Napa Valley, California

Six word story: Escaped reality, only to sadly depart.

We ventured into Napa Valley because I needed to escape my grandma, who was nagging us endlessly to skip the marriage and give her great-grandchildren. We underestimated her desperateness to have descendants. All her nagging fueled my desperateness for alcohol, and off we went to Napa.

Napa surprised me. Beautiful blue skies roamed above endless rolling green hills of vineyards. Shadows of fluffy white clouds skimmed lightly on land. For a moment, I thought I was in Tuscany. I got teary. I could see us getting married here, and I did not hesitate to tell him. Per usual, his response was “maybe.”

He booked us a self-guided wine-tasting tour at the William Hill Estate Winery. The owner, William Hill, wanted to recreate the Bordeaux vineyards for his winery. No wordy description will do the beauty of this vineyard justice. I did my best to illuminate the beauty through my photos.

Our tour began with a glass of Chardonnay. It was clean, crisp, and a swirling combination of sweet and tangy. I admit, I didn’t pay attention to the audio guide. I was too busy catching the attention of jack rabbits, and keeping an eye out for turkey vultures circling above. I don’t think highly of vultures, and the thought of a flying, meat-eating turkey just made it worse. The one thing I did remember hearing was  Canadian geese were unwanted pests! We both laughed upon hearing this because Canadian geese are protected and precious in Canada. Only the true north would protect this annoying specie. Sorry!

Our aimless stroll ended early by an approaching rainstorm. The second batch of the tasting flights was also waiting for us at the facility.

Wine continues to be an acquired taste for me. My taste buds are incapable of teasing out the distinct notes of a bouquet of flowers, a burst of citrus, or jazzy spices.

I was sad to depart this beautiful slice of California. I repeated my desire to host a wedding here. This time, he gave a different response! “We can think about it,” he said. Maybe, he was also touched by the beauty. Perhaps, it is a genius idea because wine is readily available that, if we do have the wedding here, our guests will be drunk!

The Jewel of Morro Bay

Six word story: Flirting with sea lions, bad idea. 

Welcome to Morro Bay. Dory does not live here.

I went here looking for Dory and Nemo. Instead, I found sea lions and sea otters swimming idyllically. The sea lions were immune to humans, while the otters were uneasy about us.

I am not a big fan of sea lions because of my history with one. Up close, they were not that cute. They were stinky creatures that took pleasure in fully displaying their large, clumsy bodies before you. I am, however, in awe of how they maneuvered on the rocky shoreline.  They would occasionally sing to each other, or howled at people who were within close proximity. These creatures actually have a restraining order against us. Humans have to stay at least a good distance or risk getting fined!

The Jewel of Morro Bay is a large volcanic rock that stands out in the water. Some million years ago, it was an active volcano.  There is a road from the shore that leads to it. My imagination had told me that, if I followed the road to the rock, I would find a mysterious side of Morro Bay. May be Dory and Nemo will be there?

Sea otters!

It was grey and foggy when we drove to the rock. Large sea birds hovered about, and there was construction. Nothing mysterious was brewing. But, it did offer a nice scenic view of the town behind it.  Also, a cute group of sea otters were hanging out in the small bay nearby.

Another highlight was seafood was cheap! Yes, I pigged out. How could I not? Freshly grilled sea scallops, swordfish, barbecue oysters, fish and chips, and yellow tail poke… my mouth is watering as I reminisce.

Freshly grilled giant scallops. I miss you.

Morro Bay is a great seaside town to park your sleek sailboat (if you have one), take a sea-kayak out into the water and float. Your worries are forgotten, until a sea lion howls, rudely snapping you back to reality.

P.S.  There is an aquarium in Morro Bay, but it is not the “aquarium” as the hotel receptionist forewarned.