Over the weekend, my hub and I were so excited to be checking off a big time bucket list item for us: thanks to his very generous company, we were treated to an all-expense paid trip to Napa Valley, where we were spoiled rotten with the most beautiful hotel, most incredible foods and wines, and invaluable time, together. A look at our trip to Napa Valley, thanks to the kindness and generosity of his company:
We were up and at 'em to catch our early morning flight out of Charlotte Friday morning. Thanks to the East-Coast-to-West-Coast time change, we arrived in San Francisco around 10:00 am, with a full day of fun ahead! Our car was waiting to drive us the two hours from San Francisco to Napa Valley, but we had to make one crucial stop first. ;)
We arrived at the amazing Auberge du Soleil, where we walked right past the CEO of Microsoft as we were checking in! We were immediately brought a glass of wine upon arrival, which would be the first of MANNNNNNY we were able to enjoy during our stay in Napa. The resort was seriously impeccable: from the luxurious room and top notch customer service to the delectable food/wine and gorgeous views, it was heavenly.
After checking out the sights and sounds of the hotel, we freshened up for the evening's dinner and wine tasting, both of which took place at the hotel's Michelin-starred restaurant. I am not a girl to take photos of my food, but trust me when I say that every bite of the entire trip was one of the best bites of food I have had in my life. It was divine. And don't get me started on the scrumptious wine...
Anywho, after a very fun dinner, we called it a day and got some sleep, knowing what a packed day lie ahead for us on Saturday.
We awoke, and thanks to Pacific Coast Time, were able to enjoy coffee in bed while watching a little College GameDay - ha!
We then had breakfast, got ready, and met the rest of the group we were with to head to a wine tasting at Silver Oak Winery. Oh my goodness. It was so beautiful there. We were given a tour in the caves and educated on their wine-making process, and were treated to as much wine as our heart's desired before enjoying a delicious lunch with the most incredible view. We were actually originally scheduled to head to a second tasting at Stag's Leap, but plans changed, allowing for time for us to head back to the resort and freshen up before the night's dinner. And honestly, it was the right call. I don't know if I could have made it through a second tasting like that first knowing what lie ahead that night - ha!
When we got back to the hotel, my hub and I had spa treatments scheduled in the form of a couple's massage. And what do die-hard Clemson fans do when game time coincides with spa time? Create our own little viewing party in the spa, of course. :)
After our massages, we had just enough time to quickly change before boarding a bus to head to our delectable dinner for the evening in Yountville at Bottega Napa Valley. Four hours later, we were oh-so-stuffed with all the food and wine we could stomach. Don't get me started on the white truffles, gnocchi, risotta, steak, sea bass, cheeses, desserts...you get the drift. I drool just thinking about it. We headed back and basically crashed the second our heads hit our pillows.
My hub was up early to play a round of golf at the Silverado Resort on Sunday, which meant an entire free morning/early afternoon for me. Originally, I thought I would just lounge around in bed, walk around the grounds, rest, and relax. But then I decided, When in Napa....so, I did some quick research, made a phone call and reservation at 8:30 am, ordered an Uber at 8:45 am, and arrived at my chosen destination by 9:15 am...a guided bike tour of Napa! This was definitely a step out of my comfort zone, knowing I wouldn't know any one else there, would be alone, etc. But honestly? I had the BEST time.
There were nine of us: three from Colorado, four from California, one from the U.K., and one from South Carolina...me! Our awesome bike tour guide, Rick, lead the way through wine country, as we rode our bikes and took in the beautiful scenery. We then hit up Stop #1, enjoying a delicious wine tasting at Materra Family Vineyard. After a few photo ops we all took advantage of, it was back on our bikes to head to wine tasting #2 at Andretti Winery. Four hours, two wine tastings, and 12 miles of biking later, we arrived back where we began, but not before we had each shared part of our life stories and the amazing experience, together. I'm so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and onto a wine tour bike.
I headed back to the hotel where I met up with my hub, who had finished up golf and was ready to take full advantage of our afternoon together. Because the hotel partners with several luxury car dealers, we were able to sign a waiver and take out a really nice convertible for several hours...one that drove like a race car. This was my hub's most favorite part of the trip: zipping this way and that throughout wine country, together. We made pit stops here and there, walked through one of the local towns, and took in the beautiful scenery.
We ended the night with one last amazing meal, stuffing ourselves with more food and wine at Meadowood Napa Valley. It.Was.So.Good. All of it. Every last bite. Every last drop. So. Good.
We awoke Monday morning, snapped one last photo, and headed back to the San Fran airport, where I boarded my plane and my hub boarded a train, me headed home and him to a meeting. We were both so sad to see the trip come to an end: while there is no place like home, and I was so excited to see my babies, we truly made the most of every second we had together in Napa.
Clay, thank you for working as hard as you do to provide such a beautiful life for us and earning incredible rewards like this trip for the countless hours and hard work you put in. It's not stuff that matters. It's time together, and this trip was so great because of the time I had with you. <3
To Clay’s company,, thank you for treating us to such an incredible, beautiful trip. We truly are indebted for the indescribable backdrop you generously laid out for us to enjoy and we so appreciated being able to take it all in the company of the rest amazing staff who were invited along for the Napa adventure.
Nana and Pop and Bammy and Digby, thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for taking care of our s{quad} like only you can while we were away. This trip was only possible because of your kindness and willingness to love on our crew in our absence. The meals. The laundry. The taxi-ing. The cleaning. The quality time. The patience. The love. Thank you for it all.
Napa, you were so, so good to us. We leave you with full hearts and full bellies and a big checkmark on our bucket list. Thank you. <3
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