The Widow, the Spinster, and the Missus take on Disneyland - The Widow and the Spinster back again! - 9/9

[pkondz]

Some people do that.....He's going to have a hard time when he goes home. He lives on the 2nd floor.

I can't. If a tenant calls with an exploded angle stop in the bathroom, I need to hear the phone and call someone for an emergency.

Ohhhh... right. Of course.

Yeah, hard thing to find a drink at a Tiki Bar when you don't like Rum!

As long as it's just one or two people it's great to skip a long wait.

It actually tastes more like milk chocolate when it all comes down to it. Just super chocolatey.

Then I'm in.

I read something about it on the VGC thread, but didn't quite understand what the person was talking about. I remember saying, "there's something unusual about the VDH, and before I consider buying there I need to nail down what that is." That's what it was.

Yep. You know now.
Didn't know you were considering buying more. Here's me with... none!

I did better on Thursday!

 

[pkondz]

We chatted a bit, and then went to our respective bedrooms, it had been less than two weeks from when we saw each other last.

"Oh, you again. Buh bye."

We started off with some adult beverages. Get used to this, you might be seeing a bit of this combination. Mine is the Bloody Mary and hers is the Mimosa.

Okay!

Jill went with their French Toast, and we split a side of bacon.

mmm... bacon

"May you live as long as you want, and never want as long as you live." (Irish toast)
Bread, cinnamon, egg, maple syrup. (French toast)

I went with the pancakes and fried chicken.

Okay... stop.
This is so weird!
I'd never heard of this combination before. Ever.
But yesterday, I get a text from @Captain_Oblivious saying he just had this... and now here I read you did too!

After Brunch we went looking a Open Houses. Recently Jill has been put on Work from Home permanently. She would love to move to a more moderate climate, so we decided to see what was out there so she could set her expectations realistically. The verdict so far, not much.

I find this interesting. I'm not sure what my future will hold. Have toyed with the idea of moving South... although

I still got beaver, again.

But sounds like you're getting better.

Here’s all of us ladies.

Another very nice photo.

Okay... I've made my choices. We'll see how we compare.

Now I did it again, I chose two from the second course and skipped the first courses.

D'oh! I always forget that you can do this! I so would have done that.

Jill had the Asian Pear and Red Gem Lettuce Salad, Hazelnut Tangerine Vinaigrette

This intrigued me (but wasn't my first choice) and might have tried it if I could've had it without hazelnut.
First choice... although I wasn't really enthusiastic about it was the lump crab.

Also from the second course section, I chose the Creamy French Onion Soup, Braised Beef, Gruyere Cheese. This was super tasty and I think several other people at the table got this as well!

This was 100% my first choice. I didn't even hesitate.

Jill got the Duck Confit, Potato Gnocchi, Tender Greens

And if I could've done two from the second course, then this would've been my 2nd choice.

Our server deviated from the menu again, because this is definitely NOT what the menu says.

So... were the deviations good? Bad? Just interesting?

I had the Roasted Colorado Lamb Chop, Cheddar Yorkshire Pudding, Apple Compote. I think Steve had this as well. We both loved it! I ate the entire thing which is a first for me!

My first choice too!

I got her leftovers and made Hungarian Goulash over Pappardelle pasta two nights later.

mmmm... that sounds amazing.

I had the Decadent Chocolate Pave Bar, Cookie Butter Blondie. This was excellent. I believe it was the same thing I had in December.

Here we diverge...

Jill went for the Lemon Cranberry Cheesecake, Lemon Creme Fraiche, and it was paired with the Inniskillin Ice Wine, Cabernet Franc, Niagara Peninsula, Canada 2019. She loves a good Cheesecake and this did not disappoint!

This was a strong contender. Normally, this is what I would have ordered, but... maybe because it's early morning and I'm just not feeling "sweet" right now... I'd have picked the cheese course.

We Topped off our Nite with a Club 33 coffee. It was a first time for many and everyone loved it!

<sigh>
I sometimes regret not drinking coffee. People seem to enjoy it so. Ah well.

I believe they gave us some Petit fours, but I forgot to take a picture and I ate them the next day.

