Let me set the scene for you. I am sitting here eating leftover french toast in an empty bed on a Vineyard in Napa Valley California and its quiet. May not seem blissful to you but seeing as I left my two young kids and husband at home to come out and celebrate our friends marriage this is amazing! I haven’t been able to lay in bed for four years now. Let alone eat my own breakfast without someones hands grabbing for some. I am reveling in this moment and had to share it with you.
Rewind to yesterday at 3am when I got up painfully early to catch a flight to San Francisco. I met my good friends Matt and Emily at the airport, boarded the plane, and promptly passed out for what I thought was two hours. Antsy pants Maureen thought the flight should have been over when I woke up but nonetheless I had another three hours to pretend to read and basically stare at everyone until we landed.
Landed at SFO to some bleary weather. We kept praying it would warm up and the sun would come out. Got our awesome rental car. Thank you Greg. He hooked us up with a Merceded E350. A much smaller car than what I have now but none the less I got used to it and had some fun!
We were about to sacrifice each other because we were so hungry and stopped immediately somewhere outside of the airport. Pretty sure our navigator, Matt, took us to some industrial area that was a little on the sketchy side. I kept praying the car would be there when we got back. Had an amazing brunch at a tiny little diner…my leftovers I just consumed they were so good. Hopped back in the car refreshed and renewed and started our next journey to Muir Woods.
We headed over the Golden Gate bridge and into San Francisco, too much traffic for us, and into the wilderness of the woods. The roads in Muir Woods on Panoramic Drive were fun and scary. The hairpin turns were pretty amazing. My husband, a speedy race car driver, would have given his left arm to drive those roads in that car. We all agreed as much as we wanted him here we were very happy I was driving a bit grandmotherly around the turns at 25mph rather than the 40mph Greg would probably be doing. We love you Greg, but we would all most likely be hanging out the window puking if you were driving.
Muir Woods was amazing! I had been there over ten years ago and forgotten the majesty of that place. The trees are so enormous and beautiful that you have to wonder how they continue to stand so tall and proud for over 1000 years. The park was beautiful and sooo quiet. I haven’t heard anything that quiet since I was in a soundproof booth getting my sons hearing tested. No pictures can do the trees justice. A place I would come back to again and again and certainly a spot for anyone to put on their bucket list.
After we left Muir Woods we headed down some road, we had no maps and no GPS, and lots more hairpin turns towards Muir Beach overlook. We saw the Pacific Ocean! Its no Bethany Beach, De but it was pretty neat. Houses perched on the side of cliffs and rocks all over the beach. Chilly also.
Over the bay bridge and through some more traffic and finally the land of vineyards opened up to us. We were finally making our way to the Vezer Family Vineyard where we are staying in a gorgeous home with all of our friends. I was greeted very quickly by all of the gentleman making spectacular jumps into the very freezing pool. Although, I must mention that Andrew made the best jump yet and ended the competition for us all. I missed it but I hear that he gracefully took the diving board with him into the pool and that was the end of that.
So we are here to celebrate Joe and Natalie’s Wedding on Saturday and I can only imagine the adventures we will be having until then. Till tomorrow when I recount the rest of our crazy trip and yes Greg we all really really miss you! We know you would have had as graceful a fall into the pool as Andrew did if he didn’t break the diving board first. And to Gretchen, thank you so much for all of the advice and suggestions about getting around San Fran.