It can be best and easiest said that the town of Napa is the very gateway into this most famous wine region valley. Climate for the growing of vines and their grapes is unheralded compared to almost anywhere on the globe.
The Winery Picnic Law – Any Changes | Napa Valley Wine Blog – I was excited about this news because I was hoping that it would increase the number of picnic wineries in the Napa Valley. As it is, the Napa Valley compared to all other wine regions in California has the lowest percentage of wineries …
DSC22156, Black Stallion Winery, Napa Valley, California, USA on … – You are cordially invited to experience the warm hospitality and classic beauty of the Black Stallion Winery. Located on the grounds of a historic equestrian center, the Black Stallion Winery has been renovated with reclaimed materials …
Drinkhacker.com » Tasting Report: Napa Valley with Altitude, April … – Tasting Report: Napa Valley with Altitude, April 23, 2009. Much like last year at this event, I found myself impressed with the wines being shown from the mountain wineries of Mount Veeder, Spring Mountain, and Diamond Mountain in Napa. …
Neat even cute rows dot and line the vinyards . Towns , although suffering growth are relatively small . Gothic almost Victorian architecture abounds. The whole Napa town area has both a feeling an aura of almost separateness and uniqueness that seems to eminate if not permeate the whole Napa Valley area and areas.
My Compliments to Two Companies It's not often that I have praise to give companies. In fact I had to create a whole new category for this post. You may note that I already have a Rants category. The first company I'd like to call...
Napa County Hike of the Napa River Ecological Reserve Location: This loop hike is located in the Napa River Ecological Reserve as part of the California Department of Fish and Game in Napa County The Hike: In the summer time, trails squeeze through a beautiful jungle of vegetation on...
Visit San Francisco, CA: The UN-Official Guide The City San Francisco is a city of hills and distinct neighborhoods. As a general rule, elevation means wealth – the higher up you are, the better off you are. Commercial square-footage is surprisingly small and mostly confined to the...
Vinter's Golf Club, Yountville, CA Vinter's Golf Club is Located in Yountville, CA Phone: (707) 944-1992 Website: http://www.vintersgolfclub.com Course History: This is one of the most popular courses in Napa Valley and with good reason. This is a pleasant nine hole course that is still...
A Taste of Fate: Meeting Winemaker Jacky Blot Wally August is the owner of a gift baskets business. Since 1987, this commitment to quality, beauty and service has made Fancifull Gift Baskets Hollywood's #1 gift basket company with a worldwide clientel. They have provided baskets and gifts for...
Need a place to keep the kids busy and out of most trouble. The Dennis the Menace Campground near Lake Estero , is an old fashioned playground created by Pacific Grove resident and famous cartoonist Hank Ketcham.
The Merchant of Dennis The Menace The Autobiography of Hank Ketcham – The Merchant of Dennis The Menace The Autobiography of Hank Ketcham. Hank Ketcham is the creator of Dennis Menace based on his five year old son. Hank Ketcham says he was always interested in being a cartoonist since he was five year …
dennis the menace pt. II – After lying in the hot tub for a few minutes and playing around in this crazy interactive water playground that hey must’ve built recently, we made our way out smelling of chlorine and infant urine. We wound the day down by shopping at …
Sunday on the Lake – The park has a hedge maze, a train, an impressive playground, and a lake with lots of ducks, geese and seagulls. We took Vita out on one of those peddle boats. Here’s Vita, all set for the boat ride. Vita loved getting a closer look at …
Dennis the Menace park – It’s an impressive playground with a maze, an actual steam locomotive, a long suspension bridge, a tall climbing wall, and other cool equipment designed by Hank Ketcham, the creator of Dennis the Menace. …
The Dennis the Menace playground has bridges to cross , tunnels for the kids ( or small adults trying to flush the little rats out) through , , and an authentic Southern Pacific Railroad. There are no shortage of want to be train “conductors” – every kids or adult child’s dream. There is also a hot dog stand, a burger stand , and a big lake where you and the family can rent paddleboats or feed the ducks and geese.
Lake Oroville Lake Oroville is located in: Oroville, CA Phone: (530) 538-2200 About the Lake: Lake Oroville is one of the best places to find salmon in California, but the lake is also stocked with numerous other kinds of fish....
McClure Lake McClure Lake is located in: Snelling, CA Phone: (209) 378-2521 About the Lake: McClure Lake holds more than 1 million acre feet of storage water and is situated on the Merced River. With 80 miles and shoreline and 7100 surface...
Choosing California Fishing Lakes In every area of the state of California, you will find an abundant supply of lakes rife with fish that are waiting to be caught. All told, California has more than 3000 different lakes, reservoirs, streams and other excellent bodies...
Bass Lake Bass Lake is located in: Oakhurst, CA Phone: 559-642-3212 About the Lake: Bass Lake is located at the southern entrance to Yosemite Park. This incredibly beautiful lake is a great place for fishing and boating and offers numerous features for...
