Trip Report - NYC, San Francisco, & Sonoma/Napa in 13 days
Mar 21st, 2009, 06:23 PM
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Trip Report - NYC, San Francisco, & Sonoma/Napa in 13 days
A couple of weeks ago my wife and I took consecutive trips to see our two sons – one in theater school in NYC, and the other graduating from culinary school in Napa Valley. One major goal of the trip for me was to limit the cost, given the economy, and I think we succeeded to some extent. We had a great time, and if others can benefit from our experience, here it is:
First three days, in NYC:
Megabus from Baltimore to NYC: We’ve always driven before when visiting my son in New York, but this time we decided to take the bus to save money. We got fares for $8 each round trip, for a total of $16.50 including a reservation fee! The bus was uncrowded, comfortable, and about ½ hour late on the way up, but about ½ hour early coming back. The best part is that it saved us about $150 in gas, tolls, and parking, which I loved.
Hotel in NYC: We got a room on Priceline at the Doubletree Metropolitan, located Lex and 51st, for $82 per night – definitely the cheapest deal we’ve ever had in Manhattan. I had read some reviews of the hotel that complained of noise due to a fire station across 51st, and poor housekeeping. We had none of those problems, and really liked the hotel. The room might have been one that is often given to Priceliners – it was only on the 2nd floor, overlooking the bottom of the rear courtyard. But since it wasn’t over the street, it was very quiet, and the room itself was fine – comfy king bed, big flat screen TV, and nice bath. I really didn’t care about the view (or lack thereof), since the shades are closed most of the time we’re in the room. The location is great, right next to a subway entrance, and there are several delis & cafes nearby, and also Ess-a-Bagel at 51st and 3rd Ave.
Restaurants: We were in NY for three nights. The first night we went out to Balthazar in Soho. That day was my youngest son’s (that would be DS2, I guess?) 21st birthday. That evening he had the final rehearsal of a school show that he was in at NYU (State Fair), and we met him and his BF (no, not best friend) at about 11:00 that night at the restaurant. The food was good – my wife had moules frites (great), I just had a salad, and the guys both had burgers. But with drinks (avg about 3 each) the total bill came to nearly $200. Not so good for the budget, but pretty tasty. Didn’t get home till about 2, which is tough for those of us in our 50’s!
The next night was the first night of DS2’s show, and we went out with him and BF after the show. This night they picked the place, which, you might guess if you know New York, meant Chelsea. We ended up at a place on 6th or 7th Ave called Vinyl, and I think my wife and I might have been the only straight people in the place. Everyone was very friendly, the food and drinks were good, and it cost a good bit less than Balthazar, which made me happy. As an aside, when my wife and I are out with my son and his guy in a place like Vinyl, I think I notice people smiling in a winking kind of way at my son. Not in a negative way, mind you, more as if to say “It’s nice that you can do this with your parents”. At least I hope that’s the case anyway. Nevertheless, another late night for the old timers.
The next and last night my son went out with friends after his show, so my wife and I were on our own. We were going out late, after the show. My wife wanted deli, and I thought we would try Katz’s, on the Lower East Side, instead of our usual Stage Deli up around Times Square. Big mistake, IMO. Since it was late Saturday night and there are quite a number of clubs in the area around Katz’s, there were plenty of drunk people roaming 2nd Avenue, screaming, urinating in the streets, and being generally obnoxious. As for Katz’s itself, we found it, by comparison to Stage Deli, to be dirty, with staff more interested in screaming at each other than providing any kind of decent service, and food which was not nearly as good, at prices which were no lower. Desserts looked like they came from a nearby grocery store, as opposed to the decadent gems at Stage Deli. The main thing was the sandwiches – they were half the size of those at Stage Deli, and were maybe $1 lower in price, like $15 instead of $16. Since Tony Bourdain extolled the virtues of this place (just as he extolled the virtues of Times Square in the 1970s when there were more peep shows than theaters) I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. On top of all of it, the travel time going back to Midtown was really long – another late night!
Well, this trip report is seeming pretty long, and I hope helpful to some & not too boring to others. I’ll add more later.
