Napa Valley California Anniversary Getaway {Part I}

As you know last week we celebrated our anniversary. We decided to take a vacation to explore some places that have long been on our wish list to visit for over a decade now. Wow!! It was the kind of getaway that definitely made it on to our treasured list of moments we will forever remember and cherish as a couple, not to mention the gazillion beautiful photos of that wonderful trip to reflect back on. I felt so grateful for what we experienced on this journey that I decided in lieu of my regular grateful moments’ post today, I would share a few of my favorite highlights of what we enjoyed. It’s also my way to keep the magic going as this is affording me the opportunity to sort through the photos that I haven’t had a chance to look through since we have returned.

Even though throughout our marriage we always take stock of where we are in life and delight in being in each others company, that’s even heightened when our anniversary rolls around because as you get older, the uncertainty of life is ever present, reminding us to not allow the rat race (although we work very hard) to take precedence over  what truly counts – and that is each other. As a result, we tend to have a month long celebration of achieving another year together. So we began our celebrating (prior to the driving exploration of the spots below via photos) with a  pre-anniversary luncheon at the Ivy, which featured a bottomless champagne pour while we waited for our table. Why can’t every restaurant adopt this custom?

The Ivy in Beverly Hills…  

Packed up and headed out on our exploratory coastal drive heading to Napa Valley. First stopping point Paso Robles – once we got situated at our hotel room, we made our way downtown where we enjoyed an amazing lunch of Ceviche, pork medallion, huevos espanol: poached eggs, ham,  house brioche, Manchego cheese fondue (hubby’s favorite) at La Cosecha Bar and Restaurant…great service by the way.

After a great brunch the next morning, we browsed some antique stores and picked up a pretty white vintage vase as a reminder of this cute little town, but after a day and half in Paso Robles (small population of 29,000) we continued en route to our next destination: Napa Valley.  There, we spent three days lounging, brunching, dining, leisurely driving to different wineries (our personal favorite was Castello Di Amorosa and you’ll see why when you see the pictures below), but the ultimate bonus was the Napa Valley wine train.  That was something that had been on our must-do list for eons! If you haven’t done it already, it should be a must on your bucket list, especially if you like fine dining paired with wine. Highly recommend!  

First day in Napa at our hotel. Isn’t that cowhide ottoman divine? The next day our most anticipated moment of this trip couldn’t have come any sooner – the Napa Valley wine train excursion…and boy, was it all that I expected and more! It felt like we were in a movie, especially with that amazing voice of Frank Sinatra playing in the background. Overcast day + wine + Frank Sinatra + tasty food = heavenlyyyy!!

I’m excited all over again as I sort through these photos. It’s very hard to just post a couple on here. It was such a scenic place, which by the way reminded my husband and I of South Hampton in Long Island, New York – totally made us a bit nostalgic. The following day we had a relaxing brunch at Pacific Blues in Yountville V Market (partly seen here) before we spent the rest of the day cruising from one winery to the next.

First winery stop after brunch: Castello Di Amorosa… took our breath away. It felt as if we were in Italy all over again enjoying La Dolce vita. The only thing I would have loved to have in hand there besides wine was Gelato.

Sterling winery was recommended to us because of the gondola lift up to the winery itself, which afforded 360 degree beautiful views of the valley down below and Castello Di Amorosa in the far distance. However, I was terrified of looking down….needless to say, I required strong wine by the time I got off that swinging death trap in the sky. 

To be continued…. {due to picture overload of this getaway. Stay tuned for part II. There’s some interesting things we found out on this trip that I’ll share on here}.

Thanks for reading.

Xx,

Rebecca