CALIFORNIA, Day10, 2001
Hello to one and all once again from back home in good old Mountain View. This morning, we were still in Napa, nestled in one of California's most famous wine producing regions, the Napa Valley. The area was a gold rush center in the 1850s. Original grapevine cuttings were suppled by priests from the missions of Sonoma and San Rafael, and today Napa Valley is a leader in the American table wine industry.
After breakfast at the John Muir Inn, we drove to the Oxbow Market in downtown Napa via SR 29. Napa is the southern terminus of a scenic 28-mile stretch of SR 29, which at its northern end stops in Calistoga, where we had been the day before. The two-lane road passes acres of vineyards and more than 40 wineries.
Downtown Napa has any turn-of-the-century houses and buildings, representing Art Deco, Classic Revival, Italianate, Spanish Colonial, and Victorian Gothic architectural styles. About 2500 buildings are on the National Historical Registry.
The Oxbow Market is located in the Oxbow District in downtown Napa, and is a community gathering place for great food and wine. It is where both locals and visitors connect, and there is always something happening there--live music, cooking demos, wine tastings, kayaking lessons, or the farmers market. It is where you can find local, artisanal ingredients--the same ingredients the best restaurants in Napa use. Fish, meat, cheese, charcuterie products, organic produce, fresh-baked bread, olives, and more are to be found. My favorite was a little store that specialized in nothing but cupcakes. You can buy tacos, oysters, cheeses, olive oils of many different varieties, etc. etc., and there is a wonderful deck which overlooks the Napa River. However, Maureen and I were craving a hamburger, and so we went to Gott's Hamburgers, which is part of the Market. With a name like Gott's ("God's" in German), I was intrigued to find up if the burgers lived up to that name. I had a hamburger and some sweet potato fries, and Maureen and I shared a scrumptious root beer float. Totally fabulous!
After a bit of sightseeing of the town of Napa, we were back on our way to Mountain View, with Maureen judiciously knowing what routes to take to avoid the most traffic. On the way into Mountain View, we stopped at a Safeway for some grocery supplies, and I have to tell you all a great story in relation to that. I purchased a six-pack of Mike's Hard Lemonade, which is about as "boozy" as I will get! I took it to the counter and was carded!!!!!!! I was so flabbergasted that someone would card me that I was speechless at first, then unbelieving, then flattered--in turn. Wow! That has never happened before!
Well, I think we are going to make a leisurely evening of it--Maureen is preparing a salad and some deviled eggs (her specialty), as well as a bowl of fresh fruit, and we purchased some bread at a bakery in Napa this morning, so it's going to be a light dinner. Nursing a Mike's Hard Lemonade, and toasting to you all as of this point. Take care, and let me hear from you sometime! As ever, Sylvia
After breakfast at the John Muir Inn, we drove to the Oxbow Market in downtown Napa via SR 29. Napa is the southern terminus of a scenic 28-mile stretch of SR 29, which at its northern end stops in Calistoga, where we had been the day before. The two-lane road passes acres of vineyards and more than 40 wineries.
Downtown Napa has any turn-of-the-century houses and buildings, representing Art Deco, Classic Revival, Italianate, Spanish Colonial, and Victorian Gothic architectural styles. About 2500 buildings are on the National Historical Registry.
The Oxbow Market is located in the Oxbow District in downtown Napa, and is a community gathering place for great food and wine. It is where both locals and visitors connect, and there is always something happening there--live music, cooking demos, wine tastings, kayaking lessons, or the farmers market. It is where you can find local, artisanal ingredients--the same ingredients the best restaurants in Napa use. Fish, meat, cheese, charcuterie products, organic produce, fresh-baked bread, olives, and more are to be found. My favorite was a little store that specialized in nothing but cupcakes. You can buy tacos, oysters, cheeses, olive oils of many different varieties, etc. etc., and there is a wonderful deck which overlooks the Napa River. However, Maureen and I were craving a hamburger, and so we went to Gott's Hamburgers, which is part of the Market. With a name like Gott's ("God's" in German), I was intrigued to find up if the burgers lived up to that name. I had a hamburger and some sweet potato fries, and Maureen and I shared a scrumptious root beer float. Totally fabulous!
After a bit of sightseeing of the town of Napa, we were back on our way to Mountain View, with Maureen judiciously knowing what routes to take to avoid the most traffic. On the way into Mountain View, we stopped at a Safeway for some grocery supplies, and I have to tell you all a great story in relation to that. I purchased a six-pack of Mike's Hard Lemonade, which is about as "boozy" as I will get! I took it to the counter and was carded!!!!!!! I was so flabbergasted that someone would card me that I was speechless at first, then unbelieving, then flattered--in turn. Wow! That has never happened before!
Well, I think we are going to make a leisurely evening of it--Maureen is preparing a salad and some deviled eggs (her specialty), as well as a bowl of fresh fruit, and we purchased some bread at a bakery in Napa this morning, so it's going to be a light dinner. Nursing a Mike's Hard Lemonade, and toasting to you all as of this point. Take care, and let me hear from you sometime! As ever, Sylvia
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