California Dreamin'
- Cara
- Jun 8, 2017
- 10 min read
I’m an East Coaster who loves visiting our “Left Coast” for its amazing natural beauty, delicious locally sourced food, and some of the best wineries in the world. I’ve traveled from the wine country in Napa and Sonoma down to Los Angeles in California over multiple trips. I hope to complete the coast soon by heading north from Sacramento’s nearby ashram retreats to Oregon known for their pinot noirs and finally Seattle to visit family. Not to leave out San Diego in the south, though I’ve only been once for work and not able to see much, the beautiful photos shared by friends who live there remind me I must get back.
My first trip west was a long weekend in San Francisco during college, but I’d recommend staying longer to get to the neighboring towns if possible as this is a great starting point to head in either direction. In 2008 I took a weeklong Girls Trip to Napa and Sonoma, and returned again in 2010 while staying with a friend in Half Moon Bay. A weekend in LA back in 2010 helped me learn I much preferred Santa Monica and Malibu to the city. In 2012 I took an epic weeklong road trip down the Pacific Coast Highway from San Fran to LA with a stop off on Catalina Island, California’s best kept secret—until now ;) My apologies that some of this info may be dated, but I couldn’t resist sharing my love for Cali. Below are the details and itineraries of the weeklong trips with a few thoughts thrown in from the individual shorter visits.
In planning the Girls Wine Country Trip, we split the duties of booking the hotels, spa day, tasting appointments, dinner reservations, and super sweet minivan which one person was designated to drive semi-soberly each day as there are no fees for adding additional drivers in CA. We went in August just prior to harvest season for perfect weather and slightly less of a crowd. We stayed 1 night in San Francisco, 2 nights in Sonoma, 2 nights in Napa, and 1 night back in San Francisco. I poured over maps and articles online combined with recommendations from friends to create a winery itinerary coordinating tastings by location, whether appointment were required, if tours were offered at specific times, and open tastings to fit in between. I’m definitely an over-planner, but I love organizing trips and find it helpful to see more by being aware of any timing issues or scheduling requirements beforehand. Our complete itinerary is below with reservations in bold and others suggested as time permitted, and we did not make it to all of them. Always check ahead to see if an appointment is required or if there are tours at specific times. Some are free while others charge a fee which can vary depending on the level of wines you taste or extensiveness of the tour. You can pick up a picnic lunch at one of the local markets to enjoy at most of the wineries. Our favorites were Truchard where the owner lives on site and you feel like family (say hi to Jack the vineyard pup!) and Spring Mountain where the tour included the grounds, historic house, and tasting in the cavernous below ground barrel room. Del Dotto offers a unique experience of tasting directly from the barrels in their caves using a long glass wine thief (watch your shoes, it drips!) and ending with a chocolate pairing. At Opus One, they were out of all tasting wines except one and wanted to charge us $35 for a glass of what was obviously the least favorite, so we went across the street to Robert Mondavi which was surprisingly nice despite being considered a budget brand. A friend recommended V.Sattui, but we left immediately as the parking lot was full of buses and the market too overcrowded to enjoy. Cakebread’s tour is so structured it felt like we were being shuttled through like cattle. We thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the wineries we visited and marveled in the beauty of the rolling vineyards as far as the eye can see.
The spa experience at Golden Haven was quite interesting and gave us some funny stories we still tell to this day. It is set up for couples, yet we were a group of friends which they split into pairs for a shared mud bath (warm brown and stinky, it’s like submerging in a porta-potty), tiny spring water pool circulated from the other rooms along with a dixie cup of water (the other groups got a popsicle), then told to hose off each other’s crevices (one of the pairs had only met the day before.) Afterwards we were wrapped in a hot blanket burrito to await our tandem massage and facial. By the time we were finished and offered to share a shower or wash up individually, we were screaming for some privacy. The drive out of there was quite awkwardly silent until we got some wine in us. It’s an experience to say the least, was relatively affordable, and comes with a free t-shirt so you can remember it forever.
The Lodge at Sonoma had a nice courtyard pool, while the Napa River Inn was quite possibly haunted. The Grand Hyatt in San Francisco was a close walk to Chinatown, and I thought we enjoyed brunch in a penthouse level restaurant with views of the city there but can’t confirm on their website. Restaurant choices listed below were all recommended though I don’t think you will go wrong anywhere there. French Laundry in Napa is one of the region’s best known spots with a pricetag to match (closed for renovations during our visit, not that we could have gotten in or afforded it.) On a separate visit, I greatly enjoyed the patio at The Girl & The Fig in Sonoma. Be sure to check out some of the olive oil tastings as well.