That good, huh?

Stay tuned as our trip on the Bougie Train continues!

You forgot my first harrowing Uber story! I usually use Lyft (they are a better run company IMHO) but I get an Uber credit with my Amex so wanted to use it. So I'm in the Uber, headed to Alison and sort of spacing out when the driver, who spoke basically no English, pulled over to the side of the main road that goes outside of Alison's neighborhood to let me out. It's 9pm and pitch black and I'm trying to tell this guy he actually needs to take me all the way to the house. Turns out Uber puts the location pin not in Alison's driveway but behind the wall of her backyard which backs up to the main street. I finally convinced the driver to take me to the right place but I was worried for a minute! I'm going back to using Lyft!

I think Alison just invites me so she can eat my leftovers!

 

[franandaj]

Hey Folks! Link to new TR here!

 

[franandaj]

I can't remember after a few Tiki drinks!

Oh darn, twist my arm to go stay at Copper Creek and Concierge at AKL!

And now we're back.....

You forgot my first harrowing Uber story!

Yes! You're right!

I usually use Lyft (they are a better run company IMHO) but I get an Uber credit with my Amex so wanted to use it. So I'm in the Uber, headed to Alison and sort of spacing out when the driver, who spoke basically no English, pulled over to the side of the main road that goes outside of Alison's neighborhood to let me out. It's 9pm and pitch black and I'm trying to tell this guy he actually needs to take me all the way to the house.

Yeah, you aren't the first person that someone has tried to drop off on the Bellflower side of the gate.

Turns out Uber puts the location pin not in Alison's driveway but behind the wall of her backyard which backs up to the main street.

I moved the pin on Google maps when we first moved in to this house, but evidently it still is showing up on some maps on the other side of the fence.

I finally convinced the driver to take me to the right place but I was worried for a minute! I'm going back to using Lyft!

I'm not sure you'll have that much of a difference. You have just as much of a chance of getting a non English speaking driver from either service.

Well, I can afford a house in SoCal after I will Powerball tonight.

Well, that didn't pan out. You'll need to keep playing.

I think Alison just invites me so she can eat my leftovers!

That's not it!

Dinner was fantastic and the company even better! We totally approve of Leslie's new beau and Su-Lynn and Steve are always great company.

Yes, great company all around!

 

[franandaj]

Yep. You know now.
Didn't know you were considering buying more. Here's me with... none!

Well the fact that they opened a new DVC close enough to my house made me want to own there, just because. But now that's a good money saving element for me that I don't want to buy the points anymore.

mmm... bacon

"May you live as long as you want, and never want as long as you live." (Irish toast)
Bread, cinnamon, egg, maple syrup. (French toast)

Okay... stop.
This is so weird!
I'd never heard of this combination before. Ever.
But yesterday, I get a text from @Captain_Oblivious saying he just had this... and now here I read you did too!

I hadn't heard of it before either, chicken and waffles, yes. But it was a good combo.

I find this interesting. I'm not sure what my future will hold. Have toyed with the idea of moving South... although

If I were you, I would make it happen. You live in an awfully inhospitable climate.

But sounds like you're getting better.

I did get a fairly decent score a few weeks back!

Another very nice photo.

Thanks!

Okay... I've made my choices. We'll see how we compare.
D'oh! I always forget that you can do this! I so would have done that.

I usually count on doing that!

This intrigued me (but wasn't my first choice) and might have tried it if I could've had it without hazelnut.
First choice... although I wasn't really enthusiastic about it was the lump crab.

I had that a while back and it wasn't so great.

This was 100% my first choice. I didn't even hesitate.

Yes, well that was a yummy option!

And if I could've done two from the second course, then this would've been my 2nd choice.

I'm not that big of a fan of duck, I am discovering....

So... were the deviations good? Bad? Just interesting?

I've never had a wine served to me there that wasn't tasty, so

My first choice too!

That was super good!

mmmm... that sounds amazing.

That is now one of my standard "use up leftover steak/prime rib/etc" recipies.

Here we diverge...
This was a strong contender. Normally, this is what I would have ordered, but... maybe because it's early morning and I'm just not feeling "sweet" right now... I'd have picked the cheese course.