First three days, in NYC:
Megabus from Baltimore to NYC: We’ve always driven before when visiting my son in New York, but this time we decided to take the bus to save money. We got fares for $8 each round trip, for a total of $16.50 including a reservation fee! The bus was uncrowded, comfortable, and about ½ hour late on the way up, but about ½ hour early coming back. The best part is that it saved us about $150 in gas, tolls, and parking, which I loved.
Hotel in NYC: We got a room on Priceline at the Doubletree Metropolitan, located Lex and 51st, for $82 per night – definitely the cheapest deal we’ve ever had in Manhattan. I had read some reviews of the hotel that complained of noise due to a fire station across 51st, and poor housekeeping. We had none of those problems, and really liked the hotel. The room might have been one that is often given to Priceliners – it was only on the 2nd floor, overlooking the bottom of the rear courtyard. But since it wasn’t over the street, it was very quiet, and the room itself was fine – comfy king bed, big flat screen TV, and nice bath. I really didn’t care about the view (or lack thereof), since the shades are closed most of the time we’re in the room. The location is great, right next to a subway entrance, and there are several delis & cafes nearby, and also Ess-a-Bagel at 51st and 3rd Ave.
Restaurants: We were in NY for three nights. The first night we went out to Balthazar in Soho. That day was my youngest son’s (that would be DS2, I guess?) 21st birthday. That evening he had the final rehearsal of a school show that he was in at NYU (State Fair), and we met him and his BF (no, not best friend) at about 11:00 that night at the restaurant. The food was good – my wife had moules frites (great), I just had a salad, and the guys both had burgers. But with drinks (avg about 3 each) the total bill came to nearly $200. Not so good for the budget, but pretty tasty. Didn’t get home till about 2, which is tough for those of us in our 50’s!
The next night was the first night of DS2’s show, and we went out with him and BF after the show. This night they picked the place, which, you might guess if you know New York, meant Chelsea. We ended up at a place on 6th or 7th Ave called Vinyl, and I think my wife and I might have been the only straight people in the place. Everyone was very friendly, the food and drinks were good, and it cost a good bit less than Balthazar, which made me happy. As an aside, when my wife and I are out with my son and his guy in a place like Vinyl, I think I notice people smiling in a winking kind of way at my son. Not in a negative way, mind you, more as if to say “It’s nice that you can do this with your parents”. At least I hope that’s the case anyway. Nevertheless, another late night for the old timers.
The next and last night my son went out with friends after his show, so my wife and I were on our own. We were going out late, after the show. My wife wanted deli, and I thought we would try Katz’s, on the Lower East Side, instead of our usual Stage Deli up around Times Square. Big mistake, IMO. Since it was late Saturday night and there are quite a number of clubs in the area around Katz’s, there were plenty of drunk people roaming 2nd Avenue, screaming, urinating in the streets, and being generally obnoxious. As for Katz’s itself, we found it, by comparison to Stage Deli, to be dirty, with staff more interested in screaming at each other than providing any kind of decent service, and food which was not nearly as good, at prices which were no lower. Desserts looked like they came from a nearby grocery store, as opposed to the decadent gems at Stage Deli. The main thing was the sandwiches – they were half the size of those at Stage Deli, and were maybe $1 lower in price, like $15 instead of $16. Since Tony Bourdain extolled the virtues of this place (just as he extolled the virtues of Times Square in the 1970s when there were more peep shows than theaters) I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. On top of all of it, the travel time going back to Midtown was really long – another late night!
Well, this trip report is seeming pretty long, and I hope helpful to some & not too boring to others. I’ll add more later.
Mar 21st, 2009, 06:32 PM
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they were half the size of those at Stage Deli, and were maybe $1 lower in price
Did you give the sandwich-maker a $1.00 tip as he made your sandwich? It's a "known fact" that you'll get a huge sandwich if you do that, and won't if you don't
Did you give the sandwich-maker a $1.00 tip as he made your sandwich? It's a "known fact" that you'll get a huge sandwich if you do that, and won't if you don't
Mar 21st, 2009, 07:03 PM
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Vinyl has been on my list but I've never gotten around to it. My daughter is at FIT so it's in the 'hood. I may try it next visit, in May.
