Sonoma, California

In 2012, my husband and I got to take a bucket list trip to California wine country.  Everyone immediately thinks about Napa when California comes up in discussion, but you should really consider exploring the other towns in the area if you are making such a trip.  We found Napa to be much more pretentious, more expensive, and less accessible in general, but I'll discuss that in my post about our day there.  THIS post is to rave about the Sonoma area!

We decided on a group tour in Sonoma and approached this with some hesitation - would we like the people we were with?  Would it be more overwhelming and less personal this way?  Our experience was that both of these were a resounding no.  This may not be the case for every group tour there (and I suspect it isn't), but we were pleasantly surprised to learn there was only one other family on our large and comfortable bus - an older couple and their daughter - and we all got along just fine.

We spent the day with Platypus Tours and our lovely guide, Ken, who has lived in Sonoma for over 30 years.  He had an absolute wealth of information about the area itself, how grapes are grown here, and the wine business - I don't remember a question he couldn't answer.  He discussed with each of us our taste in wines and developed a plan for the day.  One of the great things about being on a tour, especially in CA, is that you can get access to places you wouldn't be able to otherwise.  We didn't select any wineries in Sonoma specifically, but I wasn't disappointed by any.

A note on wine tasting for those who might not have done this before: purchase of at least 1 bottle is not required but is usually expected.  In Napa and Sonoma, many places would advertise that the tasting fee (here it is generally in the $15-25 range) would be waived if a bottle was purchased.  If you are looking at wineries on your own to go to, you might want to take this and the average price of wine into consideration.  You may also want to ask if the tasting fee is waived on purchase as it is not always stated.

Before we started wine tasting, we were told we must prepare, and headed to Wine Country Chocolates (for the obvious).  Ken had a lot of great suggestions and even brought out ideas of pairings throughout the day.  You can't leave this place without making a purchase  :)

Our first winery stop, and probably my least favorite of this day's wineries, was Landmark Winery.  We learned quickly that there are several winemakers that have estate vines, meaning they grow some or all of their own grapes on property, and others that use grapes from several different vineyards to make their wines.  Landmark is one of the later, and I found that the visit there was not quite as interesting as the others for that reason.  We learned about their wines but didn't learn a whole lot about their process with the grapes (my favorite part  :) ).  The grounds were beautiful with several good photo ops and their wines were good as well.

Our second stop of the day was Loxton, one of our favorites of the entire trip.  This is an extremely small, very personal winery.  Another benefit of a tour is that they can often dictate who does your tasting - this can make a huge difference!  We did ours with Chris Loxton, owner and winemaker.  He is a second generation winemaker from Australia and obviously has a huge passion for what he does.  Such a nice guy.

One huge tip for any wine tasting experience: talk to and engage your tasting host.  They love what they do and most love to talk about it.  Not only will this get you so much more information about the wines and winemaking, it often naps you extra tastes of things not on the normal menu!  Here it was a special port  :)

We had a little time before our next appointment, so Ken look us on a little side trip for an olive oil and balsamic tasting.  Now I like olive oil as much as the next person, but doing shots of it??  Not really my favorite. And they really look down on just soaking it up with bread  :)  We did find some fantastic flavors here - might be worth a stop if you're interested!  Figone's was filled with lots of options and very nice people.

It was then that we headed up Moon Mountain.  Ken was sweet enough to warn any of us who got carsick that they might want to move to the front of the van for this part, and I gratefully climbed in the front seat - he wasn't wrong!  It was a bit of a tense drive, but we got there safely and saw this...

At the top lies Mountain Terraces Vineyard, and it is truly spectacular.  This is the home of Akoma Zoume wines. The vineyard itself is breathtaking and you can see all the way to San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge on a clear day, as we had.  Gloria Schaefer, one of the owners, did our tasting and she was a blast.  Great wines in the best location you can imagine.  

Gloria in her element

Our final destination of the day, one I don't have any photographic evidence of, was the tasting room of Ty Caton and Michael Muscardini.  A tasting room is definitely a different experience than seeing the wineries themselves, so it's not for everyone, but you can still taste quite a few wines (usually more than at the winery) and learn quite a bit about them, depending on the skill of your host.  The adorable George at Caton and Muscardini knows just about everything about wine, and he loved to share.  We were able to try about 15 different wines here, which left us more than thankful to be done with wine for the afternoon!  Napa and Sonoma have lots of tasting rooms, and they make a great pre-dinner stop or a fill in if you have some extra time.  

One important thing to remember about visiting California wine country is that you have to make provisions to get your wines home!  If you are flying, you will want to be sure you purchase a box that can be checked.  Often the wineries or tasting rooms offer these for sale to accommodate guests - check with your tasting hosts or tour guides for tips.  You don't want to be running around looking for something at the last minute when the wineries are very easy places to pick these things up!  Plus, then you have an idea of the number of bottles you are able to purchase.  Many wineries also offer shipping to your home, depending on whether your state allows this (check in advance!)

How We Do It: Travel Inspiration

Trying out a different sort of post here today - I'd like to talk about how we find inspiration and ideas for travel.


1. The Bucket List

Everyone has one, right?  Those places you know you just have to go before you die.  We don't have one written out (at least not yet!), but we do keep a running one in our heads.  These trips tend to be longer, more exotic, and more expensive.  Ireland was definitely one of these trips for us.  Some others on the list: Greece, Argentina, New Zealand, Scotland.  Think about those places that just call to you and make sure it is in your future plans to get yourself there!

Slea Head, Dingle Peninsula, Ireland

2. Based on interests

We love wine, so a lot of our adult travel is based on where we can find the best wineries and tastings.  Napa, for example, as well as the Finger Lakes in NY and the Yadkin Valley in NC.  I love to run, so I am always intrigued by places I can enjoy great ones.  What do you like to do on vacation - paddle board, hike, ski, immerse yourself in local pub life?

