Wine Camp

For a change of pace, we organized a car-camping weekend in the Santa Barbara wine country. We organized the weekend to maximize our wine country experience mixed with seeing the famous sight-seeing spots from the movie Sideways.

Friday we arrived in Buellton, California after driving only about 2 1/2 hours. We camped in the field of an RV park (award-winning!) which conveniently abutt the parking lot of days in where the Sideways characters stayed in the movie.

Saturday we kicked off a full day of wine tasting.
First stop: Mosby Winery - known for their Italian wines. Beautiful grounds and keep your tasting glass!

Second stop: Alma Rosa. Mr. Sanford started this winery but now his name belongs to a larger winery down the street. However, he jumped ship when that winery exploded into a large operation and now his books and wines hail from Alma Rosa. We partook in an all Pinot Noir tasting followed by a potluck picnic behind the picturesque old farmhouse tasting room. Luckily we had arrived here before noon because by the time we left limos and hummer limos crammed into the parking lot.




Third Stop: Ken Brown Winery. We drove downtown Buellton to an indoor private tasting with Ken Brown's wife. Ken is a legend in the region, having assisted in opening several other wineries. Here we tasted one of the most expensive bottles of wine of the day - and it tasted gooooood.

Fourth Stop: Firestone. Here we joined a tour of the largest winery we visited over the day. Yes, this is the same family as Firestone tires. And now an even bigger company, Foley, has purchased the winery. Impressive operation. Look for this name in the store - I will have to as well because we did not do a tasting.

Fifth Stop: Several small tasting rooms in Los Olivos. We stopped at Sarloos and Sons but they had no room for tasters so we purchased 6 mini-cupcakes and enjoyed them at a picnic table outside. Across the street, Carhart Winery offered what they promised, a beautiful backyard which is a perfect end - of - the - day relaxation zone. Decent wines. And yes, this is the same family as the Carhart clothes.


On Sunday, we drove the two miles from Buellton to the Danish town of Solvang. On the way we passed an Ostrich farm ($35 for an ostrich egg). Breakfast in Solvang included the thin Danish pancakes and a Danish sausage, as recommended by Mrs. Ken Brown. I couldn't resist buying a cross stitch at the stitching store across the street.


Passed by this restaurant from Sideways on the way to Solvang.


Finally, on the way out of town, no trip to the countryside is complete without fresh berries. Blueberries Galore! To boot, we passed the cutest pygmy goats and pigs on the walk to the field.



It was a dreamy weekend indeed. We shall return before the next annual wine camp.

Rocks and Snow

This year has continued to be the Year of the Adventure, as declared. Last weekend I participated with my Wilderness Travel Course in the Joshua Tree National Park weekend. On Saturday we learned rock climbing techniques, up to class 3 rock climbing.

For those of you like me who are new to rock climbing, here is a short explanation of the "class" of rocks. Class 3 means we climbed on rocks with helmets where you could be hurt but if you fell, the fall would not cause death. There are several systems for classifying rocks. In the Yosemite System used by Sierra Club, you would use ropes on Class 4 or Class 5 rocks. We did not use ropes for Class 3.

This being my first time climbing Class 3 rocks with any type of technique, I learned a ton. After we practiced techniques around a few rocks/boulders, we took a hike. The total distance measured about 3 miles, which should take 1 hour to hike. However, the elevation gain and terrain caused the hike to take us 5 hours. Of course, the leaders were well aware of the time it took so the timing did not cause any alarm. The "trail" consisted of nearly constant bouldering over the rocks. There were at least 2 points that challenged my fear of heights. The leaders guided us through and somehow all 30 of us made it through the entire hike. Here is some photo evidence.





I really enjoy the photo looking down into the Indian Cove campground at Joshua Tree because it is the 3D version of a topographic map. We learn and practice orienteering (navigation with a compass and map) in the class; I have also done navigation with Sierra Club separate from class. Navigation is one of my new favorite hobbies. I LOVE using a compass and land recognition to wander around Joshua Tree sans trail.

Tonight I attended another session of the class where we learned about snow travel. There are many techniques to snow travel in order to prevent death. No joke. You could cause an avalanche and be buried (we learned ways to find a partner who was burried by snow and to carry a shovel to dig him/her out). You could slip off a trail down a cliff (the speaker's friend actually died this way). Or you could cause yourself something like a road rash by sliding down snow with improper clothing. Thus, snow travel involves a pair of crampons, an ice ax, snowshoes (not the ones that look like a tennis racket), a shovel, and my favorite, down booties to wear around camp at night. With this class we will spend 2 nights camping in snow. During this weekend we will dig a kitchen, a table, and make an igloo. Seriously. Wisconsin does not prepare anyone for this madness. My mountaineering skills will double after snow camp. This gal is pumped.