The desserts aren't normally very sweet, so I really like them. I like the cheese too, but it's always a tough call for me. If I could eat more, I'd get both.

<sigh>
I sometimes regret not drinking coffee. People seem to enjoy it so. Ah well.

It is something that I quite enjoy, plus I like the kick that it gives me in the morning. I definitely feel it when I don't have my morning jolt.

 

[pkondz]

Well the fact that they opened a new DVC close enough to my house made me want to own there, just because. But now that's a good money saving element for me that I don't want to buy the points anymore.

Lol. “Which room will I sleep in tonight? House or DVC… house. I don’t feel like walking across the street.”

You’re welcome.

If I were you, I would make it happen. You live in an awfully inhospitable climate.

Only half the year. I’ll be a snowbird!

I did get a fairly decent score a few weeks back!

Good for you.

I usually count on doing that!

If we’re ever in a similar situation… kick me under the table or something to remind me!

I had that a while back and it wasn't so great.

Moot point since I’m changing my order to two from the second course

I'm not that big of a fan of duck, I am discovering....

I have… hmmm… I’m not positive I’ve had it more than once??

I've never had a wine served to me there that wasn't tasty, so

So it was a good thing then.

The desserts aren't normally very sweet, so I really like them. I like the cheese too, but it's always a tough call for me. If I could eat more, I'd get both.

I’ll take both!!!!

 

[franandaj]

Lol. “Which room will I sleep in tonight? House or DVC… house. I don’t feel like walking across the street.”

I like options!

Only half the year. I’ll be a snowbird!

There's a lot of those, but more in Palm Springs than LA area.

If we’re ever in a similar situation… kick me under the table or something to remind me!

I'll remember that!

Moot point since I’m changing my order to two from the second course

And by now, the menu has probably changed again.

I have… hmmm… I’m not positive I’ve had it more than once??

I've had it a few times, and it's kind of hit or miss.

So it was a good thing then.

I've never been disappointed with the wine there.

I’ll take both!!!!

If I could eat that much I would too!

 

[franandaj]

So if you’re keeping up with our escapades locally, you’ll remember that on the first weekend in February Jill flew in for a weekend of Brunch, house visits, and dinner at Club 33. That was her second weekend in three weeks that she spent in California, and now she was about to spend a third weekend in California, just this time it would be up in the Northern Region.

I used this visit as an excuse to see my parents. I flew in Wednesday afternoon and planned to spend a few nights at their house on either side of mine and Jill’s trip to Napa. I picked up a rental car when I flew into the San Jose Airport.

Friday morning Jill’s plane left Denver at a pretty early hour because she landed in Oakland at right around 9AM. I left my parents about 8AM, and we ended up meeting at the car rental center at the Oakland Airport. I needed to add Jill to the car contract so that she could drive. That had to be done in person.

And then we were on our way to Napa. We checked into our hotel, dropped off our bags and headed off since our room wasn’t ready yet.

We had made a lunch reservation at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon.

But before we checked in for our lunch reservation, we visited the bakery next door to pick up some treats for later.

These were the treats that I purchased. An apple filled puff pastry, a chocolate brownie bite, and a raspberry macaron. I ended up eating them over the next two days, saving the macaron for when I got to my parent’s house Sunday afternoon.

The menu was inside that folded paper around the napkin. I already knew what I was getting weeks before and so I didn’t pay much attention to the menu and managed to forget to take a picture.

I believe that right after we were seated we got the text that the hotel room was ready.

As we waited for our food and beverages to arrive, I took some shots in the restaurant.

We were served this bread, it was so tasty! And the butter was so decadent as well.

I started with a glass of white first and switched to the same red that Jill ordered for my entree.

We both started with some soup. Jill had the Butternut Squash Soup and really liked it.

I had the French Onion Soup, and as you might have gathered from previous meals on this thread, that is one of my most favorite soups. Ever. This one did not disappoint. The cheese was super tangy and perfectly bruleed with just the right amount of crispy bits and creamy bits.

For my main I ordered the Steak Frites. It’s a simple dish, but so tasty!

