Travel Adventures and Photography
For as long as I've been traveling it has been a dream of mine to bicycle through vineyards in France. I could picture myself riding among vineyards and wildflowers with the sun on my face and wind in my hair... well, this year it happened. As if straight out of a dream, my best friend was with me and the day felt like it could last forever. How grateful we both are to have shared this and I want to share it with you, Read More
From the wild and rustic Chianti region to the manicured cypress trees of Val D'Orcia, there are a great many options when wine tasting on the Tuscan countryside. Over 25,000 wineries in fact. One winery I visited was not the best nor did I particularly care for the wine, but the scenery and ambiance were iconically Tuscan and unforgettable. I'm telling you about it because there's an important travel tip in there... let me Read More
One of the best ways to soak up the scenery in Napa Valley is to have a picnic, and the best advice I can give you is to stock up at Oakville Grocery and head to one of the wineries mentioned below for some fantastic wine. Oops, did I say wine? Lunch, I meant lunch. Oakville Grocery originally opened in 1881 and is the oldest continually operating grocery store in California. I always find fantastic new things to try, and Read More
I just got home from visiting Los Olivos, a town in the Santa Ynez Valley just 2 hours north of Los Angeles. I love the quiet there; the great food and wine keep me coming back. I had some great 'firsts' on this visit and I wanted to share them with you. I think these gems are definitely worth checking out. I finally got to check out the Carhartt Wine Tasting Room in Los Olivos. This is a popular one with the Read More
Lavender Fields at the Robert Sinskey Winery on the Silverado Trail in Napa, California. Recently we went on a road trip from Los Angeles to Portland, Oregon and I wanted to share some of the awesome and unexpected gems along the way. The agenda was to stick to the Highway 5 North until Portland, with a detour to Crater Lake, and come back down to LA along the Pacific Coast. First Stop: Napa, California! For Read More
There are over 300 wineries in the state of Oregon and they have an international reputation for their wine production. Whether you're a local or just passing through, you might be interested in knowing where to go for free tastings. Click the title of any place on my list to see their location and visitor information. Liner and Elsen They have free wine tastings on Saturdays all summer long, starting at noon until the Read More
The Santa Ynez Valley is a collection of six distinctive communities encircled by the Santa Ynez and San Rafael mountains. It is a fantastic destination if you’re looking for a mellow-paced trip to California wine country. It is just 35 miles from the Santa Barbara Coast, 125 miles up the coast from Los Angeles and 300 miles south of San Francisco. I suggest it as a destination no matter where you are from, no matter the time Read More
