The sweeping valleys, acres of vineyards, fall colors splattered across the trees......the description of California Wine Country in mid-October. How about we don't talk about how it is November and I'm posting this and I'll instead give you a reminder that high school teachers seem to think if they don't give you homework they are not doing their job. But lucky enough for me, my school has a October Break and I was able to take a short road trip to beautiful Calistoga, in the heart of Napa Valley. Complete with signature hot springs(of course tried) and a winery every few feet, my mom and I had a wonderful time trying out everything the small town had to offer.
After a rigourous and hair-rising drive over the steep and windy Calistoga Mountain, we dropped straight into wine country, looking exactly like a postcard. First off, we ate lunch at
Checkers, a darling Italian restaurant with cozy window seats perfect for watching the downtown area out of. I enjoyed ravioli and cheesy garlic bread, while my mom enjoyed a Greek salad.
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We quickly polished off everything except that second serving of bread
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We then walked around and enjoyed the quaint shops, art galleries, and beautiful murals spread throughout downtown Calistoga before checking in to our tiny and homey bed n' breakfast,
Christopher's Inn.
We hit the road again to visit the beautiful wineries for their charm and amazing architecture. We started with the
Beringer Brother's Winery, one of the oldest wineries in the Napa Valley. This beautiful winery has been walked by the likes of Clark Gable(Gotta love Gone with the Wind) and Carole Lombard.
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| The Rhine House |
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| "Are those Artichokes?!?" "No, Jewel they don't have artichokes growing as landscape." |
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Mom in front of the beautifully detailed fountain.
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Next up was only the coolest winery/building ever.
Castello di Amorosa. A medieval castle tucked away in the hills of California, a exact replica of a castle from 13th century Italy even built with European materials and complete with drawbridge, moat, cellars, a well, a chapel, and torture chambers.What could be cooler then a castle 30 years in the making? The answer is nothing. It practically has every winery in the valley beat just by its building.
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| Not my picture, but here's the whole effect. |
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| Gargoyle Sentries |
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| OHLORDJESUS. That is a drawbridge! |
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| The top of the tower! |
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| King Arthur's Table. Duh. |
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| Handpainted walls |
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| I'm a princess. I'm in a castle and I'm a princess. No, questions aren't allowed. |
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Every castle needs creepy underground passages.
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The next day we continued our road trip to Healdsburg and tracked down the one and only donut muffin.
Half donut.... half muffin...covered in a sweet cinnamon and sugar blend. Hands down amazing.
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OM NOM NOM NOM. Be jealous.
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After and amazing and ridiculously fun road trip, we drove home to a fall signature, the Harvest Moon. I hope you all had a wonderful and spooky October! Jewel.