Jill ordered the Beef Bourguignon, she said that it was fabulous, lots of delicate flavors and the beef was so tender she could cut it with her spoon.

Of course we saved room for dessert!

It was a tough choice, the Creme Brulee was tempting, and the Baba au Rhum sounded amazing as well, however the Profiteroles won out in the end.

Or enjoy this video…..

After lunch we were both absolutely stuffed, but we had an appointment with a Winery, and wine doesn’t take up that much room! When researching for this trip, I was astonished to find out how much Napa had changed since the last time I visited. It was quite a while ago, but most tasting rooms are now appointment only, and have a hefty fee associated with the appointment.

Luckily, I’m a member of a couple different wine clubs in the Valley and they offer complimentary tasting for members. Today our stop was at Beaulieu Vineyard.

We lucked out on the weather because it had been raining all week before we arrived. The storms were on their way out, but the sky still looks ominous.

We were taken to a private tasting rooms for members only.

These are the wines that we would be tasting….they also threw in a few extra wines as well.

Yummy wines!

After the tasting we headed back to the hotel room. We didn’t have any actual plans for the evening, but I don’t think that Jill intended to fall asleep. I sat on the bed watching reruns of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives while playing games on my tablet until I finally succumbed to sleep as well.

 

[jedijill]

It was an early flight but so nice to get into Oakland so early. It's really a quick drive up to Napa. Bouchon was AMAZING!!!!! One of my favorite meals ever. The bakery was delicious too....I got the fanciest HoHo ever...I ate it on the plane ride home.

BV had some great wines and really enjoyed the tasting. I was beat from getting up so early plus the meal and the wine....It was nice to fall asleep early!

Jill in CO

 

[franandaj]

It was an early flight but so nice to get into Oakland so early. It's really a quick drive up to Napa.

It was actually a pretty quick trip even coming from San Jose!

Bouchon was AMAZING!!!!! One of my favorite meals ever.

So good! I'd go back in a heartbeat!

The bakery was delicious too....I got the fanciest HoHo ever...I ate it on the plane ride home.

So much tastiness!

BV had some great wines and really enjoyed the tasting. I was beat from getting up so early plus the meal and the wine....It was nice to fall asleep early!

We weren't going anywhere that night, but I didn't expect you to crash that quickly.

 

[pkondz]

I like options!

There's a lot of those, but more in Palm Springs than LA area.

Meh. I don’t golf.

That was her second weekend in three weeks that she spent in California

Does this qualify her as a local now?

I picked up a rental car when I flew into the San Jose Airport.

At least this one looks new.

I needed to add Jill to the car contract so that she could drive. That had to be done in person.

Really? Odd.

And then we were on our way to Napa.

I’d like to go sometime. Heard about it since forever.

we visited the bakery next door to pick up some treats for later.

Mmmmm… bakery.

The menu was inside that folded paper around the napkin.

Cool!
And it didn’t quote for some reason but I have heard of Bouchon as well.

I had the French Onion Soup,

Of course. And you know I would too!

The cheese was super tangy and perfectly bruleed with just the right amount of crispy bits and creamy bits.

Jill ordered the Beef Bourguignon, she said that it was fabulous, lots of delicate flavors and the beef was so tender she could cut it with her spoon

Mmmm… sounds amazing

Of course we saved room for dessert!

Of course!

the Profiteroles won out in the end.

I was tempted by the lemon tart but… this sounded too good.

we had an appointment with a Winery, and wine doesn’t take up that much room!

most tasting rooms are now appointment only, and have a hefty fee associated with the appointment.

Really!
I’ve only done the Niagara region and even the most popular ones were not by appointment.

 

[DnA2010]

Jill went with their French Toast, and we split a side of bacon.

This.Looks.So.Good!! Just the way I like bacon!

Yum, was the chicken "white" meat?

Hi Everyone, looking good!

Some good choices there for sure!

Ohh they still have the prosciutto cannoli! That little guy was so good!

I had the Roasted Colorado Lamb Chop, Cheddar Yorkshire Pudding, Apple Compote. I think Steve had this as well. We both loved it! I ate the entire thing which is a first for me!

