Staycation, Part II
The second half of our Staycation began on Wednesday, when we drove to wine country on our new tires. Ted’s uncle, aunt, and cousin live in Sonoma County, so we started the day having lunch with them. Long-time readers may remember the wedding we attended in 2019, with two ceremonies, beautiful horses, and a big family reunion. That was Ted’s cousin. She now has a 2 1/2 year old daughter, and is on the beginning of her maternity leave with a new baby, due in early October. We had lunch with Ted’s uncle, aunt, cousin, and the pre-schooler. That is one smart kid, and she’s so sweet. It was fun to catch up with them.
When she’s not pregnant, Ted’s cousin enjoys wine tasting, so she suggested a handful of places in the area, so we wouldn’t have to go to Napa or Sonoma. Instead, we went to Dry Creek Valley. A lot of wineries these days are selling wine tasting experiences, where you sit and try quite a few wines over the course of an hour or so. We weren’t really interested in that, we just wanted to try a few wines and buy a few bottles. We don’t have room for a wine fridge or cellar, so we don’t buy much. We first went to Dutcher Crossing Winery, where we tasted several wines and bought a couple of bottles to bring home. We bought a delicious red blend and an equally delicious Chardonnay. The staff was knowledgeable and friendly, the location was beautiful, and they had a sweet winery dog that we got to pet.
We then went to a nearby winery, Ferrari Carano, which is much larger, more corporate, and we decided that we didn’t want to pay to taste there. We can buy their wines at any grocery store. We did use their very clean bathrooms, and enjoy the lovely garden area.
They had some beautiful cork oak trees, which I had never seen before. I had always thought that they cut down the trees to make the cork, but it’s more like they skin them every 9 years.
After that, we drove to the end of the road looking for another winery, and ended up at a reservoir. Pretty!
Lastly, we went to MacRostie Winery in Healdsburg, where they again had fancy tasting experiences. Again, we just wanted a taste, to decide whether we wanted to buy anything. The staff was obliging, and again were very friendly and knowledgeable, and we bought a couple of bottles, one red and one white. The red was a Pinot Noir, which is generally not a varietal that I enjoy (too earthy), but this one was lovely. The white was a delicious Chardonnay. All of these wines were more than we usually spend, but this was vacation money, which isn’t the same as regular money, even when you’ve just spent a bunch on car repairs. It was a lovely, relaxing day. My only real complaint is that I saw zero horses. Lots of cows, some sheep and goats. No horses. Uncool. Also, it being the Bay Area, there was some traffic involved, which is why we pretty much went places every OTHER day. Sometimes it’s nice to have a day when you’re not in the car.
Thursday was a low key day at home. We did some chores, I read some blogs. Ted cleaned up the back yard, raking up the stupid eucalyptus leaves and trimming back some plants. I worked on my letters to voters.
Friday, Maya took the day off from work and the three of us went to Alameda, to Bay Farm Island. Ted had read about a walk you can take along the shoreline, with views of San Francisco and Alameda.
The pictures in the article make it look a lot closer to San Francisco than this. The views were beautiful though, and it’s always lovely to have the briny smell of salt water. We saw some brown pelicans, some geese, and of course, sea gulls. It looked like some low fog in the City, but the island was sunny and bright. It was warmer than we expected, and not a lot of shade, and I got a little sun stroke. I had water and a hat, but when we were making our way back to the bay, walking down a suburban street, I suddenly got woozy and felt like I was going to fall down in the middle of a crosswalk. I grabbed Ted’s arm and we made it to the sidewalk and some shade. We rested there for a few minutes, and I felt fine, but we decided it was smarter for me to rest at a Starbucks across the street, while Maya and Ted went and got the car. After that, we went to Oakland and had a late lunch/early dinner at our favorite Ethiopian restaurant, Asmara.
