Trip Report Golden State of Mind: Our August 2017 California Adventure

11 Days
10 Nights
9 Miles walked on our busiest day
8 Months of planning
7 Days with a rental car
6 Hotels
5 Boat rides
4 Flight segments
3 Disney park days
2 East coasters
1 Unforgettable vacation​

Hello and welcome to my trip report! For those who don't know, here is the essential information:

Me (Bee): 28, opera singer/voice teacher
DW (M): 28, writer/academic administrator
We: grew up in Florida, have visited WDW many times, have been together 10+ years, have been married almost 3 years, now live in NJ just outside of NYC

Dates: August 4-14, 2017
Flights: Southwest, EWR-MDW-SMF and LAX-MDW-EWR
Transportation: Rental car, Lyft, local public transportation
Major locations: Sacramento, Napa Valley, San Francisco, Muir Woods, Sequoia National Forest, Los Angeles, Anaheim
Lodging: 6 different hotels varying from 1-3 nights in each

And here is a link to my PTR: Not our typical Disney trip

I will add the usual disclaimer about us having only smartphone cameras. I am working on uploading all my photos to a third party site which is free and allows me to easily embed them here; however, they only allow 150 uploads per day so it will take some time. All my photos are uploaded and ready to post!

The first six days (August 4-9) we toured various parts of northern and southern California. From August 10-13 we visited Disneyland, including both parks and Downtown Disney. On August 14 we flew home to New Jersey. If you'd like to skip ahead to the Disneyland part of this trip, click here. Otherwise, continue reading for the entire trip report!

 

[bee]

Day 2, cont.

After our Grgich Hills tour, we had two hours to find lunch before our next tour. We drove back into downtown St. Helena.

We parked and walked to Villa Corazon, a counter service Mexican place.

Although outdoor seating was available, the cool morning had turned into a warm afternoon so we decided to sit inside. We ordered the cheese enchiladas and veggie burrito to share.

All the tables were decorated with kids' artwork.

As we waited for our entrees, a server brought us chips and salsa.

The chips were thick and crispy and the salsa was fresh and flavorful.

Everything was REEEEEEALLY good (thanks @Songbird76 for reminding me I forgot to say if we liked lunch or not!) and fresh. We also appreciated that the employee who took our order asked if we were vegetarians (based on what we ordered) and made sure to sub black beans for refried beans (which contained either pork or lard, I don't remember). We always ask if there is a vegetarian bean available but it's nice when we don't have to.

We use Tapatio at home but I'm going to have to find bottles of the other two to add to our hot sauce repertoire!

After lunch we were stuffed but both wanted something sweet, so we walked around town in search of a coffee shop.

Side note: a lot of these buildings had the year they were built displayed on the front. When we saw the one above I said, "Wow, this one was built in 1220!"

Eventually we found Napa Valley Coffee Roasting Company, where we shared an iced mocha.

It was your typical "cool" coffee shop, with hip decor, a small library, comfortable seating, and various coffee paraphernalia around the shop. We both liked the mocha and appreciated that it was served in a glass instead of a disposable cup.

Up next: More time downtown, and our second winery of the day!

 

[bee]

Day 2, cont.

On our way...

(I realized later that I had already taken a photo of this building )

Wine train!

Two giant rabbit sculptures in two days! My brother like bunnies so I always take pics of bunny stuff to send him.

*looks for real estate listings on this street*

Up next: Robert Mondavi tour

 

[bee]

Day 2, cont.

We actually got so distracted by the sights that we passed Mondavi and had to turn around. But we made it in plenty of time.

Once inside we checked in for our tour and were given orange stickers and told where to meet our guide.

We went outside to the designated meeting spot and noticed the beautiful flowers planted all around.

Soon our tour guide, Andrew, gathered those of us with orange stickers so we could begin the tour. On the way to the first room he pointed out this statue, which sits on a field used for outdoor concerts during the summer:

There were about fifteen guests in our group. In the first room we all introduced ourselves and where we were from. Another couple was also visiting from New Jersey and we would become tour buddies. After the introductions Andrew told us some of the history of the winery, then we went back outside into the vineyard.

As you can see by the little sign, these are Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.

We learned more about different techniques of growing grapes and Andrew pointed out the older vines and the newer vines. Then he brought us over to the newest building on the property, which houses the fermenting and aging barrels.

Ivy: nature's air conditioning!

Olive trees in the foreground. Mr. Mondavi had these planted as part of his Italian heritage. The olives are not for consumption but the branches are used as compost. The winery is a certified Sustainable Winegrower due to its environmental practices.

Up next: Inside the cellar!

 

[dizfan917]

being from WI, I would have stopped at the MILK FARM, myself. What a fun adventure so far!

 

[DisneyGigi]

As a Bunny lover myself, loving the statues!

That red El Yucateco sauce is so good. A local Mexican restaurant used to keep it on the table and you could buy it there. When it closed and I couldn't get it anymore I was so sad. Some Walmarts carry it and if you have a Food Lion near you, they have it. Good stuff.