In the charming town of Inverness , Shaker Shops has an exceptional array of reproduction “Shaker Furniture” . There is a “turn of the century” sensibility to the fine works exhibited here. Open Tuesday to Saturday and Sundays.
In Point Reyes Station Gallery Route One – a non-profit coop cooperative artists in all different visual and fine arts media
Mendeocino has earned a reputation – well deserved - as a major artistic and cultural fine arts center of the North Coast regional areas. Many fine artists , of a wrath of styles, expertise and values exhibit their wares here. The streets of this compact town are easily walkable. No doubt you will be sure to find a gallery that meets your tastes and fancy.
Next and in addition the Victorian village of Ferndale , located in the “Redwood Empire”, serves almost as a “magnet” attracting , cultivating , focusing and growing fine painters , potters and even carpenters. Simply walk down the main street and streets . Stop in to browse at any of the many shops along its three principal blocks.
Lastly the town of Eureka has several fine art and arts shops and galleries in the district and districts running from C to I streets between the 2′nd and 3′rd streets. One of note to catch is the Old Town Art Gallery. Another is the Humboldt Cultural Center.
Do all cruise ships have art on them and do art auctions? I have only been on Princess, so I would like to hear from all of you who have been on Carnival, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Holland America, and Cunard lines. I'm not talking about art on the walls just for...
Visit San Francisco, CA: The UN-Official Guide The City San Francisco is a city of hills and distinct neighborhoods. As a general rule, elevation means wealth – the higher up you are, the better off you are. Commercial square-footage is surprisingly small and mostly confined to the...
Five Fun Things to do on the Weekend That Don’t Cost a Dime Budget-oriented families often think that they have to give up entertainment entirely. Expensive concerts certainly won’t fit into a frugal budget. And expensive nights on the town are out of the question. So how can you fill those weekend days...
Visit Australia: The UN-Official Guide [/caption] Australia is the largest island in the world and a continent to itself. Before European settlement, it was inhabited by the Aborigines (or Kooris) for some 42,000 years. It was first visited by the Dutch in the 17th century...
Visit Italy - The UN Official Guide [/caption] Italy is perhaps Europe’s most illustrious country with a rich history and culture that is so irresistibly enticing to travelers. Between 40 and 50 million foreigners visit Italy each year. Their numbers have increased so dramatically since World War...
Remote Camping – Big Basin Redwoods State Park – Real Travel – Remote Camping, a Travel Blog from Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Read blogs, advice and reviews from thousands of real travelers to help research, plan and book your next vacation to Big Basin Redwoods State Park.
American Hiking Society Supports 10 Favorite Hiking Trails – Well, it’s not really a top 10 list per se but it’s interesting nonetheless: The American Hiking Society and Nature Valley revealed America’s 10 favorite hiking trail grant projects for 2009. Basically the program had 70 nominations …
Camping – For Spring Break, we decided to go camping with Sara’s family. We’ve always wanted to see the Redwood Forest so Jason and Sara decided on a campground, and planned it. It was about a hundred miles longer to drive for us, …
Richardson Grove Redwoods Threatened : Indybay – Named after Friend Richardson(25th governor of California), the park includes the ninth largest Coastal Redwood(sequoia sempervirens), camping and fishing along the Eel River, and is the closest State Park containing Old Growth Redwoods …
Surfing and Camping in California – A good place to stay is Ventana campground with its beautiful sites in the redwood forest. But there are several options nearby. If you stay farther south at Plaskett Creek you can surf Sand Dollar beach across the street and a bit of a …
Yosemite National Park - California [/caption] Yosemite is one of the largest and least fragmented habitat blocks in the Sierra Nevada, and the park supports a diversity of plants and animals. The park has an elevation range from 2,000 to 13,114 feet (600 to 4,000...
California Tax Refunds To Be Delayed The state of California, the 9th largest economy in the world, is having liquidity issues of its own. Faced with a shortfall in taxes, it under-budgeted by nearly $42 billion. The government said it will have to delay issuing tax...
California Garage Sale When in need of quick cash, one of the most popular ways to raise money is by having a garage sale. Not only will you have money in no time, it would also have cleared your home of unnecessary clutter...
California Wilderness Areas Volume 1 If you are planning a trip to one of the many coastal areas or mountain ranges in California, there are a few books that will help you learn all that you can about these amazing wilderness areas. One of the...
San Mateo County Hike of the San Bruno Mountain State and County Park Location: This hike is located in San Mateo County in the San Bruno Mountain State and County Park. The Hike: This is an all access 1.2 mile loop hike that travels through coastal scrub. Distance: This trail is 1.2 miles...
