My best-EVER trip to California!

In Dry Creek Valley, on a hot 98-degree day

Wow, what an absolutely stunningly great week this has been! This one has to rank at the top of my visits to California, be it for work or vacation.When it all clicks, boy, does it ever click!

As seen in the Carneros, which straddles Sonoma and Napa counties

Guess which county has more disposable money?

It was a week ago Sunday that I flew out to San Francisco and picked up my rental Nissan Versa to drive the 65 miles up to Rohnert Park, where I was going to be the house guest of my longtime friends Pete and Lynn. For years, Pete had been Judy's motorcycle driver when we worked the Vineman triathlon, and after her death, he carted me around for another year or two. That's how friendships are born.

Apropos way marker in Napa

Russian River close to Korbel and Guerneville

Rohnert Park is just off the 101 about 15 miles before you get to Santa Rosa, and as I found out it is perfectly situated to explore all the various areas of the California wine country. Of course, I had packed the good old Ritchey and together we covered about 300 miles of Sonoma and Napa counties' bike-friendly roads, going as far southwest as Point Reyes Station on Tomales Bay and as far northeast as Calistoga in the Napa Valley. Every day I'd map out a different ride (using the indispensable Locus map app), discuss it with Pete who knows all of those roads like his back pocket, and then embarked on gorgeous rides of around 45 miles. Some of them were round trips, others were one-ways.

Tomales Bay at low tide

See what happens if you have too many Hop Stoopids?

$20 for half a dozen--they have no shame here

The tide's moved in on Tomales Bay

I wasn't making up that Hop Stoopid!

In a lucky stroke of fate, my (now former) neighborette, Janet, was out in Napa to house-sit for her niece, and we got a chance to meet up on a few occasions and share good libations. For example, one day I took the back route to the Russian River Valley where I met up with her for a happy reunion at Korbel, just outside of Guerneville (where, of course, the Vineman tri has started year after year). Not only did we go on the (free) tour of the cellars, but after an appropriate beer lunch at Stumptown Brewing I got to show Janet the redwood forests of the Armstrong preserve, a place that Judy loved so much and where some of her ashes are scattered. Then Janet dropped me off in Rohnert Park, after we both enjoyed the ride in her niece's convertible VW bug. Dang, life is good!

This one wouldn't fit into my Eurocave

The former neighbors at Korbel

That's called a root halo. Okay, I made that up, but it's still good!

Why does this remind me of an upside down woman with very straight legs?

Another day I drove the car up to Healdsburg and rode on West Dry Valley Road all the way up to Cloverdale from where I returned on the east side of the Dry Creek and Alexander valleys (all this is part of the Russian River Valley wine appellation) to my car. That one was a hot day--it was 98 F when I got back to Healdsburg, and I was so glad that I had parked just 100 meters from Bear Republic Brewing where a pint or two of Hop Shovel IPA helped me rehydrate.

How will this year's crop turn out?

Cycling does not get much better--West Dry Valley Road

An honestly poured IPA at one of my favorite breweries

Speaking of cerveza: OK, so they call it the "wine country," but you could just as easily label it "beer nirvana." The number of quality brewpubs just floors you. Obviously, I revisited some of my old favorites (most memorable one night with Pete when we almost cleaned Russian River Brewing out Pliny the Elder and pizza), but I think I added another six or seven new ones to the growing list of hoppy places I have visited.

With inland temps hitting the high nineties (and fires flaring up once again up in Lake County) I decided on Saturday to go down to the coast. I drove the 20 miles out to the tiny hamlet of Tomales, parked the car, and went for a 40+ mile out and back along Tomales Bay. Temperatures were about 20 degrees lower than inland, the sun was as happy as always, and I rewarded myself with fresh oysters from the bay and a bomber of Lagunitas Hop Stoopid IPA. And then again the eternal question reared its ugly head: WTF do I live in Lubbock?

Tomales to Tomales Bay: about 3 miles along this estuary

When I grow up I'll be a fit biker, I mean cycler, oh well, cyclist

Those tiny dots are kayakers heading to check out the fauna of Tomales Bay

Maybe he's the reason the oysters are so dear?

Well, as always the answer was: Unless you've lived and worked all your life out here (and even that is no ticket or guarantee) you simply can't afford it! I didn't know about Proposition 13 or Prop 60, which have frozen (and allowed portability for) some property taxes for lucky folks--without these measures, people would have to flee this place because even if you own your home you can't pay for the taxes! Pete and I had, with lots of thoughtful interjections from Lynn, discussed these matters over numerous bottles of fine red wine in the evening. Yes, I love to visit out here, but there's no way to afford to live out here and have anything left over to do things. You hear this refrain from pretty much everyone who calls this place home. Seriously.

Yeah, I'd like to live here, too (Castello di Amorosa)

Or here (Donum)

Two days ago, Sunday, was my last day here, and I rode from Napa up to Calistoga, on the old Sterling Highway that cuts through all those appellations of Napa county that wine lovers will recognize as the best of the best: Rutherford, Yountville, Santa Helena, Stag's Leap. And to the east was Howell Mountain. When I set off, the skies were obscured by dark clouds of smoke that were the result of new fires up in Lake County, but the smoke moved out and the dark memories were replaced by happy thoughts. Still, for those literally thousands and thousands of people who lost their homes, this must be incredibly traumatic. PST is real here.

Smoke obscuring the sun. Scary.

Ever hear of Stag's Leap? The sign was well placed.

Up in Calistoga I met up with Pete and Lynn, Janet, and her two friends Martin and Celine, who are locals. Their daughter, Ashley, works for Tedeschi winery, and we were treated to the most informative and enjoyable wine tasting that I have enjoyed in a long time. Imagine a winery that produces a mere 2,000 cases of high quality Pinot (and a few others) a year, set on the outskirts of insanely historic Calistoga, tasting and learning (more) about wine while standing feet away from the vineyard. Now, that's special.

Ashley giving us the low-down on Tedeschi winery

Pete entertaining the crowd with some caddie tale, or something

Medieval torture instruments (in my imagination and that of the ladies in our group). Naughty ladies, indeed.

From right, Martin, Janet, Pete, Lynn, Celine, and Ashley

After our picnic (Martin and Celine, you should go into the catering business and not work in a lab or school like you do!) we went to our last stop, the unique Castello di Amorosa estate just three miles south of town. I don't use the word unique very often, because it hardly ever applies. But here it fits: Crazy old Dario Sattui, m(b?)illionaire by birth, decided to follow his dreams and spent a good part of his money rebuilding a European medieval castle in California, buying several castle ruins in the old world and then importing the stones and all kind of other stuff to Napa and rebuilding it all, piece by piece! The dude hired entire ships to bring the stuff over! Martin has met the old codger in person and attests to his flair for the nut-bally, dressing up in armor in the middle of the night and flighting imaginary fiends or dressing up as the Ruler and addressing his guests at lavish parties. Fucking crazy! And fucking incredible! Thanks to all the industry and local discounts among most of us we ended up with an actually affordable reserve tasting--$25 instead of something like $75 a pop. See for yourself:

It was quite the fitting ending to a dream-like vacation in California. Instead of just rebuilding old friendships I forged new ties, and I can't wait for another trip out here. Thanks to all of you, Pete and Lynn, Janetta, and Martin and Celine!


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