Loving the winery photos. I have only been to one once, and was too young to drink at the time.. :-/ Part of the Biltmore Estate tour in NC. Maybe the same place Minnie spoke about?

 

[bee]

being from WI, I would have stopped at the MILK FARM, myself. What a fun adventure so far!

Glad to have you along for the adventure, @dizfan917!

As a Bunny lover myself, loving the statues!

That red El Yucateco sauce is so good. A local Mexican restaurant used to keep it on the table and you could buy it there. When it closed and I couldn't get it anymore I was so sad. Some Walmarts carry it and if you have a Food Lion near you, they have it. Good stuff.

Loving the winery photos. I have only been to one once, and was too young to drink at the time.. :-/ Part of the Biltmore Estate tour in NC. Maybe the same place Minnie spoke about?

Thanks for the tip! We have a Walmart but I've actually never been there in the three years we've lived here. I might have to make a special trip just for this sauce!

 

[12in12]

Your description and photos make me want to go to Napa Valley and I don't even like wine.

 

[coachwnh]

These wine tours look awesome. We did quite a few microbrews on our cross country adventure this summer, but no wine tours. I guess I need to add an adults only trip to CA to the bucket list.

 

[bee]

Day 2, cont.

Andrew lead us inside the cellar and showed us various barrels and equipment (and more statues!).

Okay, remember how I told you to remember the red wine stains on the barrels at Grgich Hills? Every time the barrel is unplugged to test the wine, a bit of the wine leaks out. Mr. Mondavi apparently didn't like the inconsistent look of wine stains so he had all the red wine barrels painted with actual wine to hide the stains.

More barrels in a different room:

All of the letters and numbers at the top indicate the type of wood used and how much smoke was used, which of course all affect the flavor of the wine that's aged inside.

This is the white wine aging room. Apparently all the barrels had just come of age so to speak and they had been removed for bottling just a few days before our tour, hence the empty room.

It was almost time for tasting!! We had to wait outside a few minutes for the previous tour guide to clear the tasting room. This is where we made friends with the other couple from NJ. They live outside of Philadelphia and were visiting family in San Francisco and decided to see some wineries on the weekend.

Finally it was tasting time!!

Instead of having premade place settings, Andrew poured the wines one at a time. He also demonstrated the proper way to open a bottle of wine and gave us tips on tasting in general and specifically for these wines. In addition to the wines listed on the left, we also tried a "bonus" slightly fizzy Moscato. We enjoyed trying all of them but didn't like any of them enough to buy a bottle. After the tasting Andrew took us to the gift shop to end the tour.

On the way we noticed lots of rose bushes! Andrew explained the tradition of growing roses in and near vineyards.

Look at all those BEE things!!

More on the other side???

Seriously, how cute are these???

As I said we didn't purchase anything here, and soon we were on our way back to the car.

We liked both tours and are glad we visited two different wineries. Grgich Hills was definitely the better experience of the two. Our group at Grgich was only eight, while the group at Mondavi was double that, so there was more opportunity to ask questions and have a more personalized experience at Grgich. The Mondavi property was much busier and louder; my guess is that Robert Mondavi is more well-known to most Americans. And of course we got to try more wines at Grgich Hills...and there was cheese! We paid $65/person at Grgich and $40/person at Mondavi, so it's understandable that we had a better tour at Grgich.

Up next: A few more sights on the way out, and we make our way toward San Francisco.

 

[bee]

Your description and photos make me want to go to Napa Valley and I don't even like wine.

Napa Valley is UNBELIEVABLY beautiful. You can just drive along St. Helena Highway and LOOK at all the beautiful wineries if you don't want to do any tastings or tours. And there are some really nice restaurants in the area too! If you ever find yourself in northern California, do it!

These wine tours look awesome. We did quite a few microbrews on our cross country adventure this summer, but no wine tours. I guess I need to add an adults only trip to CA to the bucket list.

You definitely need an adults only trip! Since we were on a whirlwind tour of the entire state we only spent a day in Napa Valley but we could have spent a week there.

 

[bee]

Day 2, cont.

As we walked back to the car we stopped to take in a few more sights.

@DisneyShe, do you see a little friend in this photo?

How about now?

As the Navigator, I put the address for our next hotel into Google Maps and M the Pilot drove us in that direction.

Up next: More police dramma???

 

[DisneyGigi]

Day 2, cont.

As we walked back to the car we stopped to take in a few more sights.

@DisneyShe, do you see a little friend in this photo?

How about now?

As the Navigator, I put the address for our next hotel into Google Maps and M the Pilot drove us in that direction.

Up next: More police dramma???

Awww! Look at those ears. That reminds me of my Flemish Giant, he/she must be a Jack Rabbit maybe?

 

[bee]

Awww! Look at those ears. That reminds me of my Flemish Giant, he/she must be a Jack Rabbit maybe?

Jack Rabbit was my thought as well. It sure was cute!

 

[fractal]

Day 2, cont.

