San Francisco and Wine Country on a Budget
Mar 16th, 2012, 06:56 PM
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San Francisco and Wine Country on a Budget
Warning: I haven't done a trip report in forever. 
My daughter had an interview in San Francisco so my two sisters and I tagged along to make a long weekend trip -one night in the city and two nights in wine country. However, we had to do so on a small budget since I had just tagged along with DD on another interview in NYC and this would be two trips in one month.
The first night was in San Francisco at a Travelodge. Pretty dire, I must say.
http://www.travelodgebythebay.com/
The only good thing about this place was its proximity to the SF Veteran's Hospital, where DD had her interview. The other good thing was, we were only staying in SF for the one night. It is very old and run down. However, it is also cheap for San Francisco, which is why we chose it. However, I am very happy we did not have plans to stay in the city longer than overnight.
After a very late arrival, DD and I rose early so I could take her to the hospital where she would be having interviews till early afternoon. Back at the motel, we checked out, left our car in their parking lot and my sisters and I walked the mile or so to Fisherman's Wharf, beginning at Hyde Street Pier. They have lots of old boats, many of which offer tours. Very interesting and we had not been to that part of the pier before.
It was typical January weather: Cool and foggy, but beautiful. Vendors were just setting up the outdoor stands and cooking crab. Yum! We roamed around the wharf area, stopping at Boudin Bakery for freshly baked sourdough bread which we munched on since we had not had breakfast. Walked to Pier 39 to visit the sea lions and take pictures of Alcatraz in the distance.
By this time, we were hungry but did not want to eat too much as we would have a late lunch/early dinner with DD after her interview. There are many great places to choose from (an understatement), but we chose Alioto's. Bloody Mary for me and shared appetizers of crab cakes and sauteed calimari and shrimp, Sicilian style. We were very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food (and the Bloody Mary ) Even by San Francisco standards, this was exceptional. I will definitely go there for dinner on another trip.
Lot's more walking, including up and over Lombard Street. For some reason, even though we have been to San Francisco a number of times, none of us had ever seen the crooked part of Lombard Street. Well, we did this trip, walking up it as most people were walking down. My sisters and I often go against the grain.
The Travelodge was on the downside of Lombard Street, and my daughter's interviews were finished just in time for us to retrieve our car and her and head to North Beach for lunch. First stop was Vesuvio for a drink, which is a must on every trip. We then went to lunch at a little Italian cafe on Columbus Ave. Sorry to say, I have forgotten the name of the place, but the food was also not so memorable. OK, but not memorable.
My daughter had an interview in San Francisco so my two sisters and I tagged along to make a long weekend trip -one night in the city and two nights in wine country. However, we had to do so on a small budget since I had just tagged along with DD on another interview in NYC and this would be two trips in one month.
The first night was in San Francisco at a Travelodge. Pretty dire, I must say.
http://www.travelodgebythebay.com/
The only good thing about this place was its proximity to the SF Veteran's Hospital, where DD had her interview. The other good thing was, we were only staying in SF for the one night. It is very old and run down. However, it is also cheap for San Francisco, which is why we chose it. However, I am very happy we did not have plans to stay in the city longer than overnight.
After a very late arrival, DD and I rose early so I could take her to the hospital where she would be having interviews till early afternoon. Back at the motel, we checked out, left our car in their parking lot and my sisters and I walked the mile or so to Fisherman's Wharf, beginning at Hyde Street Pier. They have lots of old boats, many of which offer tours. Very interesting and we had not been to that part of the pier before.
It was typical January weather: Cool and foggy, but beautiful. Vendors were just setting up the outdoor stands and cooking crab. Yum! We roamed around the wharf area, stopping at Boudin Bakery for freshly baked sourdough bread which we munched on since we had not had breakfast. Walked to Pier 39 to visit the sea lions and take pictures of Alcatraz in the distance.
By this time, we were hungry but did not want to eat too much as we would have a late lunch/early dinner with DD after her interview. There are many great places to choose from (an understatement), but we chose Alioto's. Bloody Mary for me and shared appetizers of crab cakes and sauteed calimari and shrimp, Sicilian style. We were very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food (and the Bloody Mary
) Even by San Francisco standards, this was exceptional. I will definitely go there for dinner on another trip.Lot's more walking, including up and over Lombard Street. For some reason, even though we have been to San Francisco a number of times, none of us had ever seen the crooked part of Lombard Street. Well, we did this trip, walking up it as most people were walking down. My sisters and I often go against the grain.