Sounds like your son is lucky to have supportive parents. I have a best friend who still, at age 51, hasn't come out to her parents. It's the elephant in the room. What a difference you have made in his self esteem.
Sounds like your son is lucky to have supportive parents. I have a best friend who still, at age 51, hasn't come out to her parents. It's the elephant in the room. What a difference you have made in his self esteem.
Mar 21st, 2009, 07:24 PM
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NYC – Entertainment
The first night we went to see "The 39 Steps" on Broadway. Great show, with just four players in the cast. The lead male plays one part, and the only female plays several different parts. The other two males play probably about 10 different roles each, including female roles, and those guys are really funny! Great facial expressions, voices, and quick costume changes. If you have ever seen any of the “Tuna, Texas” shows, it’s kind of similar. It was a very funny play, and my wife and I both enjoyed it immensely.
The next two nights we went to my son’s musical, State Fair, it his studio, Collaborative Arts Project 21. The show is nice, and the level of talent at CAP 21 is really impressive. My son didn’t have a lead, but he was a featured dancer, and I just can’t get over how good he is. Okay, that’s a biased opinion, but if you should ever want to see an inexpensive musical when you are in New York, you should check CAP 21’s website to see if there is anything playing. It usually costs under $20, and it’s well worth it.
On Friday, our last full day in NY, my wife and I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, first time for both of us. What an impressive museum! We couldn’t see everything in one day, but we thoroughly enjoyed the impressionist collection and the European sculptures. The modern art collection was very nice also, though of course not nearly as nice as MOMA. My wive is half Japanese, so we made it a point to see the Japanese section, which was just great. But I would have to say the best of all was the Egyptian art collection – I was stunned at the age of many of the artifacts, and the Temple of Dendur was astounding.
The first night we went to see "The 39 Steps" on Broadway. Great show, with just four players in the cast. The lead male plays one part, and the only female plays several different parts. The other two males play probably about 10 different roles each, including female roles, and those guys are really funny! Great facial expressions, voices, and quick costume changes. If you have ever seen any of the “Tuna, Texas” shows, it’s kind of similar. It was a very funny play, and my wife and I both enjoyed it immensely.
The next two nights we went to my son’s musical, State Fair, it his studio, Collaborative Arts Project 21. The show is nice, and the level of talent at CAP 21 is really impressive. My son didn’t have a lead, but he was a featured dancer, and I just can’t get over how good he is. Okay, that’s a biased opinion, but if you should ever want to see an inexpensive musical when you are in New York, you should check CAP 21’s website to see if there is anything playing. It usually costs under $20, and it’s well worth it.
On Friday, our last full day in NY, my wife and I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, first time for both of us. What an impressive museum! We couldn’t see everything in one day, but we thoroughly enjoyed the impressionist collection and the European sculptures. The modern art collection was very nice also, though of course not nearly as nice as MOMA. My wive is half Japanese, so we made it a point to see the Japanese section, which was just great. But I would have to say the best of all was the Egyptian art collection – I was stunned at the age of many of the artifacts, and the Temple of Dendur was astounding.
Mar 22nd, 2009, 04:29 AM
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Austin - yes, we walked through the African Art collection on the way from the modern art to the Egyption collection, and it did seem very interesting - definitely worthy of a longer stay.
Mar 22nd, 2009, 04:32 AM
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yk, I agree on Megabus. We've tried other buses but they all had their limitations. Greyhound I thought was overly crowded and rarely on time, my son has tried various Chinatown buses that are cheap but are hit or miss, and there are some nice tour buses from Baltimore, but they are pricey and have just one time going up and one time coming back. We found Megabus to be very comfortable, cheap, and if you are going for just a day you have many different times to choose from.
Mar 22nd, 2009, 05:07 AM
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Boomerang – Home then California.
The 4th day we took the bus home from NY – that day, Saturday, it was about 65 or 70 degrees in New York, versus the day we got there, Wednesday, when the high was 34 degrees. Needless to say, we were carrying our coats, hats, and gloves. Got home on time, hung out with the dogs, packed for California, slept like a rock, and almost missed the plane the next morning. Had to drop the wife at the airport with the bags, so she could get them checked in on time, then park the car and take the shuttle back to the airport. We flew Southwest to Oakland – we were going to use some free coupons that we have, but when SW came up with fares at $97 each way, we kept the coupons for later use and bought the cheap fares. Southwest doesn’t fly direct to the west coast, but with only one stop in Kansas City, we still got there at 1:30 in the afternoon. We rented a minivan through priceline for $25 a day – we needed it later in the week since my older son was graduating from school, and my daughter and future son-in-law were joining us on Thursday.
