Wine Country and San Francisco Trip

We are back from our extended weekend in California without the boys.  With a wedding in Wine Country, we decided to add a few days to the trip to celebrate our 10th anniversary.  We had an awesome time and simply enjoyed being together, traveling, taking in new sights, relaxing and not having to be anywhere at any specific time (other than the wedding).

We arrived in San Francisco late Thursday evening.  Through one of Graham's friends, we were able to stay in a private residence in the financial district.  Not a bad view, huh?

Friday morning, after finding a Starbucks, we walked to Pier 1 and worked our way along the waterfront, taking in the sights and sounds, to Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf.  We caught great views of Alcatraz Island, the Golden Gate bridge, the sea lions and downtown.

Upon arriving at the Maritime Museum, spectators were setting up to watch the Blue Angles and other aircraft practice in preparation for their air show Saturday afternoon. So we stayed...and it was incredible!

Afterwards, we walked pat Ghiradelli Square, up the hill only to find we had arrived at Lombard Street.  So, we did what you'd expect...walked down the curvy road!  We eventually made it back to the residence, got the car and headed to the west side of the city to enjoy dinner with Huslina and Andrew Paulsen and their twin boys Alex and Skyler who are the same age as Thompson.  (Huslina is a dear friend of the Harrelsons, having known Avery since she was 10!)

Saturday morning we cruised through the Presidio before heading northeast for Wine Country.  We drove into Sonoma to find our hotel and then headed north to Calistoga for lunch at Solbar.  Dining outside under the palm trees and umbrellas remind us a lot of our time in La Quinta.  This was, by far, one of our best meals! 

After lunch, we returned to Sonoma for Johnny and Kristina's wedding, which was located on a mountain top at the Kunde Estate.  (Johnny is a childhood friend of Bobby's and was his Best Man at our wedding.)

Sunday we traveled east over the ridge to Napa where we found a great breakfast spot downtown.  Afterwards, we drove north, through Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga as we worked our way to Healdsburg in the Russian River Valley.  We visited three wineries - J Winery, Robert Strong and Limerick Lane.  After a few wine tastings, we drove into downtown Healdsburg and walked around the square before returning to Sonoma for the evening, where we had dinner at Hot Box Grill.

Monday morning we awoke to rain, so after breakfast at Big 3 Diner, we headed back to San Francisco.  We had originally planned to spend the day in Golden Gate Park, but with the inclement weather, we opted to cruise through the park instead and then drive Highway 1 down the coast.  A great decision!...and although the weather was cloudy, we managed to capture some awesome views of the coastline and Pacific Ocean.  We stopped in Half Moon Bay for lunch and found a quaint cafe downtown.  Afterwards, we took a different route over the mountains to get us back to San Francisco.  We ended up going to the movies, returning our rental car, cruising the airport, grabbing dinner from one of their pre-security dining options and then taking the hotel shuttle back to the hotel.

4:00 am definitely came early the following morning.  Nevertheless, we had a great time, and likewise, are glad to be back home with our boys!