We had done virtually all of our packing yesterday so this morning we showered for the last time (yippeee...it was a drippy shower, certainly not a power shower!) and packed up the car. We knocked on our hosts' door but there was no response so we left the key in the lockbox and set off.
We had put the address into the SatNav and after one hairy moment when I had to turn left onto a main road and brought all the traffic to a standstill (!) we managed to find the right road. The traffic was heavy as it was before 9am but very soon we were heading out of the city and onto the Golden Gate bridge. Sophie videoed us as we drove across and all too soon we were on the other side. We'd seen people cycling and walking across - the views must have been stunning!
It was still cloudy and we hoped that it would clear up later. We found Fred's easily and parked nearby. I was a little nervous about leaving the car because we had had to put one of the cases on the back seat, but I needn't have worried. Sausalito is a lovely little place and the cafe had a real homely atmosphere. We shared a table with a local man who was very chatty and had been coming to eat there for about 30 years!
Sophie chose eggs, bacon and hash browns for her breakfast, while I went for a cheese omelette and hash browns. Both dishes came with toast and I had a lovely cup of coffee. The portions were huge but the food was delicious and I can see why it's so popular.
Back out onto the road we followed highway 101 north and then took the exit for Muir Woods. This road wound its way up and up into the forest and I could see Sophie getting a bit nervous! I must admit, my hands were a bit clammy as well!
We were a bit early for our reservation but that didn't seem to matter and we were directed to a car park with spaces. We didn't realise we needed our email print out to actually get into Muir Woods so we had to return to the car to get it!
Muir Woods are beautiful and the peace and quiet was lovely. The trees here are mostly coastal Redwoods and are the tallest trees on earth. They once covered vast areas of the planet, including the UK.
There are paved walks to follow and we chose the hour and a half one. There are more serious hikes to be enjoyed but after a large breakfast and full tummies, we decided to stick to the level paths!
There were lots of information boards along the way and we were asked to be as quiet as we could.
The trees were amazing as some of them grow in family groups and it was interesting to learn that these huge trees grow from one tiny seed. Some of them had burlaps on them, growths containing seeds that would sprout if the parent tree died.
We walked as far as Bridge 4 and then turned around as we didn't fancy doing the high level walk on the way back. By now it was getting busier so I think we picked the right time to go!
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| A burlap |
Before heading back to the car we visited the gift shop and bought a Christmas bauble and a pack of playing cards to use at home. We saw a little creature darting about and we think it was a chipmunk!
The journey to Napa didn't take too long but first we had to negotiate the steep and winding road back out of the valley. We followed a bus who, at one point, on a tight bend, scraped all the back side of the vehicle...I'm so glad it wasn't me!
We drove on a freeway for a short while and then turned off onto a dual carriageway. The countryside became hilly but we didn't see a lot of trees. We did pass a lot of vineyards, though!
Our hotel, the Hampton Inn and Suites, is right on the edge of Napa and there's a cinema, gym, shops and restaurants nearby. We have a lovely spacious room with two large beds overlooking the river and the swimming pool.
We unpacked a few of our things and then decided to drive into Napa to check out restaurants for this evening. It only took us about ten minutes to drive in and we found a multi-storey car park near the river.
The day had now turned out to be beautiful with blue skies and sunshine so it was lovely to walk about and peruse the different menus. Some of them were very expensive and I think we're going to have to accept the fact that our meal tonight will not be cheap! We did call into the visitor centre and a very helpful German lady gave us a map with all the restaurants and told us a lot about the town, which was great.
We stopped for an ice-cream at Ben and Jerry's and sat at a table on the pavement. The area was quiet and reminded me a little of Naples in Florida. It had the same affluent air.
We picked out a couple of restaurants and decided to have a good look at them on the laptop back in the room. We had been told there was a wine tasting at 5pm so we went down into the breakfast area to see a man sitting there with lots of glasses in front of him. Always a good sign!
He was a bit bumptious and he was from a vineyard in the Napa Valley called Castello di Amorosa. The owner had bought three old castles from Europe and had spent fifteen years reconstructing them in the Napa Valley to make one medieval-inspired building where you can go and tour and taste wines.
We tried a Pinot Grigio first that was OK, but not worth the $23 price tag! Next up was a Rose which was a bit better and we finished with a Cabernet Sauvignon. More and more people had arrived to taste so we were able to escape without committing to buying anything! He had asked us where we were eating in the evening and we had decided on Ristorante Allegria, which he informed us was where the tourists go to eat...well, we're tourists and the menu looked lovely! He told us to go to another one where the locals ate, but the pictures he showed us weren't that appetising!
We went back to the room and got ready to go out and Sophie ordered an Uber, which arrived very quickly. This time we had a woman driver who was very chatty and asked us about the cost of living in the UK.
Allegria was a lovely restaurant situated in an old bank. It reminded me a little bit of Vergina in Naples and the prices were about the same. However, the food was a lot better and we ordered a starter of mussels and clams to share followed by mushroom and Italian sausage ravioli for me and spaghetti Bolognese for Sophie. We were given bread at the start of the meal and the food was exceptional. The sauce that accompanied the clams and mussels was absolutely delicious.
The bill did come to a whopping $96 and with a tip sent us over the $100! However, the food was lovely, the wine glass was large and the staff couldn't do enough to help. As there was no wifi they very kindly ordered us a taxi to get us back to the hotel and that turned out to be cheaper than the Uber!
Before retiring for the night, we walked around the area and decided to go and see a film tomorrow called The Intruder starring Dennis Quaid. The girl on the till at the cinema showed us a trailer on her phone so we booked for 7.30pm. We could eat at a pizza restaurant nearby and then go and enjoy a movie. Perfect!
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