Day 1 – San Francisco
Our first stop in San Francisco was La Taqueria on Mission St in the Mission District. If there are places like this in Baltimore, I haven’t found them. I had one beef and one chicken taco, which were huge, and my wife had an enormous chicken burrito. Excellent grilled meats and homemade sauces, eg pico de gallo, tomatillo and hot salsa. Who needs to go to Mexico when there are places like this in the US?
We then checked into our hotel for that night, which was the Hyatt Fisherman’s Wharf on North Point. This is a very nice hotel in a good location – not too close to the wharf, and good access to anywhere else in downtown. We got the room on Priceline for $65, and couldn’t have been happier. As suggested by Stu Dudley, I cruised the neighborhood and found free parking on the street to save the $45 parking fee. Since we were pretty tired, all we did was walk over to Pier 39 to see the seals, then head back to the hotel for a quick nap.
That evening we had reservations at Thanh Long, a Vietnamese restaurant in the Sunset district. My wife had heard of the garlic roasted dungeness crab there, and really wanted to try it. We needed that reservation, even though it was 8:00 on Sunday night – the place was packed! The garlic crab was very tasty, if a little too buttery. We also shared one of their fish dishes and a plate of garlic noodles, and washed it all down with a couple of Anchor Steam beers. Not bat at all! A little pricey – the crab was $38! But I think well worth the trip.
The 4th day we took the bus home from NY – that day, Saturday, it was about 65 or 70 degrees in New York, versus the day we got there, Wednesday, when the high was 34 degrees. Needless to say, we were carrying our coats, hats, and gloves. Got home on time, hung out with the dogs, packed for California, slept like a rock, and almost missed the plane the next morning. Had to drop the wife at the airport with the bags, so she could get them checked in on time, then park the car and take the shuttle back to the airport. We flew Southwest to Oakland – we were going to use some free coupons that we have, but when SW came up with fares at $97 each way, we kept the coupons for later use and bought the cheap fares. Southwest doesn’t fly direct to the west coast, but with only one stop in Kansas City, we still got there at 1:30 in the afternoon. We rented a minivan through priceline for $25 a day – we needed it later in the week since my older son was graduating from school, and my daughter and future son-in-law were joining us on Thursday.
Day 1 – San Francisco
Our first stop in San Francisco was La Taqueria on Mission St in the Mission District. If there are places like this in Baltimore, I haven’t found them. I had one beef and one chicken taco, which were huge, and my wife had an enormous chicken burrito. Excellent grilled meats and homemade sauces, eg pico de gallo, tomatillo and hot salsa. Who needs to go to Mexico when there are places like this in the US?
We then checked into our hotel for that night, which was the Hyatt Fisherman’s Wharf on North Point. This is a very nice hotel in a good location – not too close to the wharf, and good access to anywhere else in downtown. We got the room on Priceline for $65, and couldn’t have been happier. As suggested by Stu Dudley, I cruised the neighborhood and found free parking on the street to save the $45 parking fee. Since we were pretty tired, all we did was walk over to Pier 39 to see the seals, then head back to the hotel for a quick nap.
That evening we had reservations at Thanh Long, a Vietnamese restaurant in the Sunset district. My wife had heard of the garlic roasted dungeness crab there, and really wanted to try it. We needed that reservation, even though it was 8:00 on Sunday night – the place was packed! The garlic crab was very tasty, if a little too buttery. We also shared one of their fish dishes and a plate of garlic noodles, and washed it all down with a couple of Anchor Steam beers. Not bat at all! A little pricey – the crab was $38! But I think well worth the trip.
