Day 2 of our whirlwind trip to wine country in the Napa Valley north of San Francisco began with a quick walk around the hotel grounds along the ocean in Pismo Beach, then up Route 1 along the Monterey Coast to Big Sur.
If you have never done this drive it is quite remarkable with incredible views along the way at every turn at the edge of the continent. There are places to stop and enjoy the views, which you can't do quite as well while driving. The ground squirrels at the one viewpoint were quite appreciative of all the handouts.
The area is constantly changing with rock and mud slides and areas where the road is deteriorating and must be repaired. There were 3 such major areas this trip with minor delays; one in particular was an amazing engineering undertaking on the hillside - one has to wonder if at some point nothing more can be done to stop the inevitable deterioration and erosion.
We stopped at Nepenthe Restaurant which has been on the mountain in Big Sur for decades and offers what may be some of the most dramatic dining views anywhere, at least where I have been. A wonderful visit and lunch with my cousin in Monterey gave us a nice break before heading up the freeway to Calistoga at the north end of the Napa Valley. Freeway traffic was a real treat with one major accident on our side, and a totally burned out bus on the other. Temps were in the mid to high 80s, which after the chill in Carlsbad was a treat.
Once in the Napa Valley the drive up the main road is spectacular, with wineries, familiar and not, at every turn. While it was tempting to stop there were far too many hours spent in the car and dinnertime was approaching. We stayed at a charming small hotel and spa, Eurospa, in Calistoga (I give them a big shout out for service and their massages) just a couple of blocks from the heart of town with a fabulous dinner at Jole. I even checked in a couple of times on Foursquare. More later.
Enjoy the pics - they don't do justice to the scenery but you get the idea.
**************************************
If I can provide more information about Carlsbad real estate and surrounding areas, the housing market, or otherwise assist you, friends or family in a home search, please contact me by phone or text at (760) 840-1360 or email me at JDowler@remax.net.
Serving Carlsbad, Encinitas, Cardiff, Solana Beach, Del Mar, La Jolla, Carmel Valley, Rancho Santa Fe, San Marcos, Escondido, Oceanside and San Diego
Carlsbad Breaking News ~ Oceanside Breaking News ~ Encinitas Breaking News
All content ©Copyright by Jeff Dowler. All rights reserved.
Okay....I'm jealous....cheers! Don't you just love Calafornia, the wine, the food, I miss it so..
Awww Jeff, you were so close, you should have come by! Pacific Grove and the Monterey area are a couple of our favorites places.
My hometown, Livermore, is also wine country. You've probably seen Wente and Concannon wines in your local grocer - both are here. When we moved to this area, there were 11 wineries. Now there are 53. Some great wines and great events. If you ever come up this way, let me know. Scott and I will show you around.
Jeff - Now you are in my old stomping grounds. I used to drive to Monterey on weekends to scuba dive. If you have the time I highly recommend a trip up HWY 1 to Mendocino. I would plan on staying there for the evening. Maybe Little River Inn, albion river inn or many others in the Mendocino area. We used to have a vacation home in The Sea Ranch and know the area well.
DO NOT drive back South on 1 unless you like to drive next to a cliff with little to no shoulder and cars (semi trucks too) coming the other way. Instead take HWY 128 through gorgeous redwood forests and you'll drive right through Navarro, Philo and Anderson Valley, stop for some FREE wine tasting (Sonoma-Napa always charges money) and eventually connect with HWY 101 in Cloverdale and head back South. You may find this trip nicer than Napa Valley (IMO) but it will take about 5 hours to get to Mendocino from Monterey. It is a breathtaking drive so it is a pleasure to drive with amazing photo opportunities
If you want to stay closer to SF and like Old Growth Redwood trees check out Muir Woods
Have fun!
Regardless of where you visit have a blast!
Jeff - Great pictures of the coast and Big Sur. I remember, when I was young, I road down the coast from San Fransico to Northridge on my road bike. The coast down Hwy 1 was fabulous. It is nice of you to share your trip so all AR community that live in the midwest or away from any Ocean can enjoy. How thoughtful.
Jeff - wow vhat a beautiful slide show. I love that area, and the California Coastline is so beautiful. Napa is awesome too.
It's been awhile since i've been to Napa valley...my favorite was visiting the Jarvis vineyard which was incredible with his huge gemstones...great pics for all, thanks jeff.
Jeff
What a great trip to wine country; my girlfriend loves good wine and I for one tell her to enjoy it all. Have fun.
Hi Jeff, I really enjoyed seeing these views again. Hope you are having just a fabulous time and it sounds like you are.
Wow - hope you weren't driving and trying to take pics! See ya tomorrow!
You need to hop on over to some Sonoma County wineries, Jeff. That may be what you are doing right now!
Hi Jeff,,
WOW !!! What a great trip....
Jeff, it has been a long time but I remember that area well, it is beautiful, wish I could be there :)
It's fun to look at your photos. Thanks for sharing. I did not know that you could creat slideshows with picnik. You learn something new every day.