U.S. Road Trip Destination 6: Napa Valley

Ah yes, Napa Valley. My favorite part of the trip and what I've been waiting to share with everyone. As another first time experience, Napa has been up against some hype from family and friends. And why wouldn't it be? Wine tasting in vineyards in sunny weather amongst some of the best restaurants in the business? Yes please. I will taste all of the wines and eat all of the foods.

To start, I'd been really excited to stay at Harvest Inn in St. Helena after we booked it a few months ago, and it lived up to its expectation. Full of lush greenery, it was a very peaceful place to stay and just felt very comfortable. We were lucky that the adult pool was right outside of our room, making everything all the more convenient and slightly subtracting the paleness from this transparent body of mine.

On our first day we had lunch at Cook, and then visited Turnbull, the winery a friend of ours used to work for. Cook was simply delicious and Chris and I splurged a bit with 2 glasses of rosé and a glorious salad to start. He had the hanger steak (tomatoes were killer fresh!) and I had the halibut risotto. Plates were cleared and we were two happy travelers.

We had a bit of a unique experience in Napa, given that Chris's good friend David Kasper is the sommelier  for Thomas Keller's amazing Bouchon. He not only knew the ins and outs of the Napa culture, but he also knew a thing or two about wine and then some. He was pretty much our tour guide and responsible for all the fun we had and the knowledge we gained. 

To start our day, we stopped in at Bouchon bakery where we picked up coffee and a few baked goods. I opted for the Almond Croissant and a few Macarons (as a souvenir - I didn't take it all down at once, guys) to prime our stomachs for the wine and food that we would be consuming all day. David had already kindly set up a few tastings for our arrival, and we very thankfully followed his lead. 

Our first stop was at Colgin, a very special winery that exists in a private gated off chateau. We were given a tour of owner's wine cellar that included bottles of wine dating back to 1887. While everyone was admiring the types of wine and the history, I was admittedly critiquing the label designs and taking note of classic french fonts. After, we walked upstairs into a dining room, and tried three wines: 1. 2005 Tychson Hill  2. 2012 Tychson Hill 3. 2012 Cariad. My favorite by far was the 2005 Tychson Hill.

I listened intently as wine lingo was thrown around while I sipped and munched on crackers, nodding in agreement to things that I knew little about.

Our next stop was at Scarecrow, a very intimate appointment made by David where we entered the private residence of Bret Lopez and his wife Mimi DeBlasio. We were fortunate enough to share a bottle of the 2011 Scarecrow while listening firsthand to Bret talk about the J.J. Cohn Estate and all of the history leading up to the winery today. You'll note that Scarecrow is a nod to J.J. Cohn's production of the The Wizard of Oz while he worked for MGM. Their second wine follows suit, called M. Étain, french for Tin Man. They left us with parting gifts - a bottle of M. Étain and copies of Bret's photography books, titled Floral and Fungi, which are composed of stunning photographs taken within walking distance of the estate.

Kindred spirits, indeed, and an experience I will never forget. 

That night we had a gluttonous dinner at Bouchon, feasting on various items off the menu like truffle chicken, melon salad, and a variety of other delectable dishes. Bouchon is wonderful and the team knows what's up, and now they especially know our love for food, since we cleaned all of the plates.

I will say that our experience was quite different than the recommendations of wineries I received from friends, we were lucky enough to go the exclusive route. My next visit to Napa I hope to include wineries like Opus One and Silver Oak which I hear are so beautiful. If you have anything to share about wine, please let me know!

For now, onward to our final destination, the Redwoods!

U.S. Road Trip Destination 5: San Francisco

Hey everyone! Time for the lowdown on our next destination, San Francisco. Big Sur was gorgeous, but it was time for Chris and I to experience a little city life. I'd never been to San Fran, so I was pumped to check it out. Though we only had 2 days, it gave us enough time to sneak in a good glimpse of what west coast city life has to offer.

As an SPG card member, I'd accumulated quite a few points that we used for two nights at the Westin St. Francis. The Westin was a really beautiful hotel, however I will say that it's in the middle of EVERYTHING and fighting through traffic to valet the car was not the most fun I've ever had. It did offer us a great spot to pivot from, going everywhere from the Golden Gate Bridge to Haight Street to bars and restaurants.