Mar 22nd, 2009, 09:54 AM
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Days 2-4 – Sonoma County
We started the second day by filling our mobile larder with a loaf of sourdough from Boudin at Fisherman’s wharf, for snacking throughout the day. We headed north along Route 101, and our first stop in search of wine, around noon, was the Carneros area at the southern end of the County. We went to Cline Cellars on Route 121, which makes some french style wines with rhone varietals. The tasting was free, and we really enjoyed the wines – the best part, though, was that they had “wooly weeders" at work in the vineyards, which means sheep grazing between the vines. My wife thought this was endlessly cute.
Next we went just down the street to Viansa Vineyards, and that was really the better of the two, IMO. They have a beautiful building on top of a hill, with great views of the vineyards and hills to the north. In addition to the usual chardonnay, pinot noir & cabernet, they also made some excellent italian varietals, including sangiovese and barbera. The italian style wines were surprisingly delicious, and their tasting was only $5. My wife skipped this tasting, but they were nice enough to give her a taste of their moscato.
Still craving crab, we headed farther north and west to Bodega Bay, where we sought out a whole dungeness crab at Spud Point, right on the water, recommended I think by razzledazzle on this forum. Combined with a cup of their spicy clam chowder, it made for a great late lunch, though our fingers were pretty chilled by the time we got done picking the crab on one of their outdoor tables.
Now satiated by wine and crab, we headed east to Santa Rosa to check in to our hotel, The Fountaingrove Inn on Old Redwood Highway at the northern end of town. The hotel was fine, the room was very comfortable and quiet, and we got it for only about $48 per night on Priceline. They rate it 3.5*, which I think is pretty accurate. There is nothing nearby this hotel that you can walk to, but Santa Rosa has a very central location in Sonoma County, so it’s great for day tripping. All in all, we were very satisfied with the hotel.
That night we met my older son at Willi’s Wine Bar, which is just up Old Redwood Highway near Mark West Road. This is a small plates restaurant, and we brought along a bottle of Pinot Noir from Buena Vista in Carneros, which was great wine, and they didn’t even charge us for corkage. The three of us shared six small dishes, including sweetbreads roasted in prosciutto, brussel sprouts caramelized with andouille sausage & apples, duck bbq on creamy polenta, pork belly potstickers with shiitake mushrooms, dungeness crab (of course) tacos, and a charcuterie plate. Everything was enjoyable, though I didn’t partake of the sweetbreads.
We started the second day by filling our mobile larder with a loaf of sourdough from Boudin at Fisherman’s wharf, for snacking throughout the day. We headed north along Route 101, and our first stop in search of wine, around noon, was the Carneros area at the southern end of the County. We went to Cline Cellars on Route 121, which makes some french style wines with rhone varietals. The tasting was free, and we really enjoyed the wines – the best part, though, was that they had “wooly weeders" at work in the vineyards, which means sheep grazing between the vines. My wife thought this was endlessly cute.
Next we went just down the street to Viansa Vineyards, and that was really the better of the two, IMO. They have a beautiful building on top of a hill, with great views of the vineyards and hills to the north. In addition to the usual chardonnay, pinot noir & cabernet, they also made some excellent italian varietals, including sangiovese and barbera. The italian style wines were surprisingly delicious, and their tasting was only $5. My wife skipped this tasting, but they were nice enough to give her a taste of their moscato.
Still craving crab, we headed farther north and west to Bodega Bay, where we sought out a whole dungeness crab at Spud Point, right on the water, recommended I think by razzledazzle on this forum. Combined with a cup of their spicy clam chowder, it made for a great late lunch, though our fingers were pretty chilled by the time we got done picking the crab on one of their outdoor tables.
Now satiated by wine and crab, we headed east to Santa Rosa to check in to our hotel, The Fountaingrove Inn on Old Redwood Highway at the northern end of town. The hotel was fine, the room was very comfortable and quiet, and we got it for only about $48 per night on Priceline. They rate it 3.5*, which I think is pretty accurate. There is nothing nearby this hotel that you can walk to, but Santa Rosa has a very central location in Sonoma County, so it’s great for day tripping. All in all, we were very satisfied with the hotel.