Saturday was a lazy day at home. Maya went to lunch with a friend. I worked on some NaBloPoMo blog posts (I’m getting an early start, hoping to have them all loaded ahead of time, and focus on reading and hopefully commenting in November) and letters for Vote Forward. Ted’s dad came over for some tech support, and they got to chatting. Suddenly it was close to dinner time, we were hungry, and we didn’t have any ingredients. So we went out for a nice dinner – oysters and calamari to share. Wine for me, sparkling wine for Ted, gin and tonic for Maya. For dinner, I had crab cakes, Ted had steak and shrimp, and Maya had a tuna tower (ahi tuna, mango, avocado, cucumbers, wasabi, avocado mousse, sesame seeds, sweet chili, and wonton chips.) Delicious!
Sunday felt like a regular Sunday. We slept in a bit, Maya and I went for a walk while Ted chatted with his mom on the phone. I went to Target for a couple of things, then to the Farmers’ Market. Maya took a nap. Later, we watched the newest Miyazaki movie on HBO Max (I know, it’s just Max. I can’t help it), The Boy and the Heron. The Boy and the Heron is gorgeous, and I loved the lingering scenes and how there wasn’t a rush to get from one scene to the next, no frenetic pacing, no potty jokes (except the birds that poop on people from time to time). In it, Mahito is a young boy in World War II Tokyo. His mother dies in a fire at the opening of the film, with Mahito running through the fiery streets, trying to save her. A few years later, Mahito and his father move to the countryside. It seems his father has married Mahito mother’s younger sister, and there is a new baby on the way. His father has a new factory. Life is moving on. Mahito is tormented by dreams of the fire, and very much misses his mother. This being a Miyazaki film, what follows is a trip into the spirit world, in search of his step-mom/aunt. I liked The Boy and the Heron a lot, though the ending was pretty abrupt. I suspect this was an HBO Max thing. It seemed like it just…stopped. But the heart and spirit were there, along with the beautiful and somewhat grotesque imagry.
Today is back to work, back to our regularly scheduled program. It was a lovely week off, lovely to have some quiet time to unwind and relax.
36 Comments
Elisabeth
I’m so glad you had such a nice stretch of time off. You really made the most of it with a wonderful mix of adventure, restful time at home and – of course – delicious food.
I had no idea how cork was harvested. That’s fascinating!
J
It was indeed a lovely week off of work. I am glad that we saw the cork trees, that was really interesting.
nance
What pretty photos. And you got to see/touch some cork oaks! Lucky you. I’m glad you found a California pinot that you like. I’m not fond of California pinot noirs; I prefer Ontario or Oregon pinots instead. I like the blend of earthy and black cherry notes.
It sounds like you’re having a lovely staycation, despite the car trouble early on. You’re exploring and finding great things to do (and tasty ones, too).
*I had to laugh at your comment about fields with no horses, just cows. Every time I pass a field with just horses or sheep, I automatically think, “Why no cows?” Hee hee!*
J
Nance, I always think of you when I see a field of cows. I think, Well, no horses, which is sad, but Nance would enjoy the cows!
Regarding Pinot, I’m not sure that I have tried Oregon or Ontario wines. Well, I know I haven’t tried any from Ontario. I don’t like things that are too earthy…they taste like dirt to me. Tilapia and truffles both fall into this category as well.
Birchie
Ok, I am going to copy you and make a date to go to a winery. I don’t live near Napa Valley, but we do have wineries here.
“Max” will always be HBO to me. I bet you anything that they’ll end up changing it back.
J
I would not at all be surprised if HBO goes back to HBO. Max makes me think of Cinemax.
If you go wine tasting, I hope you will write about it!
Lisa's Yarns
You live in a great area for a staycation as there is so much to do and see! There are things to do in Minneapolis but nothing like the options you have, like wine country! The week off sounded wonderful! It making me think about taking more than just my typical shouldless day!
J
Lisa, I think this was mostly a shouldless week, with the exceptions of taking the car in and regular chores. It was fun, go for it!
