Napa

We were so excited that Misha and Nick joined us this year. The weather was perfect, the food amazing, and the company even better. The trip got off to a bit of a rocky start for Grant and I with our flight on Thursday evening getting cancelled around 11pm after hours of sitting on the plane. Luckily, Grant was on top of it (as always) and as soon as the flight was delayed, he proactively booked us on the 6am direct flight the next morning. We got a few hours of sleep at Nina and Papa's house, and then headed back to the airport after a 4:30am wakeup call. We were on the same flight as Misha and Nick which worked out and we headed straight to San Fransisco to explore.

First stop was Boudin Bakery for some sourdough bread and brunch. Next we had fun playing games at Musee Mecanique. We stopped and looked at the seals on the way to the Ferry for Alcatraz. Nick and Misha had never been to Alcatraz and I think the last time I went was before kids. It was a bit creepy, as I expected. One fun surprise was spotting Whales while we were looking out over the ocean by the courtyard where the prisoners had outside time. We drove to check into the hotel, Sheraton Sonoma County, and then had a beautiful dinner under the twinkle lights at Layla's.

Saturday was our wine tour and we were joined by a fun group of Mom's on a girls trip from Wisconsin. They were really chill and it made for a fun day. Our stops included Mill Creek, a second place that I don't really remember and didn't like much, and Notre Vue. The view really was good at Notre Vue, but overall the winery seemed a bit short staffed and we didn't get the service we have experienced in the past.

Sunday Grant and I had brunch together, then we went back to the hotel and picked up Nick and Misha and had an amazing lunch at Mustard's. Nick and I had fun enjoying pink prickly pear margaritas together. We drove around Napa and then ended the day watching the sunset at Fog Crest Winery.

Monday we took Misha to the Livermore Premium Outlets because she really wanted to check out the Gucci store there. Grant and I dropped off Nick and Misha and got some coffee and drove around a bit. We did get back to the outlets in time for me to get a pair of Adidas that I have been wanting, and I got a great deal.

Because he is so good at planning, here is the itinerary provided by Grant Walsh the Travel Agent.

Thursday: Grant and Erin arrive at OAK at 10:15pm and stay overnight at Springhill Suites by the airport. (Editor's Note: That obviously did NOT work out!)

 Friday:

• Grant and Erin will pick up rental car at OAK airport and then pick up Nick and Misha when they land at 8:10am.
• We can drive to the SF Bay Area and park near Fisherman’s Wharf. There are lots of things to see/do within easy walking distance along the waterfront.
• For breakfast/brunch, we recommend the Bistro Boudin Bakery (home of the original SF sourdough bakery—delicious!!!).
• After brunch, we will have a few hours to explore before the Alcatraz tour. Here are some of the options in the vicinity: watch the wild sea lions at Pier 39, watch street performers, play a few antique games at Musee Mecanique (a one of a kind experience), take a ride on the historic street/cable cars, visit America’s oldest and largest Chinatown, get ice cream at Ghirardelli Square, etc. (If we run out of time to do everything we want, we can also drive back to the Bay Area before we fly out on Monday evening.)  
• 1:30pm tickets for Alcatraz Island Tour that departs from Pier 33 (confirmation # 4586800; face masks required for tour). Depending on how much time we decide to spend on the island before catching the return ferry, we should allow about 3-4hrs for this tour.
• After Alcatraz, drive across the Golden Gate Bridge to head north to the Wine Country. Depending on traffic (which will likely be heavy on a Friday afternoon/evening), it will take us about 60-90 minutes from Fisherman’s Wharf to arrive at our hotel, the Sheraton Sonoma Wine Country Petaluma.
• 8:30pm dinner reservation at Layla at MacArthur Place (29 E. Macarthur St, Sonoma, CA 95476; about 20 minutes from hotel)

 Saturday

• 9:30am pickup from our hotel for Platypus Wine Tour to North Sonoma and Russian River Valley. We will visit 3-4 wineries (selected by our tour guide/driver), enjoy a picnic lunch at one of the stops, and then they will drop us back at the hotel around 5:30pm.
• From our prior experience, a short 1-2hr nap before dinner will feel great after a full day of wine tastings (and I hope even Nick will have partaken in the tastings despite not being a huge fan of wine). Haha!
• 8pm reservation at Brewster’s Beer Garden, as we know Nick might enjoy a local brewery/taproom and this was the only one I found that accepts reservations. If there is a different spot you want to visit, we’re totally flexible! For example, these are also fairly close to our hotel in Petaluma: Lagunitas TapRoom & Beer Sanctuary and HenHouse Brewing Co. (these two are across the street from each other), and The Block Food Park & Beer Garden.

 Sunday

• Because our formal tour on Saturday will be on the Sonoma side of the region, we thought it might be fun to do our own self-guided tour over to the Napa side on Sunday.
• Depending on how early we wake up (and we’re fans of sleeping in!!!), we could do breakfast/brunch at the famous and historic Butter Cream Bakery in downtown Napa.
• Most vineyards/wineries require reservations for their tastings and tours (typically lasting 75-90 minutes each). Here are some places we’ve been and know we enjoy but we’re open to trying new places, too!
• Chandon (best-known for sparkling wines; good example of a large commercial winery; great outdoor seating areas on rolling hillside)
• Laird Family Estate (nice elevated seating area that overlooks their vineyards)
• Prisoner Wines (one of the most popular places to visit, as they have won a number of recent awards)
• Madrigal Family Winery (small, family-owned, great wines)
• Hans Fahden (in the Calistoga area, northern end of Napa Valley, pretty gardens and nice tasting room)
• Varozza Vineyards (family-owned and operated for over a century)
• I’m sure we will remember names of other places once we start exploring and recognizing things!
• 9pm dinner reservation at Bottega Napa Valley (6525 Washington Street, Yountville, CA)

 Monday

• Totally open!
• One place we’ve never been but would like to see is Armstrong Redwoods State Nature Reserve (just reopened last week!). They have giant redwoods and hiking/walking trails. It’s at the northern end of Sonoma County.   
• Depart OAK at 6:05pm and land in DAL at 11:30pm.