California | Personal Photography

Two weeks ago, I hopped on a plane and met Charles in California. He was there for a work conference in San Jose. We decided to take advantage of his work trip and head to Napa Valley and San Francisco for a few days. Who would pass up the opportunity for a little sight seeing and a little wine tasting?! Not me.

We left San Jose and made our way to the Big Basin Redwoods State Park before arriving in Napa Valley. It was a rainy drive with chilly weather, but we hiked our way through one of the one-mile courses throughout the redwoods.

After finishing the hike through the redwoods, we made our way to Napa Valley and checked in to our hotel. We grabbed a late dinner at a local pizza place and planned our winery tours for the next days.

We have family who live in California, and they met us the next morning for brunch at the Napa General Store. After finishing some delicious omelets, we headed to the Robert Mondavi Winery for a tasting and tour. The vineyards were beautiful!

Next on our list was a tour at Sterling Vineyards, which included an aerial tram ride to the tasting location. The view from this spot was gorgeous! You could see the valley and the other wineries for miles. We ended the day with dinner at Brasswood Bar + Bakery + Kitchen and their fresh mozzarella hit the spot for us!

The next day we stopped by the Napa Valley sign and grabbed a quick photo before heading to Frank’s Family Vineyards for a tasting. The wines were delicious, and the grounds throughout the area were in bloom for spring. They had a beautiful area of picnic tables that would have been perfect to bring a lunch and enjoy the scenery… Maybe next time!

We left Napa Valley and drive through Sonoma before making our way to San Francisco. A drive over the Golden Gate Bridge was a must. We stopped by the Golden Gate Park and walked around the area to capture some classic photographs of the view. We then headed to Alamo Square Park to relax and check out the Painted Ladies. We ended our day in San Fransisco by heading to Fisherman’s Wharf, snacking on delicious food in the area, and taking in the views from that tourist spot!

XOXO – Ashley