only wanted to sample the first wine. They graciously             gave me a generous taste pour at no charge.  It was lovely.

There were two Napa wineries that won first in the 1976 Judgement of Paris and that really did put Napa on the map.  The other was Stag’s Leap Wine cellar for what I believe was a cabernet.

On the 1973 Chateau Montelena winning bottles of chardonnay.

The winery runs 100% on solar and is a certified “Napa Green’ winery.  I am really looking forward to finding the 2008 movie Bottle Shock which portrays the story of a blind wine tasting in Paris that leads to Chateau Montelena winning.

Neither of us were ready to leave the Chateau but it was past closing time. A perfect place to end our first full day in Napa Valley.

It was a bit of a drive back to the RV and I was looking forward to a glass or two of Pinot Grigio.  The girls were walked and fed.  It was then time for us to go for a walk into Napa.  We had chosen a Mexican restaurant favored by visitors and locals alike, the Taqueria Maria.  They say it is the best food in town.

We each chose the enchiladas con camarone. A great choice.

I hope that you are enjoying our Napa Valley tour.

Yesterday was a great first day exploring the Napa Valley and the over 600 wineries.

From Napa to Calistoga and a bit beyond there are wineries of all sizes.  It is a distance of approximately 28 miles each way and there are two roads, you take one going up and other going back down to Napa.  There are wineries along both sides of road and beyond.

Too much to take in over three days.  Our plan was to just meander and stop here and there.  I had researched a few places we wanted to check out for the architecture and the volunteer at the downtown Napa info center had added a few more stops she thought we would enjoy.   We had no idea how long we would be so we created a nice area for the girls in the back of the car and they traveled with us.  They were happy to stay in the car parked in the shade with all four windows open.  They were able to get their scheduled 1PM feeding and lots of small walks and potty breaks.

We come from wine country in Canada and were surprised at how small an area this is.  We are used to seeing miles and miles of vineyards with wineries spread out all over the Okanagan.  It took a a while to figure things out yesterday as there are very few addresses nor street signs.  Back home all wineries are marked with names and directions on the main roads.

My research also showed that I would not be doing many tastings. From $25.00 to $50.00 and up, it was out of reach financially.  Besides as this photo shows this particular tasting was $40.00 but the wines were being sold for $75.00 to $150.00 per bottle.  Not in our budget.  In the Okanagan wine tasting is less than $10.00 and if you buy a bottle the fee is waived.  Here you need to buy 2 -3 bottles to have the tasting fee waived.

I did however have two tastings and they cost me nothing! I was not interested in a tasting that involved red wine so I asked if I could just taste the Sauvignon Blanc.  Both times I was given a glass with the same amount of wine everyone else was paying for.  I was willing to pay but I was offered the tasting.  That was my mistake.  How can I ever go back to drinking wine that costs less than $45.00 per bottle 😯

Our first winery was Opus One. They only make one wine and it is a red. The tasting cost is $45.00 for a 4oz pour.  One does need to make an appointment for the tasting.

As we walked up the ramp to the entrance piped music could be heard. It really was a very nice place. We were allowed to wander a bit.

The girls even got to wander around.

Next stop was the Turnbull Winery which was rustic on the outside.

The inside was bright and filled with the owners’ private black and white art collection.  That is me in the yellow jacket.  I was much more interesting in the art that the wine.

Many of the photos were Ansel Adams originals including this 1927 “Monolith, The Face of Half Dome”.  There was so much light that it was impossible to take photos without reflections.

Turnbull was also a red only winery but they recommended St Supery just up the road. A lovely location.

This was my first ‘free’ tasting of 2015 Estate Sauvignon Blanc.

Wish I knew where this Napa Valley shot was taken.

Next was a simply named Raymond. It is said that a playboy started the winery for fun.  We didn’t get any photos of the exterior but it is a different place.  Check it out on Google.