As a first timer, a few touristy things were in order. Chris and I walked from our hotel past Lombard Street (gorgeous!) to Fisherman's Wharf, spent the day looking at sea lions, boats and fellow tourists - and then walked to the Golden Gate Bridge near Presidio.

Let's pause here and let me say that I do not recommend this walk.

As a Chicago native flatlander, my little feet were in shock trekking up the hills to get through Nob Hill to the wharf. But I kept looking at it positively. Since I'd spent so much time sitting in the car, and my ass had become one with the seat, that work out was well overdo. I do recommend strolling through Nob Hill as it is unbelievably charming and rich with beautiful homes and florals to die for. Lombard street was a surprise for me, we didn't mean to walk past it but fortunately we did. Hello Hydrangeas, my most favorite flower and just such a happy place! That night we stopped by Trick Dog, which is a lively happening place and tons of fun. If I was still 25 and could hold my liquor, I probably would've been suckered into a 3am-I'm-on-a-mission-to-get-wasted kinda night. Alas, we had a few and I was all tuckered out and ready for bed. 

The following morning we started out at Blue Bottle coffee in Mint plaza, their cappuccinos are delightful! The most perfect cap I've ever had and the breakfast sandwich was delicious. Since we were in the mood to hunt for treasure, we headed to Haight Street and perused the streets for unique gems. Other than getting ice-cream at Ben and Jerry's (duh, it was national ice cream day, aka the perfect excuse to take down a 2 scoop waffle cone) I wasn't in the mood to blow a bunch of cash. I loved a lot of the stores on the street, particularly X Generation where they had a unique assortment of rings for around $7. 

That night, we were supposed to head to dinner at RN74, but last minute I wasn't feeling well at all (perhaps it was the ice cream overdose), so we didn't make it, and went to a smaller restaurant close by the hotel instead. However, if you do go to San Fran, this place is known for their extensive wine list. I was also eyeing Octavia, because the food looks amazing and the ambiance looks so cozy and heart warming.

Overall a great experience. I generally love the look and feel of San Fran. Bright whites, pale pinks and mint take over this very layered city. It's an adorable place that has far more to offer than we experienced. And now, onward from San Fran to Napa Valley.

Do you guys have any other recommendations for the next time I visit? Would love to hear! Hope your week is going well!

U.S. Road Trip Destination 4: Big Sur and Carmel

Carmel Alley

We left Joshua Tree and continued on to Big Sur and Carmel-by-the-sea. 

Big Sur is one hell of a showstopper. And by showstopper I mean car stopper, because we stopped from every single point we possibly could to soak this baby in. Our favorite and the best spot to stop was Bixby Bridge, you can see a wide view of everything. My photos are a very poor representation of what we saw – the beauty of Big Sur comes from the movement of the waves, the glistening of the light, the nuances that live in the surrounding nature. (Ya, I'm a poet now, what?)  But yes, it's so very magical and something I'll never forget. If you have time, stop at Rocky Point Restaurant and eat outside. Sitting next to the the blue water and having a nice lunch doesn't happen every day.

That night, we camped at Big Sir Campground & Cabins, which was quite lovely.  They had showers, a communal bathroom, and we were surrounded by lots of fun neighbors. It cost us $60 for the night, better than spending more for a hotel room. Plus, the experience was beautiful, peaceful and totally calming. They have numbered spots for the campers and you can rent a spot or a cabin for night. The cabins are pricier, one for the night was $228.

In the morning, we spent a day shopping at the village in Carmel which is about a half hour north of Big Sur. If you've never been to Carmel, you must go. It's so charming! Very European-esque with adorable storefronts and inviting alleyways that lead to coffee houses. I picked up a little treat from Cottage of Sweets, but that was my only souvenir. I'd love to have a vacation home there one day – dream goals! But yes, probably one of the cutest towns I've ever been to.

Last thought, you MUST see the sunset in this area at some point!! We unfortunately had cloudy skies, but it's what everyone raves about. That and the 17 mile drive, another common activity to do in the area.

That's it for now, is there anything else you've done in this area that I missed? Let me know!

U.S. Road Trip Destination 3: Joshua Tree

From Arizona, we made a stop at Joshua Tree in California. At first, I was very apprehensive. It was 100 degrees, the road we drove on to get to the park was extremely windy and made me nauseous, and the insect situation was out of control. Whenever we stopped the car, they bombarded us at full speed in swarms. It wasn't until we arrived at the rocks that Chris and I got out of the car and began to explore.