Its an interesting point. America is a major area of tourism for “foreigners”. While it is true that America tourism with its dollar , and general lower cost of goods than some more socialistic and higher taxed areas – say as the U.K. and Europe – with their VATs ( value added taxes) , and Canada with its both its federal GST tax ( really a VAT with another name ) , provincial sales taxes and a whole host of other hidden and not so hidden forms of taxation on tourism and the tourism industries - America still represents more than good value for the dollar or other currency.
Still there is a great admiration of America as well as American’s throughout the world. Name one other country that is so emulated and copied in the world. Do you see European statues of say a figure as popular as kernel sanders kfc , Kentucky Fried Chicken fame ? Or homages to French Golden Arches of any type anywhere ? Yes the world seems to have a love / hate relationship with America and all things American .
Here is one such example :
California Travel & Tourism Commission expands web site to help … – To entice new and repeat travelers from Germany, one of California’s top overseas markets, the California Travel & Tourism Commission has expanded its web site, www.visitcalifornia.de, to give them the inside scoop on how to experience …
The Harmonica in American History The Harmonica was not originally developed in America, but rather saw the beginning of life in Germany. However, the Harmonica has a rich history in North America, and contributed heavily to the history of music in America as well. Hohner...
ants . . . . . . in my pants. Sand in my shoes. Wander in my lust. [/caption] It's been an entire year (August 2005) since I lived out of my suitcase and I'm getting horny for it's intimate embrace. Of course, thanks...
Pay Your Taxes If You Have Political Ambitions Before Timothy Geithner became the Treasury Secretary, he worked for the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF employs people from all over the world, including Americans. While working there, foreigners don't have to pay US income taxes, and in an attempt...
Jim Furyk Wins Chevron World Challenge After a low-speed car accident that's prompted tabloid-esque speculation about Tiger Woods' private life, he cancelled his participation in the Chevron World Challenge in Thousand Oaks, California, the golf tournament that he sponsors and usually wins. His departure from the...
GOP Hammers Obama on Taxes Sunday Paper - April 12th, 2009 Possible 2012 White House contender said in Saturday address that president should hold down spending. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) was "keeping it real" during Saturday's GOP address. Pawlenty wants all Americans to realize...
The northern California city of San Francisco , “Frisco” or the beautiful “city on the Bay”, was also and continues to be a popular setting for many books and indeed many movies as well. Mark Twain glorified the city in a collection of articles that finely detailed the city as “the liveliest , heartiest community on our continent”.
San Fransisco was also the birthplace of Jack London. The author Jack London wrote several stories in his younger years as as an oyster pirate on the San Fransisco Bay, as well as Martin Eden , his semi autobiographical account of life along the Oakland shores.
Review: The Viscount’s Kiss by Margaret Moore I have surprising little to say about this book. I really don't have anything extremely negative to point out against the story. Suffice it to say that this story did not capture me at all. The writing style of The...
Bay Conditions in the South San Francisco Bay The sailing conditions and the bay conditions in San Francisco are going to vary significantly based on the time of year, the time of day and even the exact location of where you are at. The windy season, for example,...
San Francisco Cruises and More Await You in the City by the Bay Spending time in San Francisco, whether you live there or are just visiting this spectacular city, you will find that there are a number of things that you can do to enjoy your time. San Francisco cruises as well as...
Fishing Report: December 04, 2009 Striped Bass, Crab and Halibut The general consensus is that crabbing is still going much better than anyone expected, but that it's still not nearly as good as it could be. In Berkeley/Emeryville, people are still pulling in their limit...
San Mateo County Hike of the San Bruno Mountain Park Summary: This is a 1.2 mile long all-access loop hike that takes you through coastal scrub. Location: This hike is located in the San Bruno Mountain Park as part of the San Mateo County Parks. Distance: The total length for...
Across the bridge in Samoa is the Samoa Cookhouse , which is an example from the 1860’s of the cookhouses which stood in every lumber mill and mill town. There is a museum displaying antique culinary artifacts. Breakfast, lunch as well as dinner are served at their appropriate times served family style on long wood tables.
The Fit Blog Fit Tip #1 The first in a series of quick, realistic, usable fitness tips. Make situations where you don't have time to cook a good dinner a thing of the past. Preparation is key. Sundays, when things have slowed down a tiny bit,...
Open Enrollment Time As the new year comes hurtling closer and closer, many people find themselves faced with making some major decisions about their healthcare choices. For a great deal of employers, the first of the year marks the advent of their health...
Lumber Terms And Better - This is typically abbreviated as "&Btr", and what it indicates is that the lumber contains pieces that exist in a higher grade than the lowest grade that is acceptable. Appearance Grade - This is a grade used...
The Family CFO By Mary Allvine and Christine Larson Whether you are just starting out as a family, or the kids are already in school, there is a lot to be learned about managing the finances of a family. There are so many troublespots that families face, and few...
Related Websites 