The Travelodge was on the downside of Lombard Street, and my daughter's interviews were finished just in time for us to retrieve our car and her and head to North Beach for lunch. First stop was Vesuvio for a drink, which is a must on every trip. We then went to lunch at a little Italian cafe on Columbus Ave. Sorry to say, I have forgotten the name of the place, but the food was also not so memorable. OK, but not memorable.
Mar 16th, 2012, 07:03 PM
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It was now time to be on our way to wine country. The drive out of the city was quite spectacular: Over a fog-shrouded Golden Gate Bridge, up Hwy 101 to the Healdsburg area of Sonoma County. Here we would find that being on a modest budget did not mean we had to be uncomfortable.
Dry Creek Inn - Best Western, Healdsburg
http://www.drycreekinn.com/?gclid=co...fq-chwodhhrnig
A very large, very comfortable, two queen bed room with refrigerator. Complimentary breakfast was the usual boiled eggs, muffins, bagels, waffle maker, juice, however there is also a coffee shop right next door that has wonderful breakfasts, which is the only meal we ate there. The motel is large and the staff very accommodating. We found this to be a perfect home base for our two days of wine tasting and will definitely stay there again.
Our first day of wine tasting, we decided to go to Napa as I am a wine club member at three wineries there. It was about a 30 minute drive to our first stop. And just FYI, we did have a designated driver
Domaine Carneros Winery http://www.domainecarneros.com//index.cfm
Their specialty is sparkling wine, although they also have a lovely Pinot Noir. However, my personal favorite is Le Reve, a perfect blanc de blanc. Their premium tasting ($15) is three generous pours of sparkling (blanc de noir, brut and Le Reve) and the pinot noir, which was the 2008 vintage for us. Our hostess also gave us an extra taste of the 2007 pinot, which was a very good year. Domaine Carneros is a beautiful winery, very friendly staff, and my personal favorite sparkling wine.
Artesa Vineyard and Winery http://www.artesawinery.com/
This winery is in what has to be the most beautiful spot in Napa. The building is set into the side of a hill top and from its patio is a grand view across vineyards all the way to San Francisco Bay. The location is beautiful and the wine is very, very special. Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon, and everything in between. The advantage of being a wine club member is you are treated like royalty. We had this tasting with a delicious cheese plate and we took our time.
Chimney Rock Winery http://www.chimneyrock.com/
Absolutely spectacular reds. Staggs Leap District - really elegant Cabernet Sauvignon. For a red wine lover like me, it is heaven on earth. Seriously.
From here we took Hwy 29, stopping in St Helena for dinner. It was dark by this time as we drove through Calistoga and across the ridge to Healdsburg and our motel.
Dry Creek Inn - Best Western, Healdsburg
http://www.drycreekinn.com/?gclid=co...fq-chwodhhrnig
A very large, very comfortable, two queen bed room with refrigerator. Complimentary breakfast was the usual boiled eggs, muffins, bagels, waffle maker, juice, however there is also a coffee shop right next door that has wonderful breakfasts, which is the only meal we ate there. The motel is large and the staff very accommodating. We found this to be a perfect home base for our two days of wine tasting and will definitely stay there again.
Our first day of wine tasting, we decided to go to Napa as I am a wine club member at three wineries there. It was about a 30 minute drive to our first stop. And just FYI, we did have a designated driver
Domaine Carneros Winery http://www.domainecarneros.com//index.cfm
Their specialty is sparkling wine, although they also have a lovely Pinot Noir. However, my personal favorite is Le Reve, a perfect blanc de blanc. Their premium tasting ($15) is three generous pours of sparkling (blanc de noir, brut and Le Reve) and the pinot noir, which was the 2008 vintage for us. Our hostess also gave us an extra taste of the 2007 pinot, which was a very good year.
Domaine Carneros is a beautiful winery, very friendly staff, and my personal favorite sparkling wine.Artesa Vineyard and Winery http://www.artesawinery.com/
This winery is in what has to be the most beautiful spot in Napa. The building is set into the side of a hill top and from its patio is a grand view across vineyards all the way to San Francisco Bay. The location is beautiful and the wine is very, very special. Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon, and everything in between. The advantage of being a wine club member is you are treated like royalty. We had this tasting with a delicious cheese plate and we took our time.