Side note to the adventures: after class a woman my age asked if I was from Wisconsin. The Packer bag slung over my shoulder could have given it away. But no, she said she heard me speak. Ok. Fair enough. She hails from Minnesota. We both agree that the Vikings should NOT leave Minnesota for Los Angeles. We exchanged info after a 5 minute back and forth about Swedes and Norweigans.

Finally, tonight I will end this post with a request for any suggested places to see in between Washington DC and Los Angeles. I am going to Washington DC to pick up someone very special; we will drive back to Los Angeles. First stop is Atlanta; second stop may be Dallas; then into New Mexico and Arizona. We're flexible along that path generally. Any suggestions for must-see stops?

So 2011

I have declared 2011 my year of the adventure.

First, and most obvious, blogger has forced me to update my template. Adventures in Technology. I hope you find the new pictures, colors and format pleasing. Thank you blogger for launching me into 2011!

Second, I discovered I love car washes. Adventures in modern day advances. After an unforgettable weekend in Yosemite (see #4 below), dirt and salt and fun absolutely morphed my blue car into a brown blob. This prompted me to try the new $6 car wash that opened down the street last week. Remember your first car wash? And the absolute adrenaline rush? I sat in my car, shift on neutral, as the wash moved the car through various contraptions. Suds blocked my view and I had to trust the car wash as I moved forward into more and more washing contraptions. At the end some huge hair dryer like devices dried my blue beast, a sign told me it was okay to drive, and off we went. But not too fast or you'll miss the free vacuums. A car wash is an urban mini roller coaster ride. I love 2011.

Third, the Los Angeles rain has subsided and my provisional hike is rescheduled for Sunday. Adventures in Hiking. Join us if you're interested in a moderate to easy afternoon stroll.





Fourth, here I'll discuss the earlier previewed Yosemite weekend. Adventures in Snowboarding. We traveled to Yosemite National Park, the second National Park dedicated in America, to enjoy the winters so loved by John Muir. Instead of camping or hotels, we opted for the middle ground of Camp Curry where we could stay in a heated canvas tent with wooden walls. Even the bathrooms were heated - anyone can do winter camping Camp Curry style! On Saturday, we hiked only about 3 miles total on ice and snow covered trail to Mirror Lake for a great view of Half Dome at dusk. At night we enjoyed a Ranger Program about the Merced River - its origins in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and its contribution to the California farmland. On Sunday, we took Snowboard lessons at Badger Pass and found ourselves having a blast. I highly recommend it! But be prepared for bruises and sore forearms from falling. Sunday night we checked out a fine dining establishment in Yosemite Valley that specializes in local and socially responsible food. Mac and cheese never tasted so good. Before parting for the unpredictable highway drive home on Monday, we hiked to lower Yosemite Falls (pictured) and partook in a photography walk from the Ahwanee Hotel with a docent from the Ansel Adams Gallery in the park. Yosemite in the winter gets four stars for meeting the adventure goal - snowboarding, hikes, photography, good food, and fun accommodations.

2011 is off to a great start. Here is a list of other adventures I'm hoping to embark on in 2011: surfing, rock climbing, more photography, lots of hiking and backpacking, and community volunteering. Do you have any ideas to add to the list?

The Universe Must Be Balanced

Have you ever felt as though if you became too happy, something bad would happen to balance your universe? I have thought about this at various times when I have an incredibly satisfying morning, then the afternoon goes terribly. Or similarly, when you are very bored, then become very busy... it seems that balance is the trick.

Today I upset the balance of the universe, and it led to a small disaster.

I found a beautiful apartment to move into - it's called a treehouse. The location, less than a block from a reservoir, could not be more picturesque. A huge glass sliding door makes up the front wall of the apartment, which opens onto a huge porch, overlooking the reservoir, hills, houses, and of course, trees. The apartment is part of a community where we share a lap pool and hot tub in the center of three homes. A famous architect designed this community, thus, I view my apartment like I live in art - the architect's art. The serenity is unmeasurable. So, I don't live there yet, but I will in mere weeks. Can't wait!

Oh, but it's too much happiness...

