Super 8 Upper Lake

My dear sister April invited us to join her at the Calistoga Ranch. Even with threatening rain we hit the road and drive to through the beautiful wine country. St. Helena was decked out in Christmas decorations and was filled with people with shopping. Then we turn up the road to the ranch and encounter nature in all its glory. A turkey vulture enjoying his ...

... of our friends showed up and there were 112 Pabst Blue Ribbon's in the fridge. Unlike our last party everyone brought piles of beer and wine so at the end of the night with a pile of drunk people, we somehow still had two coolers and a fridge loaded with beer. Great!

Spent most of Saturday being absolutely worthless. Rented In Bruges, (probably my favorite movie ever) and had a relaxing quiet evening. Until.....
I suggested we ...

... as far from the factory winery as you could imagine. We even met the children and the pets and some of the fellas got molested by the goats. Really nice way to finish off the day – the visit that is, not the molestation!

And here I am ready to crash at 9.30 as tomorrow I am heading up a small mountain (2850ft) – well I will try and see how far I get.

What I read: Nothing – my brain, like Elvis, has ...

... gathered the day before the wedding to help set up the property, which was a gorgeous olive ranch with a pond, chicken coop, and fantastic house (and guest house with pool). i think it belongs to martha stewart. we hung lights and lanterns, pictures of the bride and groom, and set up lawn games consisting of croquet, corn hole, bocci ball, and blongo (do you all know what that game is? you should.)l. kim was as cool as a ...

... heavy bunches of dark grapes. Stands of eucalyptus give the air a beautiful tang. We finally decide to stop, choosing the deLorimier Winery where we taste some luscious zinfandel, their '04 Meritage, and the '03 which we buy a case of to share with the kids this coming week. We camp just past Calistoga and look forward to seeing Javi tomorrow.

... br>
Jag vill informera er om att vi av en lycklig slump fick stället helt själva! Det var tomt! Smålänning som jag är trodde jag först vi blivit lurade, typ gått på en jädra rip off, men se det hade vi inte. Gästboken var fullklottrad, och jag menar, Teri Hatcher rekommenderar det. Good enough for her, good enough for me.

Eller ja, mer än good enough. Jag har aldrig haft så fint i hela mitt ...

Fredrik and I flew to SF the day before, drove and stayed at Santa Rosa. After the race, we stayed two nights at bed and breakfast inn in Calistoga, tried the mud spa, visited old fathful geyser, the petroleum forest, several wineries, and Copia in Napa, enjoyed the wine and food.

... century Spanish monastery ceilings compete with roman artifacts from the third and fourth centuries and French gothic castle fireplaces for example, could have been a disaster, but each individual room was kept true to its chosen style. All in all what could (and probably should) have been a vulgar hotch potch of conflicting styles just about managed to be beautifully impressive throughout despite being over the top in a way only Americans can (sometimes)carry off. From ...

... foothills for four days. I look up and realize I'd never noticed that sign on that intersection read: Pilgrim Ave. A week or so ago I was reading about the garden they are building in Phi Phi island (where I was on that fateful December 26, 2004 and I'll be yet again for the commerative memorial service this December 26). "The garden was the brainwave of a couple who lost their little girl in the tsunami. They wanted ...

On March 18, we left the United States after almost two months of traveling back and forth across the country. We had spent February and early March skiing in Utah, visiting Boston, Missouri, LA, and San Francisco, driving Highway 1 along the California Coast, soaking in the hot springs of southern Colorado, moving out of New York City, and visiting family and friends all across the county.