Sunday--Sonoma
11:30 am Checkout of SF Hotel and drive to Sonoma (1 hr and 15 min)
1:00 pm Lunch in Sonoma
2:00 pm Sebastiani Wine Tasting: 389 East Fourth St, Sonoma
3:00 pm Gloria Ferrer Vineyard: 23555 Carneros Hwy 121 (Arnold Dr), Sonoma
4:00 pm Ravenswood Wine Tasting: 18701 Gehricke Rd, Sonoma
5:00 pm Check-in Lodge at Sonoma: 1325 Broadway at Leveroni & Napa Roads, Sonoma
8:30 pm Dinner at Dry Creek Kitchen: 307 Healdsburg Ave, Healdsburg
Monday--Sonoma
9:00 am Leave Lodge at Sonoma and drive to Calistoga (1 hr)
10:00 am Golden Haven Spa-3 hr treatment: 1713 Lake Street, Calistoga
1:00 pm Lunch in St. Helena
2:00 pm Spring Mtn Wine Tasting: 2805 Spring Mtn Rd, St. Helena
3:00 pm Pride Mtn Wine Tasting: 4026 Spring Mtn Rd, St. Helena
4:30 pm Sterling Wine Tasting: 1111 Dunaweal Ln, Calistoga
7:00 pm Dinner at Press St. Helena: 587 St. Helena Highway/Hwy 29, St. Helena
Tues--Napa
9:30 am Checkout and drive to Napa (30 min)
10:00 am Pick-up picnic lunch at Oakville Grocery: 7856 St. Helena Hwy, Oakville
10:30 am Bouchaine Wine Tasting: 1075 Buchli Station Rd, Napa
11:30 am Self guided tour of Bouchaine, picnic lunch
1:30 pm Truchard Wine Tasting: 3234 Old Sonoma Rd, Napa
3:00 pm Del Dotto Wine Tasting: 1055 Atlas Peak Rd, Napa
5:00 pm Domain Chandon: One California Dr, Yountville OR
Domain Carneros: 1240 Duhig, Rd, Napa
6:30 pm Check-in Napa River Inn: 500 Main St, Napa
8:30 pm Dinner at Mustard’s Grill: 7399 St. Helena Hwy, Yountville
Wed--Napa
9:30 am Pick-up picnic lunch
10:00 am Opus One Wine Tasting: 7900 St. Helena Hwy, Oakville
11:30 am Joseph Phelps Wine Tasting, picnic lunch: 200 Taplin Rd, St. Helena
1:00 pm V. Sattui Wine Tasting: 1111 White Ln, St. Helena
2:00 pm Conn Creek Wine Tasting: 8711 Silverado Trail, St. Helena
3:30 pm Cakebread Wine Tasting: 8300 St. Helena Hwy, Rutherford
5:00 pm Alpha Omega Wine Tasting: 1155 Mee Ln, Rutherford
6:00 pm Sunset at Auberge du Soliel: 180 Rutherford Hill Rd
9:15 pm Dinner at Redd: 6480 Washington St, Yountville
Thur Aug 14--San Fran
11:00 am Checkout and drive to Muir Woods (1 hr and 10 min)
3:00 pm Check-in Grand Hyatt: 345 Stockton St, San Francisco
8:00 pm Dinner at Coco 500: 500 Brannan St, San Francisco
The next big trip I took to California was the weeklong Pacific Coast Highway road trip. This could easily have been a 2 week trip with the ability to stop in more places or lengthen the route. We arrived in San Francisco on a Saturday in late August, jumped in our rented convertible Mustang, and spent the afternoon in Fisherman’s Wharf as the 3 hour time change still gave us a full day there. We enjoyed clam chowder and fresh crab, hung out with the sea lions, rode on the high-speed Rocket Boat in the San Francisco Bay, and drove down curvy Lombard St on our way to stay with family in Berkley. The next day we drove back over to cross the Golden Gate Bridge into Sausalito. I recall from previous trips the complete change in climate as the fog of San Francisco lifts and the temps warm up despite traveling north. We continued on to Muir Woods to walk amongst the ancient giant redwood trees. We then stumbled upon Muir Beach Overlook with its military base-end stations on our way to the dog-friendly Stinson Beach. We finished up our day walking through the cute waterfront town of Sausalito and enjoying some delicious fresh ceviche.