Chimney Rock Winery http://www.chimneyrock.com/
Absolutely spectacular reds. Staggs Leap District - really elegant Cabernet Sauvignon. For a red wine lover like me, it is heaven on earth. Seriously.
From here we took Hwy 29, stopping in St Helena for dinner. It was dark by this time as we drove through Calistoga and across the ridge to Healdsburg and our motel.
Mar 16th, 2012, 07:42 PM
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Our second day we spent in the Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma County, less than 10 minutes from where we were staying. What I particularly love about this area is the number of wineries that are organic and/or biodynamic. The wine reflects that, having what I can only describe as a "fresher" taste. Many of the vineyards also farm olive trees and produce their own olive oil, as well as other farm products. An example of this is:
Preston Vineyards https://www.prestonvineyards.com/
Not just a vineyard, Preston is a working, organic farm. Their wines are quite good, their olive oil is excellent.
Quivira Vineyard and Winery
http://www.quivirawine.com/index.php...s&id=2&show=78
Lovely, crisp Sauvignon Blanc. Very flavorful, but not peppery, Zinfandel.
DaVero http://www.davero.com/farm
This was a new one for us this trip and I love it, especially because they include olive oils, balsamic vinegar, and various jams and jellies with the wine tasting. Really delicious. They model themselves after Tuscany and so specialize in Sagrantino and Sangiovese - rather unusual amidst all the pinots and cabs. Very enjoyable tasting.
Hop Kiln Winery http://www.hopkilnwinery.com/home/
I did not taste here, although I have been many times before. Lovely reds, which are my preference. However, we purchased some delicious cheese - a triple cream brie made by Cowgirl Creamery in Pt. Reyes. How have I never tasted this cheese before? It had been served with our cheese plate at Artesa the day before and it is absolutely melt-in-your-mouth amazing.
http://www.cowgirlcreamery.com/
We met with friends later and did more tasting at various tasting rooms in Healdsburg. All were enjoyable, but one was more than the rest:
Roadhouse Winery
http://www.roadhousewinery.com/?gcli...FSoGRQodpTyuKA
Was it the wine or the adorable young man doing the pours? Not sure, but the specialty is Pinot Noir, only Pinot Noir, but really good Pinot Noir.
The next day we began the long drive home to SoCal. A perfect get-away. Writing this trip report has made me long to go again.
Preston Vineyards https://www.prestonvineyards.com/
Not just a vineyard, Preston is a working, organic farm. Their wines are quite good, their olive oil is excellent.
Quivira Vineyard and Winery
http://www.quivirawine.com/index.php...s&id=2&show=78
Lovely, crisp Sauvignon Blanc. Very flavorful, but not peppery, Zinfandel.
DaVero http://www.davero.com/farm
This was a new one for us this trip and I love it, especially because they include olive oils, balsamic vinegar, and various jams and jellies with the wine tasting. Really delicious. They model themselves after Tuscany and so specialize in Sagrantino and Sangiovese - rather unusual amidst all the pinots and cabs. Very enjoyable tasting.
Hop Kiln Winery http://www.hopkilnwinery.com/home/
I did not taste here, although I have been many times before. Lovely reds, which are my preference. However, we purchased some delicious cheese - a triple cream brie made by Cowgirl Creamery in Pt. Reyes. How have I never tasted this cheese before? It had been served with our cheese plate at Artesa the day before and it is absolutely melt-in-your-mouth amazing.
http://www.cowgirlcreamery.com/
We met with friends later and did more tasting at various tasting rooms in Healdsburg. All were enjoyable, but one was more than the rest:
Roadhouse Winery
http://www.roadhousewinery.com/?gcli...FSoGRQodpTyuKA
Was it the wine or the adorable young man doing the pours? Not sure, but the specialty is Pinot Noir, only Pinot Noir, but really good Pinot Noir.
The next day we began the long drive home to SoCal. A perfect get-away. Writing this trip report has made me long to go again.
Mar 19th, 2012, 11:03 AM
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Thanks, socialworker. It was lots of fun. I mostly posted this trip report to let people know about the Dry Creek Inn as there are often inquiries for less expensive places to stay in wine country. I can't recommend it enough.