As we walked back to the car we stopped to take in a few more sights.

@DisneyShe, do you see a little friend in this photo?

How about now?

As the Navigator, I put the address for our next hotel into Google Maps and M the Pilot drove us in that direction.

Up next: More police dramma???

Thanks for sharing. Visiting the wineries of California is something my wife wants to do (and me). That looks like rabbit heaven!

 

[Songbird76]

Day 2, cont.

After our Grgich Hills tour, we had two hours to find lunch before our next tour. We drove back into downtown St. Helena.

We parked and walked to Villa Corazon, a counter service Mexican place.

Although outdoor seating was available, the cool morning had turned into a warm afternoon so we decided to sit inside. We ordered the cheese enchiladas and veggie burrito to share.

All the tables were decorated with kids' artwork.

As we waited for our entrees, a server brought us chips and salsa.

The chips were thick and crispy and the salsa was fresh and flavorful.

We appreciated that the employee who took our order asked if we were vegetarians (based on what we ordered) and made sure to sub black beans for refried beans (which contained either pork or lard, I don't remember). We always ask but it's nice when we don't have to.

We use Tapatio at home but I'm going to have to find bottles of the other two to add to our hot sauce repertoire!

After lunch we were stuffed but both wanted something sweet, so we walked around town in search of a coffee shop.

Side note: a lot of these buildings had the year they were built displayed on the front. When we saw the one above I said, "Wow, this one was built in 1220!"

Eventually we found Napa Valley Coffee Roasting Company, where we shared an iced mocha.

It was your typical "cool" coffee shop, with hip decor, a small library, comfortable seating, and various coffee paraphernalia around the shop. We both liked the mocha and appreciated that it was served in a glass instead of a disposable cup.

Up next: More time downtown, and our second winery of the day!

Those enchiladas look SOOOO good? Were they? I make my own tostadas and beans...Some friends of mine here are from Mexico, so they have taught me to make a few things and now I CRAVE Mexican food as it's not a big thing here, and what you CAN find isn't very authentic.

 

[bee]

Thanks for sharing. Visiting the wineries of California is something my wife wants to do (and me). That looks like rabbit heaven!

I hope you two get to visit! It was unbelievably beautiful...and of course there was wine!

Those enchiladas look SOOOO good? Were they? I make my own tostadas and beans...Some friends of mine here are from Mexico, so they have taught me to make a few things and now I CRAVE Mexican food as it's not a big thing here, and what you CAN find isn't very authentic.

Yes, they were SOOOO good!! I love Mexican food and we ate plenty of it on this trip.

 

[Songbird76]

I hope you two get to visit! It was unbelievably beautiful...and of course there was wine!

Yes, they were SOOOO good!! I love Mexican food and we ate plenty of it on this trip.

Well yeah...California. So close to the border and probably a high volume of Mexican immigrants...you can get the GOOD stuff. I'm betting you can get good Italian when you are home, but probably not much authentic Mexican? I was so bummed to learn that the Mexican restaurant where I went to college closed down. The family who owned it were Mexican and I was in choir with one of the girls...I don't know why they closed...the place was always packed and they had fantastic food! Wyoming is not a hotbed of ethnic diversity, but Laramie has more than the rest of the state just because of the University. And now the Chinese place AND the Mexican are gone. So sad.

 

[coachwnh]

we didn't purchase anything

Shocked you didnt by something!

More police dramma???

Oh no!!!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Such a good report. One of my college friends and I are planning a girls trip to celebrate our 40th b-day and Napa Valley is raising to the top of the list thanks to you!

 

[bee]

Well yeah...California. So close to the border and probably a high volume of Mexican immigrants...you can get the GOOD stuff. I'm betting you can get good Italian when you are home, but probably not much authentic Mexican? I was so bummed to learn that the Mexican restaurant where I went to college closed down. The family who owned it were Mexican and I was in choir with one of the girls...I don't know why they closed...the place was always packed and they had fantastic food! Wyoming is not a hotbed of ethnic diversity, but Laramie has more than the rest of the state just because of the University. And now the Chinese place AND the Mexican are gone. So sad.

So sad that the Chinese AND Mexican place closed! Yeah, New York and New Jersey have great Italian food and lots of other great food, too...Indian, Thai, Sushi, Vietnamese, German...but Mexican, not so much!

Shocked you didnt by something!

I thought the bee stuff was really cute, but I am a little bit of a collect-ophobe. I am afraid I'll start collecting something and then one day find myself with a bunch of stuff I don't really care about. I have a few bee things that M has given me, but they're all things I use regularly, like my water bottle and a pair of earrings.

Oh no!!!

The next post will explain...I hope I haven't overhyped this!

Such a good report. One of my college friends and I are planning a girls trip to celebrate our 40th b-day and Napa Valley is raising to the top of the list thanks to you!

Thank you! Is this the same friend you were considering visiting San Francisco with? If so, they're quite close to each other and would make a great trip combo! (If not, then do both with the two separate friends! )