I came home and parked my car in the street near my house so other roommates would not park me in during the one hour I was in the house eating dinner before leaving for yoga. (At my current house we have space for 3 cars off the street but one car blocks the others in when all three are parked, thus, you risk being blocked in. In that case, you can trade places but it involves getting the roommate out to move the car. I avoided this possibility by parking on the street for the hour.) Convenient, easy, quiet street.... so I thought. When I went outside in an hour to get in the car and drive to yoga, what did I see but a huge dent over the front driver side wheel. Someone had backed into my car (or something). That perpetrator did not leave a note or ask around about who owned the car. I asked the neighbors if they saw anything and no one did. Unfortunately other nights guys are sitting on their porches, but not tonight. Instead I took to detective work and looked at the bumpers of the cars parked up and down my long residential street. Basically 3 out of 5 cars had scrapes and scratches and dents and oopses on their bumpers. It could be pretty much anyone in the city of L.A. This city terrorizes new cars with scrapes. My detective career may have just ended.

The universe made me the victim of a hit and run... but now the universe is balanced again.

Sigh. I called my insurance, made a police report, and now wait until tomorrow to see how much it will cost to fix and whether my insurance will go up as a result. The police labeled my case a misdemeanor hit and run. What a pain. Moving apartments is expensive (fronting deposits, moving expenses, buying necessities, etc) which makies the payment of any insurance deductibles unpleasant right now.

Life is expensive. But I'll pay for the universe to find it's center balance. In one week, all will be fixed and I will be that much closer to living in a treehouse.

The one positive thing that came of the "hit and run" was that I stayed home from yoga and watched Modern Family. Best show ever!

First Rattler

This past weekend I joined a backpacking expedition in the Santa Rosa Wilderness Area. We hiked Martinez and Sheep Mountain and spotted this rattle snake about 20 minutes shy of returning to our cars. Glad to have made it back!



I took many pictures of desert flowers.

Mystery Restaurants

Could you identify the restaurant in this picture? We couldn't for a few passes in the car. It's my neighborhood Pho, a Vietnamese soup restaurant. Super popular, dazzling in unique architecture, and just being there made me cooler.


Speaking of restaurants, I had the great fortune to spot my second celebrity this weekend. Tim Meadows sipped coffee at the table next to me in Silver Lake. (Cue, the lady's man from Saturday Night Live)

Also, I hunted down a restaurant. To be clear, taco trucks are incredibly popular in Los Angeles. However, this presents the very real possibility that you show up in the grocery store parking lot at 6:30 p.m. on a Tuesday night, stomach growling you're so hungry, and the restaurant (Ahem, taco truck) has not driven in to serve food yet. Not that I experienced it or anything. On Saturday, I had much better luck hunting down the ever-popular Kogi Korean Taco Truck. After at least 30 minutes of driving, in the rain (up hill with no shoes), we arrived to a long line of eager taco truck fans who had the same idea as us. Kogi moves locations every day. Was it worth it? Yes! Delicious. Whoever invented moving restaurants ignored the saying "location, location, location," and won.

Joshua Tree National Park

The desert began to bloom this spring. Last weekend we utilized our national park pass and hiked some trails.




Would you believe it if I told you that rain forced us to leave the camping trip a day early? Yes, rain and cold in the deserts of California. Still, heavenly, as proven by the rainbow.

Gateway to Yosemite

For a few weeks I am working in Merced, California, in San Joaquin Valley. The town is lovingly called the "Gateway to Yosemite" because of it's close proximity to Yosemite National Park. With around 60,000 residents, the town boasts a courthouse museum (pictured here), an airplane museum, and some fun restaurants. So far I have tried out Big Bubba's BBQ and plan to visit Sam Cafe, where Sam serves Thai, and also Cool Hand Luke's Steakhouse. Raley's grocery store is the local Whole Foods equivalent. This time in a smaller town than Los Angeles in California has allowed me to meet another type of place. Here agriculture is a major industry. As I drive to work I pass cows, sheep, and goats, as well as fields of what looks like grapevines. The views and quieter days are a welcome departure from life in the big city. Stay tuned for pictures of local attractions in the upcoming days.

Yosemite National Park

Some photos from this past weekend's winter wonderland in Yosemite National Park.

Curds in Cali

Today on a drive to Northern California, I stopped at Bravo Farms in Traver, CA. They purported to make cheese curds. Upon tasting for myself, I found the Cali curd tastes much like blocks of cheddar. A WI cheese curd is a squeaky morsel, a CA curd a torn block. The woman at the check out counter explained the taste of the California curd by saying California requires the cheese to be pasteurized. Whatever it is, WI curds still reign.

Take for instance this link to a Wisconsin Cheese Curd map you can follow to find curds across the state.

I will continue to search for California curds.

Snow and Swim

Birds ring in the Christmas season.

Today I sat outside in 75 degree sunny weather looking at Christmas decorations while a man talked about going snowboarding tomorrow. Snow capped mountains line the city but the temperatures say SWIM. That's the kind of white Christmas California talks about.