That night we met my older son at Willi’s Wine Bar, which is just up Old Redwood Highway near Mark West Road. This is a small plates restaurant, and we brought along a bottle of Pinot Noir from Buena Vista in Carneros, which was great wine, and they didn’t even charge us for corkage. The three of us shared six small dishes, including sweetbreads roasted in prosciutto, brussel sprouts caramelized with andouille sausage & apples, duck bbq on creamy polenta, pork belly potstickers with shiitake mushrooms, dungeness crab (of course) tacos, and a charcuterie plate. Everything was enjoyable, though I didn’t partake of the sweetbreads.
Mar 22nd, 2009, 12:53 PM
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Stuuuuuuuuuuuuu....
I KNEW IT!!!
Smetzy...Excellent!
We want to go back to both places soooooooo baaaad.
The Hyatt is a nice score on Priceline for the Fish/Wharf area and as you said just far enough away yet close enough to all.
I KNEW IT!!!
Smetzy...Excellent!
We want to go back to both places soooooooo baaaad.
The Hyatt is a nice score on Priceline for the Fish/Wharf area and as you said just far enough away yet close enough to all.
Mar 22nd, 2009, 12:54 PM
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smetz - enjoying your tr very much. The next time you're in NYC and have the deli urge, try 2nd Ave Deli (on 3rd and 33rd). The sandwiches are huge, service fine and no tipping. There will also be a branch not too far from the Met (76th and 1st) maybe by next summer.
Mar 22nd, 2009, 01:56 PM
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Centralparkgirl - I tried to find the address of 2nd Ave Deli in our phone book at the hotel room! But it wasn't in there, so it became Katz's by default. I wish I'd known - we could have walked to 3rd & 33rd from the studio, which is on 18th, or at least it would have been a quick subway ride from Union Square. But I'll be sure to check it out next time, thanks for the info.
Mar 22nd, 2009, 03:49 PM
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The next day we decided to head up to Healdsburg, which is a very charming town. It has a pretty square, surrounded by very nice shops and restaurants. We walked around the square, checked out some of the shops, and had a tasting in the La Crema tasting room. Lunch came next, and we ate at El Taqueria Sombrero, just off of the square. This was very plain little restaurant, but pretty crowded, and the tacos were great. Just can't get enough of those taquerias...
Next we headed out to the Dry Creek valley, which goes northwest from Healdsburg. We’d never been here before, and it is quite beautiful. The valley is pretty narrow and long – I’d say about 10 to 12 miles north to south. It’s filled with vineyards, many of which have old twisty vines that have trunks 6” wide and larger at the base. We tried to take the tour at Michel-Schlumberger, but they were closed to visitors for the day. So we had to settle for Dry Creek Vineyard on Lambert Bridge Road, right in the center of the valley. They have a very pretty building with gardens, and outstanding views of the valley to the north. The wines were very tasty, especially their Fume Blanc, and the tasting was $5.
Then we drove up to Ferrari-Carano, which is almost all the way at the north end of the valley, a very pretty drive. They have beautifully landscaped grounds and beautiful buildings, along with a lush gated garden with a stream and some falls. The wines were very good, especially their array of sweet wines, which my wife particularly enjoys. After this it was back to the hotel, then over to St. Helena in Napa Valley to have dinner with DS1 at Market, on Main Street. This is a small, pretty casual restaurant, which has suspended corkage fees due to the economy. We had a good dinner, but had to negotiate the hills to get back over to Santa Rosa for the night.
Our last day in Santa Rosa & Sonoma County was Wednesday, and we started out by dropping laundry at a Wash-n-fold place in Sebastapol. We then headed over to Occidental, which is a beautiful town in the hills, reminiscent of being in a small town in the Sierra Nevadas or the Rockies. Then we headed toward Guerneville, stopping on the way at Iron Horse Vineyards, my favorite so far in Sonoma County. They have excellent sparkling wines and good still wines as well – in fact their cabernets are some of the best I’ve had. Best of all, they have a really rustic open air tasting patio, with outstanding views of the Sonoma Valley. We proceeded on to Guerneville, a very picturesque town, and then went up River Road to Stumptown Brewery & Smokehouse to get bbq and beer for lunch. Well, they weren’t cooking that day, but we did enjoy a beer while talking to the only other customer who turned out to be the chef at Iron Horse, the winery we just left.