Guys, Joshua Tree ended up being my favorite so far. You feel like you're roaming around on another planet because that's how interesting and unusual it is. The sky looks like it's photoshopped into the scene because it was perfectly clear and the blue was one solid color. But I promise, no photo editing at all! These come to you non-filtered and it's pretty amazing. 

I don't have much advice for this particular stop other than you should go, and don't be fooled by the dry lands. There's a lot to see and the rocks become an adult jungle gym that you can play on. They also look like huge sugar cookies (see photo below) when shot just right. Enjoy the pics and hope you're having a great week!

U.S. Road Trip Destination 2: Arizona

Arriving in Arizona, Chris and I did what every good tourist does – we headed straight to the Grand Canyon. We were lucky enough to get a beautiful day. It wasn't too sunny and the sky was perfectly clear, allowing us to see the GC in all its glory. Quick story, I never actually wanted to see the Grand Canyon. In my teenage years, I remember my mom always talking about going, which made it seem uncool and mom-like. It wasn't until my friend who had just finished traveling the world for a year said to me: "For everything we saw in the world, the Grand Canyon was truly epic." And that it was. Very grand, very epic. 

We didn't spend a ton of time there, I know you can ride mules around the rim and there are a ton of tours, but we came in from the south rim and drove (gotta love having a car!) to various points starting from the main entrance. Not going to lie, my fear of heights really kicked in when Chris tried to get me to stand on a lone rock overlooking the canyon. Overall, definitely worth it. It's really hard to capture in photos because its depth is so detailed and intricate. I had chills walking up to its grandness. It's something you must do in your lifetime.

From there we arrived at Chris's aunt and uncle's home in Scottsdale. They were kind enough to let us stay for a few days, use the pool, and just veg out. It was 105 and sunny, right up my alley!  We also ate at Flower Child, and I might've loved the decor as much as the food. This place is adorable, has amazing healthy food options, and Chicago needs one asap!

Once we set in, a day trip to Sedona was in order. People rave about Sedona, so it was an absolute must. Here is what we did in Sedona and what you should consider doing:

1. Hike Devil's Bridge Trail. An amazing trail that had me huffing and puffing, but not overly difficult. Plus I needed to burn off all those car snacks. When you arrive, you can either drive your car through a ridiculously bumpy path to get to the trail (which we did) or hike the bumpy path as part of the trail. I will say the trail was harder than I thought it was going to be, so I was pretty happy we drove in. At the end when you arrive at the bridge, you should walk out on it. It looks way scarier than it is! Chris immediately ran out onto it, and then we talked a father and daughter into taking little risks and overcoming their fear. They scored some great pics because of it! When you arrive, head towards the right side. There is a path to it hidden behind plant life, and it takes you right out.

2. Enchantment Resort. We weren't staying here, but we wish we were. However, you are more than welcome to stop in for lunch. Their restaurant, Ti Gavo, was really great and they have beautiful floor to ceiling windows so you can sip on some rosé and gaze out at the mountains. I only had two glasses and tried to plot sneaking into the spa (which I've heard is unbelievably amazing), but I digress.

3. Take a helicopter tour on the fly, literally. Chris and I decided to take a helicopter tour after strolling down the shopping strip. It was $89/per person for a 17 minute ride. I'd never been in a helicopter before, so it was worth the experience. We signed up in a small storefront on the shopping strip, and then simply drove to the Sedona Airport (you'll see the Airport Tours), hop in a copter and then look like a total badass. They distribute passengers by weight, and I was somehow lucky enough to get the front seat and some awesome pics. Our Pilot, Lewis, a veteran of the coastguard and our armed forces, was a funny guy who made us laugh. They video tape the whole ride, you just don't know it till the end. But since I gave you the heads up you can prepare for your closeup. 

4. Tlaquepaque. We didn't make it here, mostly because we wanted to end on a high note (you know, flying in a helicopter) but Chris's cousin said it was worth it. More of a place to browse, unless you're in the market to buy some good art.

5. Take a pink jeep tour. Something else we didn't get around to, but highly recommended from everyone we talked to. 

A different trail we found when driving around. Didn't hike this one, but walked a bit for the view!

View from the helicopter

That's it for now! We're heading to Big Sur and then Carmel, CA which I hear is absolutely gorgeous. Updates to come!