I mean it sounds like the beginning of an awful joke. Or awesome. Not sure. Anyways.
My best friend and I live on opposite coasts of the US. It’s so bittersweet because on one hand, we only get to see each other a few times a year if we’re lucky. On the other hand, we’ve been able to us this as an excuse (as if we need one) to travel to new places and meet each other there. First stop on the list: Napa! I was so excited about this Napa trip for a few reasons. One, I got to spend some serious, uninterrupted time with my best friend and two of her sisters. Two, because the closest airport to Napa is in San Fransisco, we had to spend a night there first. Damn 🙂 . Lastly, we were going spend the weekend at a spa, only leaving said spa to go wine tasting. Could it get any better?!
We started our trip doing the only thing that made sense in our minds at the time: walking across the Golden Gate Bridge. Now, you’ll come to know this about me the more you read: most of the time I am an AMAZING planner, but sometimes I’m just downright awfully unprepared. It’s a total toss up which version you’re going to get. It keeps things interesting though, right? I’ll let you make the decision. This particular time, I found myself wearing a bathing suit, tank top, jean shorts, and flip flops, as part of our adventure that day was a plan to paddleboard in the bay. The seals were adorably sunbathing, and we were warm enough to strip down to our bathing suits. What we were not prepared for was the spontaneous 1.7 mile hike across the Golden Gate bridge we signed up for when we told our Uber driver to let us out, so we could see some amazing views before the bridge on the way back. Our adrenaline must have been running full steam ahead as we made the decision to trek across the bridge in April. Northern California in April is stunning, but FOR SURE not as warm as an Arizona April is. To say it was cold is a giant understatement. Our feet were practically bleeding in our flip-flops from the hustled steps we took doing our best to capture every mental memory from the chilly, windy bridge. But, it was so worth it.
I highly recommend either walking/biking across the Golden Gate Bridge at some point in your life. There is a sidewalk with plenty of room for a group to fit across so you really can do this at any age! Side note on getting around in San Fransisco: we decided to rent a car this trip because of all of the amount of traveling we were going to do. But, ride-share is alive and well in San Fran. Also, there are shuttle services to and from most of the hotels in Napa to the San Fransisco International Airport. So, renting a car is not your only option!
Waking up far more refreshed than we were heading to bed the night before, we stopped at the Grove for breakfast (my five second review: on the expensive side but cool vibe, good food, even better coffee bar), and we were on our way to Napa! Fast forward two hours later, we were stepping out of the car in front of what was one of the most beautiful hotels I’ve ever stayed at in my life. The Meritage Resort and Spa is an “upscale, Mediterranean-inspired resort”. Literally heart-stopping. Also, very accommodating! Every person we encountered was friendly, happy to be there, informative and we were easily able to upgrade to a room with a balcony view for very little! For the next two days, we alternated between the spa, the pool, and visiting local vineyards to go wine tasting.
First stop: Luna Vineyards
Luna Vineyards, in my opinion, had the coolest vibe of all the vineyards we visited. With a giant patio and indoor bar with both bar seats and tables with comfy leather chairs scattered around, there were a ton of places to make yourself at home. We opted to sit inside to escape the heat and do the “Estate Tasting.” This tasting came to $30 per person and was guided by the Estate Ambassador who gave us background information on each wine we tasted. The best views at this Vineyard can be found up a secret stairwell to the bell tower. Just kidding, it’s not a secret. Anyone who works there will 100% tell you to go check out the view that’s how good it is.
Second stop: Artesa Vineyards
Artesa Vineyards kind of takes your breath away when you see it for the first time. Picture a Vineyard with sprawling green hills that go on for miles in each direction, elegant fountains with sculptures rising from the center, and the actual building BUILT INTO THE SIDE OF ONE OF SAID BEAUTIFUL HILLS. Seriously, this place was a modern architects dream. Which is probably why the cheapest tasting you can do at Artesa is $45 per person. We opted to do a Rose Tasting as we learned about the Spanish history of the Vineyard.
Third stop: Jamieson Ranch Vineyards
Third and final stop because this girl cannot do more than three wine tastings without forgetting who I am, where I come from, or where I’m going. So, it was a beautiful thing that Jamieson Ranch Vineyards turned out to be the most laid back of all. As you drive to the tasting room, you go down this long road in the middle of the vineyards with giant trees lining the sides. The only thing that could’ve made that view better would’ve been a sunset in the background. Cue sappy music. The tasting room itself has a very mountain lodge vibe: wood floors, wooden beams everywhere the eye can see, log cabin type stairs, and best of all, a chandelier made of antlers. At Jamieson, you can sit on the patio outside or stand along a giant indoor, wooden (of course) bar. We decided it would be in everyones best interest to get a charcuterie board to accompany our wine. Good decision. Good food. Good wine. Did not break the bank.
I feel like I should mention that The Meritage Resort and Spa also has a wine tasting room of their own. However, as I could not handle a fourth vineyard that day (can you blame me?), I have to take the word of my best friend: This vineyard is built into the side of their sprawling grape vine hills, located in the same underground space as their serene spa. The underground feel makes the tasting room seem warm, but cool at the same time, and very luxurious. The wine could be described the same way. These rich bodied wines were the ones we decided to take home with us to share with family and friends.
What did break the bank? The spa. After all of the wine tasting shenanigans, I think it’s pretty easy to understand why the next, and my last day was spent at the spa and pool. Spa Terra is location on the Meritage property in an underground cave. Their ingredients used are local and organic. They have different amenities you can use while you’re there including a Jacuzzi, eucalyptus steam room and a serenity lounge. Not to mention a BEAUTIFUL women’s lounge with showers nicer than mine at home. Which is why, to this day, I have a hard time regretting the money I spent at the spa. I really think you are paying for the whole experience. Will I do it again? Absolutely. As long as I have ample time to save up extra money so I don’t go broke.
All in all, I think this trip really reinforced something important for me: taking time to get away with friends is SO important. I think this is true for everyone, but especially if you have a long distance friendship. That uninterrupted time you spend together creates memories that you can then share with the people you get to see everyday: the people who don’t necessarily know how awesome your long distance friends really are (according to my best friend at least 🙂 ). But really, you just get to make up for the time that you spend missing one another. So make the choice to treat yourself to a trip like this with your favorite people, you’ll never regret the moments of delicious wine, savory food and more importantly, good company.
Yours,
Bohemian Postcards
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