This looks like a really nice plate, and shocked that you finished it! that's rare!

This would be so good as well!

I believe it was the same thing I had in December.

Yes I think you did, and really enjoyed!

I had this I believe, it was super tasty!


More fun on the docket coming up, wwoohooo!

 

[franandaj]

Meh. I don’t golf.

There is far more to do in Palm Springs than just golf.

Does this qualify her as a local now?

Sadly, no.

At least this one looks new.

Which is why we were so upset with the one in Orlando!

Really? Odd.

Well, I suppose they wanted to see her Driver's License to make sure she actually had one......

I’d like to go sometime. Heard about it since forever.

It's very nice, but very expensive too.

Mmmmm… bakery.

Cool!
And it didn’t quote for some reason but I have heard of Bouchon as well.

Well Thomas Keller is a pretty famous chef.

Of course. And you know I would too!

How could you not?

Mmmm… sounds amazing

Really!
I’ve only done the Niagara region and even the most popular ones were not by appointment.

I think that Napa was getting overrun with partyers and Limos that would take drunk people up and down the Valley, so they decided to weed out the riff raff. A lot of the places were over $50 or $75 for the tastings. Some of them had lunches with wine pairings and others were into the hundreds of dollars for the tasting!

 

[pkondz]

There is far more to do in Palm Springs than just golf.

Watch golf?

I’m kidding of course. I’ve never been so can’t really comment. My sister’s friend winters there and we were talking about it and someone mentioned there’s a lot of golf.

Which is why we were so upset with the one in Orlando!

I bet!

Well, I suppose they wanted to see her Driver's License to make sure she actually had one......

Ah

How could you not?

Exactly

think that Napa was getting overrun with partyers and Limos that would take drunk people up and down the Valley, so they decided to weed out the riff raff. A lot of the places were over $50 or $75 for the tastings. Some of them had lunches with wine pairings and others were into the hundreds of dollars for the tasting!

Yeah, that’d do it alright.

 

[DnA2010]

we visited the bakery next door to pick up some treats for later.

Such a great idea

I already knew what I was getting weeks before and so I didn’t pay much attention to the menu and managed to forget to take a picture.

Fellow menu previewer's unite!

it was so tasty! And the butter was so decadent as well.

Yum! Both made in house I'm assuming?

The cheese was super tangy and perfectly bruleed with just the right amount of crispy bits and creamy bits.

it did look super! Yummm crispy cheese!

the beef was so tender she could cut it with her spoon.

Looks like a great servicing, nice mix and the best when you can cut beef so easily, great cut and preparation!

Kinda a hidden mickey! Delish!

Luckily, I’m a member of a couple different wine clubs in the Valley and they offer complimentary tasting for members. Today our stop was at Beaulieu Vineyard.

Woohoo! I need to look at joining our local ones again I think

These are the wines that we would be tasting….they also threw in a few extra wines as well.

You seem to have good luck with extras being thrown in

 

[franandaj]

This.Looks.So.Good!! Just the way I like bacon!

Yeah, that place was worth a return trip, I just need to find someone to go. Maybe now that Jenny doesn't work crazy pants hours anymore.

Yum, was the chicken "white" meat?

Yes it was! And very nicely cooked as well!

Hi Everyone, looking good!

Some good choices there for sure!

Ohh they still have the prosciutto cannoli! That little guy was so good!

Well this was three months ago so I'm sure it's gone now.

This looks like a really nice plate, and shocked that you finished it! that's rare!

It is! But I was hungry evidently!

This would be so good as well!

I'm getting good at repurposing leftovers!

Yes I think you did, and really enjoyed!

I had it a couple times.....

I had this I believe, it was super tasty!

I think I had one of the last ones just before it was taken off the menu.

More fun on the docket coming up, wwoohooo!

Loads more!

 

[franandaj]

Watch golf?

I’m kidding of course. I’ve never been so can’t really comment. My sister’s friend winters there and we were talking about it and someone mentioned there’s a lot of golf.

