Temecula CA Day Tripping and Wine Tasting

Temecula CA is a day tripper or weekender's paradise from the Los Angeles - Orange County - San Diego - Palm Springs Megalopolis. I discovered this little town more than 15 years ago, when it was still considered in it's wine infancy. In those days, a leisurely drive, wine tasting, a picnic and a drive home was something easy for a couple of yuppies to do. Fast forward, and to fall 2006, and somehow a decade and a half had passed since my last visit to this great valley surrounded by rolling hills and a thriving wine industry. I'm told that the wineries here host more guests than the famed Sonoma and Napa regions, because of the proximity to the locations named earlier. Truth is, the wine here is good too.

I came back to this little haven last week for an afternoon of wine tasting, a lunch, and a charity dinner at the Temecula Creek Inn to benefit Cancer for College (and my chance to make my kids jealous and meet Will Ferrell). When I was under 40, I would have never had the "guts" to go wine tasting by myself, nor the self discipline to pace out the tastes and stay sober.

After an easy one hour drive from Orange County, I dropped my other half at the College for Kids Golf Tournament, and headed over to Thornton Winery (32575 Rancho California Rd., Temecula, CA 951-699-0099). I had decided to try smaller wineries that I had not yet visited, and that I didn't think were on my book club's itinerary for our now annual trip. Thornton was one of the first wineries I saw, but what caught my eye was the sign for "champagne" - one of my favorite wines!

I had a light lunch in the Cafe Champagne (the lunch entrees looked good but large and expensive for what I wanted) of a soup and bread. The service was excellent as was the Champagne. There is a lovely center courtyard with a fountain and plenty of room to take in the neighboring hills. The tasting room is far more civilized than many, and instead of standing at the bar, you sit at a table indoors or out, and choose a "flight" of wines to taste. I of course chose the champagne flight. A flight is typically a set of wines (4-6) that are served at one time and move from driest to sweetest. While waiting, I enjoyed the reading material which included a bit about the 19th annual champagne jazz series on Saturdays in September and October. One of my favorite jazz artists: Candy Dulfer was scheduled to play there Oct. 7. I'll have to check out this series for next year. Only an hour away, it would make for a great "date" with a spouse, friend, or even alone.
My favorite Thornton champagnes were: the 1996 Brut Reserve (served with my lunch), the Non-vintage Brut, and the 1996 Brut Reserve Natural. Your results may vary. I also learned that being alone has it's advantages as I met two nice women from Escondido, north of San Diego. The best part: the chance to go home with 4 bottles for the price of 3!

Next stop was Stuart Cellars (33515 Rancho California Road, Temecula CA 951-699-0099) which was just down the road and looked like just what I wanted: a small winery. This winery is a wonderful, small little gem. I liked every wine I tasted, the wine tender (Kenny) was gracious, informed, and efficient with all of the guests, and the guests were very friendly. Here I met two women from Rhode Island that were working in CA for 2 weeks, a gentleman involved in RV Fractional ownership, and a couple who lives literally a 1/4 mile from me. Small world indeed. I came home with a great Chardonnay, and an unexpected pink wine (I don't do pink anymore - HAH!). The port here is excellent To this winery, I'll be back.

As the golf tournament went long, I found myself looking for a place that was open after 5, and hoping for a snack. My choices seemed to be Mount Palomar, South Coast, and Miramonte. I chose the last because it was the smallest. I arrived just after 5 and found the small tasting room and lounge alive and just starting "Flamenco Fridays." Unfortunately tasting ends at 5 (thought the tasting menus were still out), but they will let you taste your wine before you order it. I settled on something I can't remember because the "wine tender" seemed terribly uninterested in helping me find a wine I liked. This place has these gorgeous labels of rock stars like Mick Jagger, Madonna, and others on some bottles. I asked the host about them, and he just tersely responded that they were for sale as collectors items. Guess I wasn't what he though might by one...even though the Madonna label is something I was VERY interested in. On the bright side, the flamenco food was delicious and inexpensive (try the spinach empanada), and the music was certainly entertaining. I will not however return to Miramonte, as I was made to feel unwelcome.

The charity dinner was at the lovely Temecula Creek Inn, well run, well provisioned. Excellent location for an event with great staff.

Other wineries worth visiting: Wilson Creek, Maurice Car'rie, Oak Mountain (not on the tourist map), and my favorite besides Stuart: Leonesse.

Happy Day Tripping and wine tasting.

I Pick George Clooney's Location - How About You?

What's the last weekend of summer for if not for dreaming? Take a few minutes and feast your eyes upon the locations where the stars spend their vacations and time away from home. From Santa Barbara to Italy - which location would you pick? Me I'd like Oprah's Santa Barbara place, and George Clooney's Lake Como estate. Take a look at the article from Forbes for more luxury second home locations.