The following is from the Raymond website. Today, inspired by the vision of Proprietor Jean-Charles Boisset, Raymond is a dynamic destination dedicated to inspiring its guests’ passion for fine wine in an environment of exploration, creativity, and elegant whimsicality, where each in a series of diverse experiences progresses visitors into another world of discovery and exceptional wines.

Further, Raymond’s Rutherford and St. Helena estate vineyards are certified organic and Biodynamic, and 100% of the winery’s power comes from renewable solar energy.

Certainly a unique place.

The corridor of senses. The hands on the right have little red bulbs to squeeze to get a variety of smells.  Further up are various pieces of material to stimulate the senses of touch.

The library was the most normal room.

Very creative in their displays.

The Crystal Room, one of the many tasting areas has some interesting ladies hanging up there with wings.  A touch of the Playboy Mansion here and there throughout the winery.  Certainly a unique winery.

So much to see, so much to share.  To be continued.

The Opus One interior and the last two photos were taken by Colin and of course any photos of me 😉

Another wonderful but very long day.  I have finally edited my images down to 43.  Way too many to put in one post and impossible to whittle down any further.  It is 10PM and I really need to head to bed.  Hope to catch up tomorrow.  However we had such a great day that we plan to do it yet again tomorrow with some variations.

I now understand why people come back to Napa over and over.

The weather has been perfect.

So much to see and so little time.

It rained so much last night that when we brought the living room slide in this morning, it came in at a very wrong angle due to the pressure from the amount of rain.  We did get it sorted out  but it was a shock to me seeing the slide out come in a such a different angle.

A typical I5 view, rather boring. From here we proceeded to quite a bit of rain.  Certainly the show of fall colors has greatly diminished.

The terrain changed quickly. We also seemed to be suddenly enveloped in blue sky and sunshine.  No complaints. But wow, what a change in less than 60 -90 minutes.  Not complaining at all.

It seemed that in a matter of moments I was seeing this. Napa was only moments away.

Yes we are in Napa, CA. and the weather is perfect and just WOW.  I have put 14,000 steps on my Fitbit in the last 7 hours!. Things are very alive and moving here in the Valley.  The girls can’t figure out why we are out of the cold and rain but they are loving the sun and heat.  We are staying at the Napa Valley Expo RV Park.

It is expensive at $50.00 per nite/$45.00 with Good Sam but so very close to everything.  You need to book at least 2 months ahead to get a spot.

Once we set up we went for a walk into Napa, all four of us.

The town is captivating and unique.

So much more than one can see in a few days.

On our way to the local information center to pick up some info and maps we ran across this left over Halloween scene.

Such a lovely area.

The view behind us as we walked back to the RV Park.

We were impressed at how well the girls managed the walk.

Once we returned to the RV, we set up to leave within five minutes.  We wanted to shop at a few local places to replenish some needed groceries.  Once home we fed the girls their dinner and were off yet again to the Oxbow Market.

So much to partake in but we warn you that these delicacies are not cheap.

We went to the Oxbow Market for our dinner.  The idea is to walk about with a glass of wine ( which you purchase from the vendor of your choice ) and figure your next step.  We sampled some cheeses both foreign and local.  Great appetizer at no charge.  We did later return and purchase a sliver of 10 year old cheddar.  We gravitated back to the very authentic pizza place.  Being Tuesday it was considered a ‘local’ evening.  I inquired and bought my rather full glass of wine for half price.  Actually I did that twice, 😀   If you don’t ask, you don’t get the discount.  I sampled two very different yet wonderful Sauvignon Blanc wines.

Each pizza crust base is made, molded and dressed, right in front of you.

It only takes 90 seconds to cook your personal pizza to perfection.

Perfection to both of our tastes.  Isn’t that a great pour for $4.00?

We only drove 191 miles today but between setting up for a few days, and then our long walk into Napa with the girls followed by a drive to Traders Joe’s for a few select items we were weary.  Then once we fed the girls dinner we were off to the Oxbow Market, yet again by foot.  We passed a fabulous Mexican restaurant on the way.  For certain it will be our next stop for dinner out.  Apparently it is were the locals dine.  Everything on the menu looked wonderful.  A full day indeed.