One could say there is a lot of golf in Long Beach. We just don't get the major tournaments like they host out in Palm Springs. But in the wintertime there are lots of great places to go hiking. There's a TON of great dining. There's also lots of festivals for film, art galleries, street fairs, shopping, and spas, and casinos. I've never been there for more than four or five days at the most, and usually it was due to a band event, but I've never been bored. There was always something to do!

 

[franandaj]

Such a great idea

I got a ton of them!

Fellow menu previewer's unite!

Yum! Both made in house I'm assuming?

Most likely.....

it did look super! Yummm crispy cheese!

I wouldn't mind going back again for sure!

Looks like a great servicing, nice mix and the best when you can cut beef so easily, great cut and preparation!

I might consider that next time, then again the roast chicken is supposed to be really good too.

Kinda a hidden mickey! Delish!

We noticed that too!

Woohoo! I need to look at joining our local ones again I think

Yeah! So you get all the benefits when I visit!

You seem to have good luck with extras being thrown in

I think it's standard practice, especially for the club members.

 

[franandaj]

Yesterday we had a great lunch, tasted some wines at BV, and then kicked it in the hotel for the rest of the evening. Today was our first (and only) full day in Napa. We were staying at a Hampton Inn (on points because hotels are incredibly expensive here), so we got complimentary breakfast. I had my usual waffle, and it just wasn’t as good as they usually are. Neither were the potatoes or sausage.

Our first appointment for wine tasting was at 11:30AM, but since this was Jill’s first time to Napa, I suggested that we drive up the silverado trail. I’m going to show you our timeline for the day first so you get a better idea of where we are going.

The Silverado Trail is that road on the right side of the Map. The road on the left side of the Map is the main Highway which we were driving on the day before. At the top of the Napa Valley is the town of Calistoga, and just south of there is Sterling Vinyards. Now Sterling Vineyards suffered tremendous losses during the fires in 2020. They have a tram that takes you to the top of the mountain where there are some very nice views. We decided to drive up there and see if we could ride the tram up to see the view without having to drink at 10AM.

Well, the only way you can get to the top of the Mountain is if one person purchases a $55 wine tasting. A second person can accompany them for $20 without the tasting. But you don’t get to ride the tram unless someone purchases a tasting. Oh well, it would have been fun. Here’s a look at the tram.

Ok, let’s see what else we can do before our 11:30 tasting.

From the road we saw this neat Mill, but when we got to the parking area, there was a parking fee, and I think additional admission to get in. We really weren’t that interested.

In the end we gave up and showed up half an hour early for our tasting at Cakebread Winery. I hadn’t been here in a very long time, and had no idea where we were going. We went to the regular tasting room, and they informed us that all the way around in the back there was a special members tasting room, so we got back in the car and headed towards that.

I felt special now!

I remembered this bottle from mine and Fran’s visit in 1999. In fact I think we even bought one!

At the front counter they started us off with a taste of this very special Sauvignon Blanc. It was REALLY good and a bit pricey. In the end, Jill and I each bought a couple of bottles to be shipped home. I still have both of mine.

As we walked to our table we passed this display of different bottles of wines they had to offer.

This little appetizer of popcorn was Ah-mazing. It was topped with Meyer Lemon and Parmesan, it was soooo good!

They even had this nice little welcome sign on the table.

Here’s a list of the wines available for purchase. We wouldn’t be tasting all of them, but we got to taste a few!

Our next wine was their Chardonnay. This is one of my favorites. Just the plain old Napa Valley, no special vineyards or reserve. This is the tastiest one, IMHO.

Then we moved on to the Grenache. I’m not sure if they have sent me this through my wine club, but there wasn’t anything that they served us that I didn’t love.

I have recently come to really enjoy their Merlot. I brought a bottle over to Jenny and Michael’s house when he cooked dinner and the Merlot was really tasty! I also realized that I was definitely cellarring my wines a little too long. Not that they are going bad, but they are ready to drink a lot sooner than I originally thought. So I need folks to come help me catch up on my Red Wines!

Near the end of our tasting I needed a bio break. You can see Jill sitting at our table. We had a lovely view of the vineyards from where we were sitting.