Celebrity Second Homes | ForbesTraveler.com

Deja Vu in Colorado

One of the best things about being over 40 is that you start to get invited to weddings again. When I was in my 20s it seemed there was at least one wedding every summer or fall to look forward to: a new dress, maybe even a brides maid gown, dancing, free food, cocktails, and a new location or venue to explore. After the flurry of activity in those years though, the weddings die down, and I think I went about a decade with no weddings in the summer. But alas, now I have nieces and nephews, and neighbors' children, and I find myself having to choose between weddings to attend once again! This year's wedding: my nephew's. This year's destination: Estes Park, CO. Bonus: my 3 siblings and their families!

I've been to Colorado many times before. Mostly for skiing in Summit County, and a few summer or spring visits here and there. If I didn't have salt water in my veins, I'd live there. I'll never forget my first trip to the Rocky Mountains in 1986. Before that, I'd never even been west of the Mississippi River! I couldn't have imagined such grandeur and beauty. Over 20 years later, this place still takes my breath away, and holds surprises at every turn.

After leaving LA in the wee hours of the morning and arriving at that God forsaken airport they call Denver International and being whisked away by my sister, who has a little trouble with directions, I find myself taken in once again as we head north and west - even over the out of tune singing being performed by my kids, sister, and myself (my husband refrained...). Mind you this scenario: my sister, me, my husband is reminiscent of that trip 21 years ago, as it was with this sister that I met my husband here in Colorado...

A few hours later, and "voila", we are in the mountains winding through Estes Park, past the Stanley Hotel (the wedding reception venue)and arrive at a villa rented by my brother that backs on to a gorgeous river that I never learned that name of. Here we do the normal for families: hug, eat, and talk too loudly. I start to feel 12 again, as that's the last time all 4 of us kids lived at home together!

Shortly we find ourselves checked in to The Stanley Hotel (more on that later), and hurtling toward a rehearsal dinner at The Wild Basin Lodge in Allenspark, CO. The drive is breath taking, but the speeding trap is frustrating. Ah...but this is the stuff of family legend: "remember Geoff's wedding and we were late for the rehearsal dinner because Karen got a speeding ticket, and when we finally got there, (brother) Fred had been stopped too!" Since my husband was videographer for this event - we even have it documented for posterity. Can you picture a minivan with 3 kids and 3 adults just try not to laugh at my sister's misfortune?! and get her in more trouble with the police... The Wild Basin Lodge was not only the destination for a delicious and nicely casual rehearsal dinner, but also for the most beautiful wedding location I think I've ever seen. The wedding the next day was in a field with the clear sky of high altitude and the mountains as a backdrop. The only thing more beautiful, was of course the bride!


.The Stanley Hotel, famed as one of the historic hotels in the US, and infamous as the rumored inspiration and writing location of "The Shining" by Stephen King (which he denies) served up a private building for the reception, excellent food, pricey (but good) cocktails, and attentive service for the wedding. My only gripe: air conditioning needed for receptions!

Our rooms at the Stanley were non descript, but the hotel itself cannot be criticized as it is one of those old beauties. My favorite experiences at the Stanley are sitting in the evening on the expansive front porch, having morning coffee in the modern back courtyard with my family, and of course: watching The Shining on the 24/7 showing on the TV. I think, however the Stanley Hotel and staff needs to step up the cleanliness and old school mentality of service

No trip to the area would be complete without a foray into Rocky Mountain National Park, and because ours was a group of mixed ages from 12 to 80 something, we chose the accessible Sprague Lake for our outing. We enjoyed food, hiking, taking photos, and most of all my other brother's antics with his cat and bird, who ended up tragically flying away (I KNOW ...no domestic animals in NPs, why didn't he?...)...more family legend fodder. Funny how it was the same brother (macho as he is) who strapped bells on the laces of every one's sneakers when we hiked at Glacier National Park on one of these reunions several years ago. Some things never change.

.Our trip though draws to an end too soon for me (with a stop at a rock shop and the go karts in Estes Park), and we're back outside of Denver, and on to the next stop for summer vacation: Boston's North End

Summertime

Ah - summer - my favorite time of year because the kids are out of school and we can travel a little. Where have we been this summer?

Estes Park, CO & Rocky Mountain National Park for a wedding and family gathering
Boston, MA - staid in the North End and behaved like tourists
Georgetown, Maine - worked on our cottage, visited with friends and family, boated on the Sheepscot River
Tewksbury, MA - visited family
San Clemente, CA - vacationing at home - including the beach, pool, and San Diego

Summer wish list: local vacationing: Wild Rivers Waterpark, the beach, Oceanside condo, Lake Arrowhead (vacation rental exchange), LA fashion district for back to school shopping, the pool, Old Town San Diego, the Dead Sea Scrolls in San Diego, Tijuana, maybe a cruise to Mexico?

