NAPA & YOSEMITE PARK

This is the best city to stay in if you are planning a trip to Yosemite Nat'l Park and aren't planning on staying inside the park.

The staff is made up mostly of young people, a little clueless, but we had no problems with the service.

The hotel offers a daily free continental breakfast, which is really decent. The hotel does have an elevator and a luggage trolley, which is very convenient.

The actual room was large and comfortable. We had daily maid service and received fresh towels and bedding each day.

It's only 45 minutes from Yosemite Park. If you plan to go there, drive into Mariposa using Hwy 140. All other routes are extremely mountainous and will take forever to drive through because you can't drive more than 25 mph.

The best part of this motel is its location! It is just one of a few places to stay outside the King's Canyon Nat'l Park. Don't let the looks fool you -- it is a small family-owned place with cute but basic rooms. We had no TV or phone, but they weren’t needed because we spent the entire day at the national park.

The motel is just a short 30-minute drive from the northwest gate of King’s Canyon. They do have a pool open in summer, but this place is recommended for people who need no frills--just a clean room with linens and a shower.

Aside from the local pizza place, there are no real restaurants in the area. When you want to eat, head to Dunlap, Sanger, or Fresno, all just 30 minutes away.

The park is more beautiful than you can imagine! (In fact, the whole drive from Mariposa to Yosemite Village is breathtaking.) Ansel Adams has made areas of this park infamous with his black-and-white images of its beauty.

The park was created by glaciers that carved out the mountain rock as they recessed millions of years ago. The park is essentially a three-mile wide, flat valley with amazing scenery. The park is home to several types of wildlife, but most notably, the mountain lion, black bear, bobcat, and coyote. In fact, on our way out of the park we got to see a baby coyote in a field playing. Therefore, don't be surprised if you see these creatures around when you are hiking. (Don't worry: if you don't provoke them, they won't bother you!)

There are easily five waterfalls right on the main roads in the park. We did quite a bit of hiking and climbing around the waterfalls; however, there was a lot we weren't able to access because of the snow. We went the second week of April and the snow was waist high in some areas of the park. I would suggest that if you go, do so from mid-May through September when all the roads are open to the public. Also, be sure to fill-up on gas before you head off to the park--there is really nowhere to fill-up outside of Mariposa and if you run out you are essentially just out of luck. I would also recommend taking a picnic lunch so you can avoid Yosemite Village all together. It's a tourist trap with nothing more to offer than shopping. Don't waste your time inside a store when you are at the park!! Instead, enjoy one of America's most beautiful scenic areas!

Park entrance fees are $20 per car per day. We chose to buy an annual National Park Pass; it allows us access to any park for one year. It paid for itself on that vacation because we spent four days inside the three parks in that area and saved $30!

The park is nice, the lake is great, the snow gets really deep in the winter, the rivers are cold, and the lions are hungry.

These trees are really really big. The park rangers are nice. Watch the videos at the ranger stations to hear more about the history and the life cycles of these trees.

The best advice for exploring wine country is to plan accordingly in order to maximize you time. There are a lot of places to go and almost all are open from just 10am-5pm. All of the wineries that offer tours do so only at specified times...check ahead of time so you get the most out of your time and aren't waiting around like we did at several different places. Also, have an idea of what type of wine you enjoy drinking...this will help you from wasting time and money tasting wines you don't like. I prefer semi-sweet to dessert wines and didn't bother tasting the dark red dry wines--which is mostly what is grown in this region. This helped when I wanted to purchase because I focused my tastings to styles I know I enjoy.

By far the best tour and tasting is off the beaten path in Sonoma at Korbel. This was the best experience we had in wine country. They offer free tours and tastings and their tour is fantastic! It was the best historical tour we had. Our barkeep and tour guide was Gunter and he was extremely knowledgeable of Korbel's history and 'spirits'. He was also the friendliest person we met on our trip. Korbel produces champagne, wine, sherry, and brandies. We tasted a little of each and ended up buying several bottles to take home. The winery is situated in a beautiful area with mountains and redwood trees all around. The scenery is spectacular and the gardens are open for tours mid-May. We didn't make it to any other wineries in Sonoma because we spent nearly the entire day there. They also have a great little restaurant on-site, as well as a deli for picnickers with great shaded outdoor seating.

While in Napa, we visited just four wineries: Robert Mondovi, V. Suttui, Niebaum-Coppola, and St. Supry. Our first stop was Mondovi's. This is the best place to go for a tour of an operating winery. We actually have done that many times and decided to go for the quickie 30-minute overview tour. We were escorted through the vineyard and given an overview of the growing process. Next, we went into the cellars and saw the fermentation tanks and the aging barrels. Our guide was very informed and did give us a lot of information about Mr. Mondovi, the vineyards, and the Napa Valley. The tour ended with a tasting at which we were given our glass to keep. The whole thing cost $10 and you can only go into the vineyard and winery on a guided tour. Although the basic tour is acceptable, I would recommend the full hour--it's more in-depth and a better use of your time.

Our next stop was Niebaum-Coppola winery. This place should be a stop if for no other reason than to view the gardens and beautiful buildings. This place also had--by far--the BEST gift shop! It's huge and has a lot of great items, definitely a must for goodies to take back home. The women working at the bars were very nice and honest about the wines available for tasting. They gave us specific selections to try by the glass and saved us $10 each on a tasting. The tasting does include a beautiful wine glass--I suggest it if you are a dry red wine lover! The winery has a small museum on the second floor with movie memorabilia dedicated to Francis and Sofia's movies. It's worth the 10 minutes, especially if you are a Godfather or Apocalypse Now fan. The only thing missing from this winery is a tour--but stroll through the gardens and enjoy the Italian feel of the surroundings. Don't miss this winery.

St. Supry was the biggest waste of time in all of Napa! They have a self-guided tour upstairs that is unremarkable and the tasting room has a very lame gift shop. When we attempted a tasting, we were treated very poorly. The staff was snobby, condescending, and rude--which matched their insanely high tasting fees which ranged from $10-$25 per person. We ended up leaving disappointed and angry because of the way we were treated. Also, the "garden tour" is actually a basic marked walk around the front yard. All in all, this stop was a total waste--don't bother unless you are a big fan of their wines--you'll be treated better elsewhere.

Our final stop of the day was at V. Sattui. The barkeeps were incredible and the wine was great too. The man who was doing our tasting was extremely busy, yet we felt as though we had his attention the entire time. The tastings here are free and the wine is excellent. We purchased six bottles to take home. The best part about this winery is the picnic-friendly atmosphere. They have a plethora of shaded tables and a deli on-site. We had purchased a bottle from the cooler and took it outside and had our dinner. V. Sattui wines are only sold at the winery so be sure to stock up!

The one winery we regretfully missed was Beringer. We were told by staff at many wineries that it is by far the best tour in Napa. We came into Napa from the south and it is located in the north part of the county. Plan your stops accordingly...you will want to go there.