Now we’re getting to a heavy hitter. I really like the full bodied wines like a Syrah! It’s too bad we didn’t taste any Cabernets, but what do you expect for free! I ended up purchasing half a case, two bottle of the special Sauvignon Blanc and four bottles of the regular Sauvignon Blanc. I know that I drank one of the regular ones shortly after it arrived. I think I still have several left.

Then we were done at Cakebread. It was around 12:30PM and we still had about three hours to kill. While most wineries required reservations, I had read online that Beringer had a $20pp stroll and sip option. Basically you purchased a glass of wine (of your choice) for $20+tax and you got to walk around their Winery drinking said glass of wine. That sounded to us like a good way to kill a few hours.

Here’s looking back at the entrance.

I believe there was some option to book a special luncheon or dinner in this space.

This was the wine that Jill and I both chose. We were trying to keep it light.

They were pretty decent pours. Not overly generous, but not stingy.

This was the residence that the Senior Beringer built, we decided to go tour that.

But first a wine selfie!

The front of the residence. There were several wine tasting experiences that you could book that took place inside of and in the front patio of this building.

Looking back on the beautiful stained glass front doors.

There was a gift shop inside one of the rooms, of course.

This was the main entrance way / foyer in the house.

And back outside, a small vineyard, just for show. That building with the red tile roof you see at the top of the picture is where we are headed next.

Back up at the main building there was a guided tour taking place. I stood around in the back sort of listening in to some of the background on the Beringer Brothers. It seems that Frederick Beringer, the older of the siblings, lived in the Grand house, and took most of the credit for the business. Jacob Beringer was the winemaker and mastermind behind the operation and evidently was OK staying out of the spotlight and working in the shadow of his older brother.

There was a larger and more extensive gift shop in the main building, and I was able to find a stemless wine glass here made of some sort of break resistant plastic. Now it’s my favorite wine drinking glass at home!

Next up our first paid wine flight tasting!

 

[pkondz]

One could say there is a lot of golf in Long Beach. We just don't get the major tournaments like they host out in Palm Springs. But in the wintertime there are lots of great places to go hiking. There's a TON of great dining. There's also lots of festivals for film, art galleries, street fairs, shopping, and spas, and casinos. I've never been there for more than four or five days at the most, and usually it was due to a band event, but I've never been bored. There was always something to do!

Then maybe some day I’ll make a point of going.

We were staying at a Hampton Inn (on points because hotels are incredibly expensive here)

I remember booking a hotel on points… only to find that another city was way more $$$… but I could book for the same number of points. I canceled and rebooked. Saved some cash.

it just wasn’t as good as they usually are. Neither were the potatoes or sausage.

Those sausages look… not great.

since this was Jill’s first time to Napa, I suggested that we drive up the silverado trail.

Must remember this.

Well, the only way you can get to the top of the Mountain is if one person purchases a $55 wine tasting. A second person can accompany them for $20 without the tasting. But you don’t get to ride the tram unless someone purchases a tasting.

Nope! That’s just… for a tram ride???

I felt special now!

Well you are!

I remembered this bottle from mine and Fran’s visit in 1999. In fact I think we even bought one!

I can see why.

At the front counter they started us off with a taste of this very special Sauvignon Blanc.

White! I’m in.

This little appetizer of popcorn was Ah-mazing. It was topped with Meyer Lemon and Parmesan, it was soooo good!

I wouldn’t expect to hear you say that about popcorn!

They even had this nice little welcome sign on the table.

Nice.

Our next wine was their Chardonnay.

More white!

You can see Jill sitting at our table. We had a lovely view of the vineyards from where we were sitting.

Looks like a lovely room.

Beringer had a $20pp stroll and sip option. Basically you purchased a glass of wine (of your choice) for $20+tax and you got to walk around their Winery drinking said glass of wine.

Not bad. I’d do that.

This was the wine that Jill and I both chose. We were trying to keep it light.

Annnnnd… more white!

This was the residence that the Senior Beringer built, we decided to go tour that.

Pretty place.

But first a wine selfie!

Nice shot of you both.

Looking back on the beautiful stained glass front doors.

Wow!