On Monday we left Berkley heading south down US1 on the coast for Monterey and Carmel, taking our time to enjoy the views. The landscape of the California coast is like no other place I have witnessed in the US. The roads wind through the cliffs while the ocean crashes on the rocks far below. I was always impressed to see the many cyclists on this route. Sadly I’ve noticed in recent news some of these roadways have suffered damage so confirm the entire planned route is passable. Our first stop outside the city was the still operational Pigeon Point Lighthouse, tied for the tallest on the west coast. We devoured more fresh seafood at Phil’s Fish Market and Eatery in Moss Landing along the way. We then drove through Salinas and took the 101 to Soledad visiting Wrath Wines and Hahn Estates in the foothills of the Santa Lucia Highlands winemaking district. The following day, we took the famous 17 mile drive stopping at Pebble Beach Golf Links and enjoying the beautiful coastal scenery. We then went into Monterey and had lunch in the Marina. In the afternoon, we toured Chateau Julien Wine Estate which I remember hard to find geographically at the time and even harder to find online now. We cruised the rolling hills of Carmel Valley Rd and finished the day with a beautiful sunset at Carmel Beach. We stayed at The Normandy Inn in Carmel-by-the-Sea and walked to dinner at Bistro Giovanni one night and Basil Seasonal Dining the other. With more time, we would have liked to walk around the small town known for shopping, art galleries, and wine tastings with no shortage of delicious restaurants.
We hit the road on Wed morning heading south down US1 for a long driving day with the goal of staying a little south of Santa Barbara. Our first stop was at the Big Sur River Inn to enjoy mimosas in their Adirondack chairs located in and along the shallow river. We checked out the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, the mountain top mansion of print media mogul William Randolph Hearst, though only visiting the museum and viewing the home through one of those coin operated binocular towers due to time constraints. We found many amazing viewpoint, picnic, and eating/shopping stops along the way which I desperately wish I could remember. Throughout our drive, the scenery would change from the curvy mountain roads to the flat coastline into the rolling foothills of the wine country and the small towns between. I recall seeing cattle grazing in a pasture overlooking the ocean wondering if they knew how good they had it, relatively speaking. US1 deviates from the coast along this route eventually meeting back up with the 101 so it would be fastest to jump on that in San Luis Obispo. Returning to the coast, we stopped in Santa Barbara and had a drink on the pier where we decided to cancel our hotel and continue a few more hours to a friend’s house in Marina del Rey west of Los Angeles.
We were up early Thursday morning to catch the ferry from Long Beach to Catalina Island (the Avalon ferry also leaves from San Pedro and Newport Beach.) I featured Catalina Island in a previous blog about my absolute favorite places because it certainly is. Island residents actually seemed disappointed to learn we were visiting from Georgia and that word of their little island oasis had reached that far (blame the Stepbrother’s movie, not me!). After passing the famous RMS Queen Mary now parked in Long Beach, you’ll reach Catalina Island within an hour cruising first along the beautiful uninhabited coastline. Arriving in the port of Avalon is breathtaking from all the sailboats moored in the harbor to the homes carved up the hillside; it truly resembles a Mediterranean seaboard. The large iconic “casino” looms over the bay (Italian for gathering, no gambling) with the popular Descanso Beach Club next door. This is where you’ll find the Zip Line Eco Tour which is where we started our island exploration after checking in at the courtyard style Hotel Villa Portofino. It’s an easy walk around the main part of Avalon where you won’t see many cars at all. We walked to Green Pleasure Pier where we found a waterfront restaurant and hourly small boat rentals to explore the island from the water. Catalina Island is known for its kelp forest diving and atv tours to the other city Two Harbors in search of the wild buffalo left behind after a 1920’s movie shoot. Unfortunately, we only stayed one night, but this is where I would definitely extend the trip if possible.
We returned to Long Beach Friday afternoon just in time to experience the infamously horrible LA traffic on our way to reach the Griffith Observatory for sunset (we were not the only ones who had this idea and parking was a disaster). We checked out the exhibits but skipped the long lines for their telescope, opting to drive through the hills to the Hollywood sign then meander down Hollywood Blvd for dinner. On a previous visit to LA, I honestly found myself feeling more out of place than in any foreign country I had been. I was much relieved to finally get out and visit a friend in Santa Monica who took us on a beautiful drive to Malibu Winery during that visit. This time, we stayed with our friend again in Marina del Rey our last 2 nights where we rented bikes to explore the marina, ride on the beach, walk along the canals of Venice, and be overwhelmed by the boardwalk on muscle beach on a busy Saturday afternoon. Then poof, the week was up, and we flew home on Sunday. I can’t believe how much we saw and did in that short time and yet know we missed so much. Two weeks really would be ideal to take all this in at a more relaxed pace, but all things considered it was a damn good trip. And as California’s Governor Schwartzenegger says—“I’ll be back.”