This week was our third anniversary. Every year Peter plans some sort of getaway for us and it's a surprise to me. Maybe you don't know this about me but I LOVE surprises. I love not knowing everything about the trip. It seems to make the trip longer when you don't know every plan. Our first anniversary Peter took me to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. Last year, we went to Old Sacramento and Beni Hanna. This year, Peter took me to Napa Valley. I have been wanting to go to Napa Valley for a very long time. I was kind of always led to believe that it was overrated and very touristy. I have been many other places to wine taste (Murphy, Lodi, etc) and I really enjoy the experience of extending my knowledge on wine and viticulture. And in the end, we both decided that our idea of fun has changed in the past three years. From roller coasters to wineries, this year was the best so far.
We stopped for lunch at a place that Peter's coworkers kept twlling him to stop at. Peter's line of work actually has him driving to Napa Valley occasionally. They told him to stop for lunch at this burger joint called Big D's Burgers where they have garlic fries. He said he had never actaully stopped there because he was never there at lunch time. So we stopped and had burgers and garlic fries in their gazebo. For being a hole in the wall, the gazebo was clean and well maintained and the food was great.
Our first winery was called Ruthford Ranch. The experience was wine and chocolate pairing. The atmosphere was incredibly inviting and relaxing. Peter is constantly telling me that I need to relax so it felt very fitting for him to bring me to a place to do so. We tasted 5 wines and 4 chocolates in this really comfortable room. One thing I loved about Napa Valley wineries in general is that they all want you to relax, take your time, and enjoy yourself. We certainly did so at this particular winery as they had couches for us to sit on and windows overlooking the small garden and patio area. It was far away from the main road ao there were many trees with changing colors to see.
After our first stop, we decided to drive a little. Our over all drive time so far was around 2 hours. We had driven through Napa, St. Helen, Rutherford, Yountville and lastly to our final destination of Calistoga. Our hotel was in this little town. It had a strip with shops, boutiques, and restaurants, many of which were very fine. I think the thing we both enjoyed so much was that fall had come to these areas and it felt like we were in Michigan again. The only things that reminded us that we weren't were the palm trees and mountains in the distance.
We went to a restaurant called Brannon's for dinner. The atmosphere was dark, fancy, and warm. An odd combination, I know, but I cant think of another way to describe it. The windows were large and wide open. Where were all the bugs? We kept expecting them but they never came. We decided not to question it and just enjoy it. I ordered a drink called the Prickly Pear Margarita. It tasted like someone dumped chili powder into it! Even Peter didn't like it. I ended up with a Zinfandel and peter with a beer ( I don't know what kind it was).
Something you may not know about me: I love Surf 'n Turf and my Peter let me order it ! It was phenomenal! He ordered a BBQ platter complete with chicken, ribs, and brisket. As we enjoyed our fancy meal together, we reminisced over the last year and how God had worked in each one of us. We talked about how it changed and how it stayed the same and discussed the future. God has truly blessed us. He gave us each other, sinners though we may be, and through the Holy Spirit, we point each other to Christ. Looking back over the last year, I can see not only how I have grown but also the work that has yet to be done. It's amazing how two imperfect people can coexist and still bring out the best in each other. My prayer for our next year is that we may grow in grace and wisdom even more than we already have in the past three years.
Day two of our adventure included both beer and wine. We started the day at Sterling winery. You have to take a gondola up the hill. The valley where this winery is located is quite forested and offers texture and dimension in the view. That is probably my favorite thing about the autumn season. And this year because our location, we got to enjoy that with out seeing too much of the Halloween decorations. It reminded me of why we decided on an Autumn wedding in the first place: colors.
At the top of the hill, we were greeted with our first tasting and entered the self guided tour. The tour was a "grape to glass" tour. I enjoyed the enlightenment of viticulture and wine making. It was quite fascinating and helps explain the complexity of taste in wine. So as we were taking the tour, we were tasting wine, enjoying scenery, each other and relaxation. We took our time. It actually felt kind of European in a sense, except there was no food.
The beer tasting was at a brewery in Santa Rosa. It apparently is 12 miles away from Calistoga. We drove through some hills and valleys to get there. Fun drive. This brewery is called Russian River Brewery. The food was great, we ordered pizza. I don't particularly care for beer but Peter enjoys it and he also enjoys brewing. We had a good time driving there and being there.
I know this post is super long so if you're still reading along to the bitter end, thank you for taking interest in my life. I'm so thankful that God chose me to be one of His children and that he gave me a husband whom he also chose. At the end of it all, we are both sinners who need Jesus and keep pointing each other back to Him however painful it may be.
Soli Deo Gloria
Kelli
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