Daria
Wonderful activities. We have some wineries in New jersey, the western part, and I feel like we should do wine tastings more often. I love wine! But I can’t do it alone, need a driver 😉 I laughed at your comment using the bathroom in that winery – I do that, too! LOL In Paris, one of our lunch restaurants were next to a very boutique hotel so the kids and I went to their bathrooms, multiple times :))
J
LOL on the bathrooms…yes, I taught Maya when she was a tween that if she was out and about and had to use the bathroom, the cleanest options would be at hotels or high end stores (like Nordstrom or Nieman Marcus). Also, at the stores you can ogle expensive things that you cannot afford, which can be fun. Like diamond Hello Kitty earrings.
Margaret
What a lovely mix of activities and just relaxation! I’ve always wished that I enjoyed wine because it would be delightful to visit the beautiful wineries.
J
A lot of these places are lovely. Not sure if I would want to go if I didn’t like wine, though. Kind of boring to watch people taste things and not partake. Though you could be the designated driver!
Nicole MacPherson
What a beautiful part of the world you live in, J! Perfect for a staycation!
J
Thank you Nicole! It’s easy to get mired in the day to day, so it’s nice to look up sometimes and see what’s going on around you. Yes, we have a lot of ugly strip malls with chain stores, but there is a lot of beauty too, and we don’t have to go TOO far to find it.
NGS
So pretty! I haven’t been to the ocean in so long, but when you talked about the briny smell, I wished for a brief trip to the shore.
There’s a running theme in series 5 of Taskmaster where the host refers to one of the contestants as a heron and every mention of The Boy and the Heron makes me think of that series. Very different things, I’ll bet.
J
I’m with you on the smell of the ocean. It’s so therapeutic, I just love it.
The Heron in this movie is different from any heron you’ve seen before, I can almost guarantee that. Are you a fan of Miyazaki’s work? We’re big fans. My favorite is Spirited Away, though I came out of a screening of Ponyo with a big goofy smile on my face, and My Neighbor Totoro always has a place in my heart.
Meike
I have to remember your post when we decide to go wine tasting next time. With all the options out there I am always overwhelmed. The wineries you went to sound lovely.
I went to a friend’s house this weekend to write some postcards together. I forgot which organization it was through but it felt satisfying to have the feeling to contribute a little to the effort to get a good voting turnout this election.
“The Boy and the Heron” is still on my list of films to watch. Another friend really liked it and I am curious. One of these days…
J
I feel the same way about wine tasting, there are SO MANY wineries, and it’s hard to know where will have good wine, and where it’s going to be completely meh. I was thankful to get recommendations from Ted’s cousin, we enjoyed the places we went. For your notes, one place she suggested but we did not go was VML. It’s on the river, and she said it’s a beautiful place to get a bottle and sit and drink it and enjoy the view. We had to drive an hour and a half home, so that wasn’t in the books for us, but she said it’s really nice.
I did some postcards for Tony the Democrat yesterday. The turnaround time was quick, so I only did 15, but it felt good to try to help. When I finish my Vote Forward letters, I may try to do some more postcards (I bought a bunch, and stamps, awhile ago for just this reason) if it’s not too close to the election. It’s nice to think of us doing them together!
Jenny
That does sound like a lovely week off! You really live in a beautiful area. And yes- vacation money is not the same as real money, ha ha.
I’ve also started thinking about NaBloPoMo! Getting posts ready in advance is a great idea- reading and commenting on all the other blogs really does take a lot of time.
J
Regarding NaBloPoMo, yeah…I am going to have to figure out the reading and commenting. I want to read and comment on everyone’s posts, but I’m pretty sure I will not have time to do that every day. The problem with success, right? (Meaning, San’s success in getting so many people to participate!)