The girls were so happy to see us return.  This is Carmeh squeaking up a song with her toy.

So many toys for two little girls.

Tomorrow promises to be a very full day.  I will try to post once we get back to the RV.  It is now 11:20PM and I am beyond tired.  Time to be off and have my well deserved shower.  Thanks so very much once again for your input and special comments.  It is nice to know that someone is reading these posts.

It took a while to fall asleep last night as I was listening to a symphony, no a quartet of train horns.  First time I have heard them here.  But overall it was a great sleep despite the heavy rainfall.  When we left at 8 this morning we had to remind ourselves that we were heading south and not north and to take the correct exit, as we have only ever stayed stayed here in Eugene as we head back to Canada.  We started the day with a veil of various shades of gray clouds.

We have been so fortunate to watch the fall colors all along our journey this week. On our return home in April we get to watch spring unfold day after day as we travel north.  The seasons get extended.  How wonderful is that?

Somewhere north of Roseburg we encountered road construction. Colin commented on what would happen if we had a tire blow out or our engine died?   Seriously at this point and for several miles I5 was only one lane in either direction.  However would a tow truck reach our RV to tow us, which has happened in the past?  Or a tire truck to change a tire which we could not do on our own?  This also has happened in the past.  There was no place for us to pull over because of the concrete barrier on both sides, not anyway for anyone to get to us to assist us.  Those concrete barriers would have to be removed.  In Mexico they have removable  plastic barriers, much more logical.  Seriously do you think no one has ever had a breakdown in a situation like this?  For certain had we had a problem, we would have shut down I5 for hours and hours!

A special thank you to Henk, a long time reader and his email with a suggestion to fuel up at Seven Feathers at Exit 99 in Oregon.  Henk now lives in our RV park in Kelowna but is enjoying the heat of Yuma at the moment.  We were able to fill the tank with 74 gallons of diesel at 2.549, great price 😀  Thanks Henk!

Not a good day to see Mt. Shasta.

For the first time this trip I pulled out my sunglasses. It only lasted an hour.

Shortly after we moved into California it got cloudy again.

We stopped at the rest area at Klamath River rest area for lunch. Always a beautiful area but even more so this year.  This is the first time we have stopped traveling in this direction.  Actually it has been many years since we traveled south on I5 and we are so enjoying the sites that a change of direction brings.

While we ate lunch, the girls played. Carmeh was trying to engage Caeli in a paw fight.

We took the time to enjoy a walk in this lovely area.

Once we left here we were climbing way up behind the RV.

I now know why I found it difficult to leave this spot as we were soon engulfed in heavy rain once again.

The last two hours were a real pain what with the weather and the mountain passes.

This is the closest reference we have seen to a Hillary sign.  Again today, only Trump signs.

I had decided a few weeks ago that being Halloween it would be a good idea to spend tonight in an RV park for safety and to avoid fireworks for the girls sake.  However I’m sure that the constant rain put an end to all of that.  After all this is the PNW, Pacific North WET!  We are in the Redding RV Park, a Passport America Park.  However I was annoyed when I made our reservation.  First off they have a set price but then they insist that you need to make a reservation to guarantee the low price but they charge a $5.00 fee for the reservation.  It made no sense to me.  I asked why they did not  just set their price  at such and such a rate.  Long story short we paid $26.95 for our one night here and we are surrounded by mud.  However we do have internet and full hook ups.  We won’t be staying here again.

So we pulled into our assigned site and to the right of us is this RV and towed!  We are being surrounded by the man.  Again only Trump signs today including a large carved wooden sign saying “Save Babies, Vote Trump”.  It will an interesting next 8 days.

We actually did 318 miles today. Tomorrow will be shorter drive and we sure hope to end up in a warmer location.

Thank you all for your comments and emails.  I love you all and really appreciate your input.  Hopefully you will enjoy the next four days, all new territory for us and you.