I'm still getting it together from nearly 3 weeks on the road, but hope to post on these locations before long. Need to get my photos ready!

Here's wishing your summer vacation is the best!

Spend a week's vacation with Jordin Sparks or Paris Hilton - you choose!

First, I'll say I'm sorry, but I couldn't resist. First news on the radio this morning was that Paris Hilton is out of jail after only 3 days in the slammer. Then when I opened my browser this afternoon, there it was: The Jordin Sparks / MeMe Roth "scandal" over obesity. Two stars, one looking anorexic and in jail with no talent, and one with lots of talent, a pleasant smile, and on no: 5'10" and a size 12 "the picture of unhealth" according to an obesity expert!Jordin Sparks: I Like My Curves - American Idol (Series), Jordin Sparks : People.com: "Jordin Sparks didn't just win American Idol last week – she won a lifelong battle to accept herself.

'I think it really helped boost her self-esteem and made her realize she's beautiful as she is,' her grandmother, Pam Weidmann, tells PEOPLE for its new issue. Jordin's mom, Jodi, says of her daughter's May 23 victory: 'It was huge to see her confidence level grow. ... She's standing taller now.' "

I have the pleasure of driving around girls ages 11-15 every day and guess what? Most of them are healthy and beautiful and they range in sizes from 0 to 18. Guess what else: they all think they are fat! Diets, exercise, even personal trainers are part of their daily conversations. Since when can anyone consider a young woman who is 5'10" tall and a size 12 unhealthy? MeMe Roth needs to get a grip and focus on preventing obesity and not picking on someone she's never even met! What kind of person talks about a 17 year old in public like that? I don't care that Jordin just won Idol; it's just so unneccessary.

Any way what I want to know is this: who would you rather spend a week long vacation with? Jordin Sparks or Paris Hilton? Your paying, not them!

My vote goes to Jordin - the one who will enjoy the local cuisine, smile broadly when something makes her happy, and who cleans up quite nicely thank you. Paris no thanks - we don't want to end up in some Mexican or LA jail!

Spring Break 2007 - Cooper Island, BVI

Riddle: What took 21 hours, $2000, and a bottle of sunscreen and was worth it all?

Answer: Spring break for Vacation Mamma and 2 girls at Quart-A-Nancy Point at Cooper Island in the British Virgin Islands from Los Angeles/Orange County

Note: Your cost will be significantly higher as our food and lodging were supplied courtesy of my big brother! Estimate $2500 for a week of lodging and double your normal grocery bill.

I wasn't planning on going anywhere for spring break this year. My taxes aren't done, the property tax bills were a bear, and we took a big trip to Europe in December. Plus my husband really couldn't get away right now. I figured we'd heat the pool and enjoy our own southern California backyard - that was until my nephew called 2 weeks ago with this great $560 round trip air fare to St. Thomas! Being "vacation mamma" I resisted for about 5 minutes and succumbed to the promise of warm water snorkeling in the Caribbean.

I'd been to Tortola before for a week stay at "Bananas on the Beach" in West End (284-495-4318) more than a decade ago and a day trip to Virgin Gorda with snorkeling at the famed Baths, but never to any of the smaller islands in the BVIs. That's where my brother comes in. He bought a place on Cooper Island a few years ago, but I'd never had the chance to visit (truth is he's been working so hard on his place, and I'm tired of working hard on my vacation rentals when I "vacation" so I was waiting until I might be able to actually vacation.)

Although St. Thomas is not the best place to fly into to reach Cooper Island (Tortola is)- we managed the extra ferry to Tortola and then the Cooper Island Beach Club shuttle/charter boat and never looked back (well only for sunsets. Our spring break consisted of 3 days full of snorkeling and sitting on the spectacular deck watching the day and night go by. Everything we needed was there, especially the hammock that my oldest daughter enjoyed sleeping in. Our wake up call was not an alarm clock, but the bleating of a goat owned by an islander. The birds visited the courtyard and made us feel as if we were in a sanctuary. The snorkeling right from the dock blessed us with squid, rays including an eagle ray, blue tang, parrot fish, flounder, puffer fish, grouper, and our own resident barracuda. Every evening we delighted in a sighting of a turtle just off shore, and watched the sun go down and the multitude of starts appear.

Spring break was short, but oh so very sweet this year. There is nothing like a little warm water and sun for the soul.

Up up and away

I can't even remember where I snapped this photo, but I thought it captured my sentiment today before I fly to Chicago, St. Thomas then ferry to Tortola and Cooper Island, BVI today!