Only problem was, this started a downward alcoholic spiral for the rest of day. Since we still needed lunch, we went up River Road to Korbel, where they make Korbel sparkling wines. First we had lunch on their outdoor patio, which is surrounded by redwood trees and is really beautiful. We split a prosciutto sandwich and a salad, and I had a glass of sparking wine. My wife had one of their micro brews. But then I had another glass of a sweeter sparkling wine when we decided to split a piece of chocolate cake. Then we did a tasting at Korbel, and proceeded to two other wineries farther up the valley, Hop Kiln and Armida. My wife was the responsible and didn’t really taste at most of these places, but I, on the other hand, graciously accepted all offerings. Needless to say, by the time we returned to Fountaingrove Inn, dinner wasn’t really in the cards for that night.
Next we headed out to the Dry Creek valley, which goes northwest from Healdsburg. We’d never been here before, and it is quite beautiful. The valley is pretty narrow and long – I’d say about 10 to 12 miles north to south. It’s filled with vineyards, many of which have old twisty vines that have trunks 6” wide and larger at the base. We tried to take the tour at Michel-Schlumberger, but they were closed to visitors for the day. So we had to settle for Dry Creek Vineyard on Lambert Bridge Road, right in the center of the valley. They have a very pretty building with gardens, and outstanding views of the valley to the north. The wines were very tasty, especially their Fume Blanc, and the tasting was $5.
Then we drove up to Ferrari-Carano, which is almost all the way at the north end of the valley, a very pretty drive. They have beautifully landscaped grounds and beautiful buildings, along with a lush gated garden with a stream and some falls. The wines were very good, especially their array of sweet wines, which my wife particularly enjoys. After this it was back to the hotel, then over to St. Helena in Napa Valley to have dinner with DS1 at Market, on Main Street. This is a small, pretty casual restaurant, which has suspended corkage fees due to the economy. We had a good dinner, but had to negotiate the hills to get back over to Santa Rosa for the night.
Our last day in Santa Rosa & Sonoma County was Wednesday, and we started out by dropping laundry at a Wash-n-fold place in Sebastapol. We then headed over to Occidental, which is a beautiful town in the hills, reminiscent of being in a small town in the Sierra Nevadas or the Rockies. Then we headed toward Guerneville, stopping on the way at Iron Horse Vineyards, my favorite so far in Sonoma County. They have excellent sparkling wines and good still wines as well – in fact their cabernets are some of the best I’ve had. Best of all, they have a really rustic open air tasting patio, with outstanding views of the Sonoma Valley. We proceeded on to Guerneville, a very picturesque town, and then went up River Road to Stumptown Brewery & Smokehouse to get bbq and beer for lunch. Well, they weren’t cooking that day, but we did enjoy a beer while talking to the only other customer who turned out to be the chef at Iron Horse, the winery we just left.
Only problem was, this started a downward alcoholic spiral for the rest of day. Since we still needed lunch, we went up River Road to Korbel, where they make Korbel sparkling wines. First we had lunch on their outdoor patio, which is surrounded by redwood trees and is really beautiful. We split a prosciutto sandwich and a salad, and I had a glass of sparking wine. My wife had one of their micro brews. But then I had another glass of a sweeter sparkling wine when we decided to split a piece of chocolate cake. Then we did a tasting at Korbel, and proceeded to two other wineries farther up the valley, Hop Kiln and Armida. My wife was the responsible and didn’t really taste at most of these places, but I, on the other hand, graciously accepted all offerings. Needless to say, by the time we returned to Fountaingrove Inn, dinner wasn’t really in the cards for that night.
Mar 22nd, 2009, 05:08 PM
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Smetz, that can happen. I'm lucky, DH doesn't drink much, so he was always my DD.
We stay in Forestville when we go to wine country. I've been to those wineries and agree on the Iron Horse outside "tasting room". I have a picture taken there that is the wallpaper on my computer. Hop Kiln had the friendliest people and nice store. I love that part of wine country.
We stay in Forestville when we go to wine country. I've been to those wineries and agree on the Iron Horse outside "tasting room". I have a picture taken there that is the wallpaper on my computer. Hop Kiln had the friendliest people and nice store. I love that part of wine country.
