Feimster Fever: California: A Wedding and Some Wine

This whirlwind of a trip began with our arrival at LAX in September 2011. Los Angeles was not at all what we expected, but I think part of that was probably because we headed south and didn’t get into the actually "Hollywood" area of town.

SoCal Society

We headed south to Laguna Beach and Newport Beach. It was unbelievable all the over-the-top cars that people were driving! Dan even said at one point, "I never knew that a Porsche could look like the cheap car on the road!" While it was a beautiful place and interesting scenery, I don't think I'd want to live in a place so focused on keeping up with the Jones (or Kardashians).

It also really reminded me of parts of Miami - the pinks and greens of the decor of our hotel that were so reminiscent of the 90s. But it definitely felt different that Miami - a little more isolated and closed off. It definitely lacked the southern friendly charm that I love about Texas!

The last SoCal culture thing I'll mention is the incredible workout oriented people. I've never seen so many people in my life in workout gear every morning. And they would seem to always congregate at Starbucks after their runs - which seemed a little counter-productive! I found myself wondering several times, "Does anyone here ever work?" And I'm sure they do, but it was interesting how many people were just hanging out on weekdays at the cafes around town!

The only bummer of the SoCal trip was the weather - it was cold, foggy and cloudy nearly everyday! Luckily the clouds parted and we enjoyed sunshine on the afternoon of the wedding, but most other days were pretty gloomy!

Dan's Best Friend's Wedding

The very best part of the trip was spending time with some great friends! Meeting the bride Marina for the first time was really great - she and Matt are so great together, and we were so happy we could be there to celebrate together with them. And hopefully we can meet up with them on our side of the world when they go to visit Marina's family in the Ukraine next year. We also spent a lot of time with Dan's other roommates from college Justin and Shelby. It was so great to just hang out, catch up, and laugh a lot together!

Napa Excursion

The second part of our trip was spent in Napa, California - so much fun! I have to say, after a couple years of marriage and the number of trips we've been on, it's nice to get to the point where you know exactly what kind of vacation you like and want!

We decided we wanted a more relaxing, low-key time in Napa, so we booked a room at this little B&B called The White House Inn. It was adorable! Quiet and cozy, but very professional.

We started off the experience with dinner at Cole's Chop House - this amazing steak house where they proudly serve Midwest, corn-fed beef! Their sommelier was very entertaining and we ended up with a bottle of wine that he and the owner had mixed and bottled themselves! It was all delicious.

The next morning we started out the day with massages - our favorite way to start a relaxing vacation. It was exactly what we needed. We then went downtown and did some wine tasting. One of our favorites quickly became Ceja wines. Founded and developed by a family originally from Mexico, they focus on making wine specifically to pair with spicy foods! With all the Tex-Mex that I make, it would be a perfect addition to our cellar collection!

The second wine highlight of the trip was a tasting at Del Dotto Winery. The tasting is held in the hand-dug wine cellar from the early 1800s. Early Chinese immigrants dug the caves by hand and you can still see the marks left by their tools. Tasting by candlelight with a lively and fun group of about 12, we enjoyed tasting wine right out of the barrel! We also got the chance to try the exact same vintage, aged in French oak and American oak - it was amazing how different they could be! (BTW - we couldn't agree - I like the French and Dan likes American!)

The most fun non-food/wine part of the trip was our early morning hot air balloon ride! It was really foggy in the valley that morning, so they drove us about 45 minutes inland and we enjoyed the balloon ride above some gorgeous farmland. It was such an interesting experience! Other than when the burners were going, it was silent - we could even hear dogs barking in the yards! It was so smooth and tranquil - such and absolute delight! It also provided for some great pictures :-).

One other notable part of our trip was a lunch trip to Morimoto's. Now, if you ever watch Iron Chef, that name should be familiar. Yes - it is the restaurant owned and started by Iron Chef Morimoto! In all the episodes I've watched, I've never seen anyone beat him. He focuses on plating and flavor, so we were excited to see what his restaurant would bring. We both ordered the Japanese "box lunch" and were not disappointed. The lunch box consisted of soup or salad, some sushi and sashimi, tempura vegetables, and a main dish. Dan got this amazing port dish that just melted in your mouth. My dish of wagyu beef stew with a poached egg on top looked a little intimidating, but the taste was so flavorful; I could hardly put my fork down!

In all, Napa was a lot of fun, and I can definitely see us going back there in the future. One thing we would note - if you want to really see and explore wine country - rent a car! The areas taxis and limos are expensive and restrictive. For folks who want to indulge a little more, I'd recommend doing a tour that includes transportation, but take at least a day or two to explore on your own - the countryside there is just beautiful!

San Francisco - My Home in Another Life

Our last day of this trip was spent I downtown san Francisco. We just love this city anyway, and have been there several times now - not including the summer that I lived there. It's fun to go back to a city that you love and see how it has and hasn't changed! We shopped a little for a few last things, and went to two movies, including "The Help" which was amazing!

It was a whirlwind of a trip, and the travel part wasn't the greatest this time around, but we enjoyed ourselves and made some great memories for years to come!