Ernie
The photos are spectacular. I love the blue sky and the conrast of the clouds in the winery photos. Amazing. Meeting up with family who could give you some suggestions for where to go sounds delightful. The traffic would probably make me lose my mind, but there’s so much to see in California. I’ve never been. Ed was in LA over the weekend with most of his college friends. They went to a UCLA football game. The whole weeks sounds like a great balance of getting things done, relaxing, and visiting places. I hope your work situation is less stressful.
J
Thanks Ernie, the traffic around here is horrible. HORRIBLE. Not every road every direction, but everywhere you go, you have to think about what time it will be and so on.
I haven’t really been to LA often. I’ve been to Orange County several times, which is not nearly so nice as Los Angeles itself.
Tierney
What an awesome staycation. Cork trees are so cool. I saw my first ones in the San Diego botanical garden several years ago.
I love Alameda. I can’t tell where on the shoreline you were, but the view from the Naval base runway is amazing. Faction brewery is a fun place to hang out and the view is exceptional.
J
Tierney, we were not on the island of Alameda, actually. We were on Bay Farm Island, which is incorrectly named because it’s not an island. It’s north of OAK, and there is a bridge over to Alameda. Great views, like you said!
Ally Bean
Your photos are beautiful and suggest you had a good staycation. I know of cork harvesting but not the how of it. I like how you passed on the winery with bottles in the grocery. I get that, something that ordinary isn’t all that compelling.
J
Ally, yes, exactly. It was a lovely space, but with the price they charge for tastings, we decided not to go for it.
San
You really made the best of your staycation, Julie. You went to wine country (beautiful pictures), walked by the bay and had some down time at home. And you even got a headstart on NaBloPoMo. Wow, talk about being prepared this year (maybe I should get on that soon, too! November is not far off, eek!)
J
San, I’m TRYING to get some posts done, but I keep procrastinating. Sigh.
Tobia | craftaliciousme
Your staycation sounds really really great. Wine country is so gorgous. I don’t drink wine and the husband doesnt either so I woudl never really imagine us visiting wineries but they are beautiful.
Also your days at home soudn very relaxing and fun. Company and good food. That is what vacations are for.
I am also impressed with your scheduling for NaBloPo. I usually have a few blog post ready to be dropped but not all of them. I do have an extensive list of things I want to write about and then just pick what I feel like. But focusing on reading is such a smart move. i may have to prepare a few more too. The bigger our group of cool bloggers the harder it is to catch up on all the blogs. So smart Julie.
J
I may be all talk on the pre-loading, because so far I have only written 2 book reviews. We’ll see how we do. Way back in the early days of NaBloPoMo, there were hundreds of people participating, so you didn’t really try to read all of them. With a smaller group we all try, and it’s a lot. We have to be more selective and read 1/3 every day or something.
sustainablemum
How lovely to have a staycation and to be able to visit local wineries and the sea, sounds like heaven! I love Miyazaki films and anything Studio Ghibli I will look out for the new one. My favourites are Totoro and When Marnie was there, the art work is divine in all the films.
J
Oh, I’ve never heard of When Marnie Was There, I will have to watch for it! And welcome!
Stephany
What a wonderful staycation! You live in such a beautiful area. And I love the plan of one day out-and-about followed by a day at home. That’s similar to how I structure my vacations, although I try to make the morning/early afternoon busy and then have downtime in the late afternoon, which is always really nice.
J
Thanks Stephany! We do well with the busy day/quiet day when closer to home. Even in Hawai’i. I have trouble with it in Europe because there is SO MUCH TO SEE, and I want to SEE IT ALL. But the down time, just relaxing at a bistro or something, is so lovely. Next time I go to Europe, I want to try to slow down a bit. Wish my luck, it will be difficult. Step one is to be there for enough time, I think.
Melissa
I’ve really enjoyed reading about your staycation, it’s making me want to get on with my home town sightseeing … but that will be after I get back from overseas.
J
Yes, you’ve got REAL vacation to enjoy! The good thing about staycations is you can do them any time, no airfare required.