Mountain Terraces Vineyard, Sonoma, CA

Porter Family Vineyards, Napa, CA

3. Based on geography

This is our most common inspiration for short or weekend trips, obviously because things that are close to your home are easier to get to.  We LOVE to explore the area around us and we know how lucky we are that the Carolinas boast such a varied geography.  We can spend time in the mountains near Boone or Brevard, or we can hit the beach in Charleston or Hilton Head!  Most people don't take nearly enough advantage of their own cities and states.  What awesome sights are near you?  How quickly can you get there?

High Falls, Cedar Mountain, NC 

The Beach at Hilton Head Island, SC

4. Based on family

Obviously, as adults with children and family living out of town, some of our travel has to be based on going to see them.  We love exploring my husband's home town, but also often take the opportunity to stop along the way.  We have planned a stop in Bryson City, NC for the past two years to take a ride on the Polar Express right before Christmas and have also stopped in Atlanta on our way home to visit friends.  Looking for an easy trip away?  Plan some time to go see the family, especially those you haven't seen in a long time!

Great Smokey Mountain Railroad, Bryson City, NC

5. Recommended by family and friends

One of my favorite ways to plan travel with children - ask those who have done it before!  And not just for locations, but for activities once you are there.  This way you can avoid pricy museums that aren't worth the cost but can find those little known gems you would have otherwise skipped over.  Grill your  favorite people about restaurants, side trips, hotels, etc and you'll find some excellent ideas.  Do keep in mind that peoples' habits while traveling differ, so listen closely to why they recommend things - you may want to take it as a clue to stay away!  Also, keep good notes about your travel experiences so you can share them with friends!

We've recommended Grandfather Mountain in Linville, NC over and over to friends!

6. Pinterest!

I love Pinterest for two things when planning travel.  Number one is the original destination inspiration, often touched off by a single gorgeous picture (I'm a sucker for excellent photography).  This leads to a lot of bucket list places!  Number two is the wealth of information I can find about a place once we make the decision to go there.  Our trip to Savannah this year comes to mind - I would have never known about the Ellis Square "spray ground" or the restaurants on Tybee Island without reading articles and blog posts I found on Pinterest.   Gotta love the internet!

Oatland Island Wildlife Center, Savannah, GA

Blowing Rock and Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina

One of the things we love about living in the Carolinas is the proximity to both the mountains and the beach.  On the whole, I would say our family definitely prefers the shore, but we love to take the occasional mountain trip as well and NC offers some very beautiful options.

Blowing Rock is an absolute must see.  The observation area is not huge, but there are a few different platforms and rocks to climb on, all showing off incredible views like these.  There is an admission fee of $7 for adults, $2 for kids 4-11.  Plan on spending about 45 minutes to an hour here.

The area is quite safe for kids as long as you are keeping a close eye on them.  My daughter is 3 here and occasionally got a bit too adventurous for my taste  :)

We have only driven through the little town of Blowing Rock, but it is on our list to visit again in the future - very cute and quaint!

Grandfather Mountain in Linville, NC is another one of our favorite places.  It is one of the highest peaks in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and you can basically drive to the top.  There are miles and miles of hiking trails we are looking forward to taking advantage of as our daughter grows, but in the meantime, there are TONS of things for kids to do here!  You get a CD with admission at the gate (adults $20, kids 4-12 $9) and you can play it as you go for a guided tour - one of our daughter's favorite parts!  Be sure to visit the website before you go as they often host fun events, festivals, classes, etc.  

One of your first stops will be the Nature Museum, which houses several interesting exhibits.  The really fun stuff, however, is behind the museum in the wildlife habitats.  They have several bears rescued from the wild and you feel very up close and personal!  You can stop for a snack or a meal at Mildred's Grill and don't miss the Fudge Shop for sweet treats!

Beautiful vistas around every corner

When you reach the top of the road/mountain, you have the option to take on the Mile High Swinging Bridge.  I've said this before, but I am NOT one for heights.  This bridge scares everything out of me, and I have now walked across it twice.  My four year old daughter held my hand the second time, whispering, "It's ok, Mommy.  You'll be fine.  Don't look down!"  The good news is that the bridge really doesn't "swing" very much and that it is a mile above sea level, not above the nearest ground.  Still...

The middle

This is on the far side of the bridge and they are not kidding - be very cautious!!

But it's worth it!!  At least once  :)

We usually spend between 3-5 hours at Grandfather Mountain - you could probably get through it all in about 2 or spend a whole day!  It's just a gorgeous area and you really feel close to nature here.  Expect crowds on the weekends, but the really place you only feel this too much is around the bridge itself.

One last fun attraction in this area is the Tweetsie Railroad in Blowing Rock.  Unless you are really into the Wild West or cheesy theme parks, it's for the younger set - probably age 2-8 would enjoy it the most.  We definitely had a good time with our three year old!  Again, this could take all day if you wish, or you could do it all in a few hours.  It is pricy ($41 for adults, $27 for children 3-12), but annual passes are available if you might be taking advantage a few times in a year.

There is an adorable train that runs around the entire park - it's definitely something you don't want to miss while at Tweetsie.

The train stops at a few places for a wild west show.  This is pretty low key and aimed at the littles, but they do really seem to enjoy it.  There are even characters who board the train!

At the bottom of the mountain, there is a wild west stage show you can see as well as building setups (a jail, etc) and amusement park rides, including go carts and a carousel.  When you're done with all that, head up the mountain in the chair lift for more shows, little kid rides, and a fun petting zoo.

This guy got loose!

The Mouse Mine Train

I don't think we'll return to Tweetsie, mainly due to cost, but it's a fun stop if you are in the Blowing Rock area!