California Dreaming - From Yosemite to Napa Valley

Our weekend trip to Northern California was really just about 60 hours total. We arrived to SFO midday on Friday and drove out towards Yosemite National Park. We stayed the night in Groveland, which was a wonderful little mining town from the 1850s gold rush.

Traffic from San Francisco to Groveland was terrible! It took us nearly 3 hours to go approximately 80 miles. Once outside of the "city" (or series of cities) traffic moved much better along CA HWY 120. I don't know if the day of the week mattered (we arrived on a Friday) or if it is just that busy in California.

The drive once out of the city, however, was very pretty. The rolling hills and valleys were lush and very green. At one point, we went over a large damned reservoir but couldn't identify it on the California map so we're not exactly sure what the name is. This overview does have a photo from one of the scenic overlooks.

As you start the climb into the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the views become breathtaking. As evening approached, the sun setting to our back created a beautiful shade of orange on the mountains.

We returned on Saturday evening after our full day in Yosemite (see separate journal). The drive back went much quicker but provided an equally scenic view. We stopped for dinner in Oakdale, a small western rodeo town in the foothills. Dinner options seemed limited but we were very happy with our find at the Nutcracker Restaurant.

Sunday was dedicated to seeing Napa Valley and taking in a wine tour or two. We thoroughly enjoyed our leisurely breakfast at Angelo’s in Vallejo and the afternoon tour at Sterling Vineyards. Breakfast at Angelo’s was so good, we returned that evening with another couple for dinner. It was very nice to meet our friends from Sacramento, enjoying conversation and an outstanding meal.

I'm still surprised at how much we really did pack into our 60 hours in Northern California! Next time, we'll need to plan for more time to see and do more things!

Quick Tips:

As I have already mentioned, we were in Northern California for just a weekend. If you are interested in seeing more on a more leisurely pace, probably mid-week would be in your best interest. Also, given that it was August, we were prepared for extreme heat. We were blessed, however, that the weather was clear and unseasonably cooler than average. That made our daytrip drives much more pleasant.

In driving Napa and/or Sonoma Valley on the weekend, be prepared for the large exodus on Sunday afternoon. We were caught slightly off guard by the bumper-to-bumper traffic around 5pm on Sunday.

Also, if you are looking for a lunch spot, be prepared for a lengthy wait. We stopped at a couple of places in Napa Valley only to find they had hour plus waits. Given that we were only looking for something light, like a salad, we settled on looking for something in the City of Napa which we could do as a carryout. Fresh fruit and a small salad was perfect to get us to our 6:30pm dinner reservation back in Vallejo.

Because of the beauty seen along the drive along CA HWY 120, you should plan to make it during daylight hours. We were surprised at what we missed arriving to Groveland at dusk. The bright sunny daylight really made a difference in how things looked (and photographed).

I would also encourage visitors to take in the local atmosphere of a saloon along the way. We really had a great time in Groveland which is the "Gateway to Yosemite" approximately 175 miles from San Francisco.

Best Way To Get Around:

The only way to really see and experience this area is by car. There are many tour operators in San Francisco, Sacramento and throughout the Northern California valley area so if you don't want to drive, let someone else chauffeur you around in style. The number of stretch limos seen at many of the vineyards and wineries was remarkable. It was also interesting to note, however, that many of the smaller boutique wineries prohibited limos and tour vans due to their limited space.

We drove all the way through Napa Valley on CA 29, as our first winery tour was at Sterling Vineyards just beyond St. Helena. That allowed us to then work our way back out of Napa Valley after our tour and tasting was complete.

At the entrance to Napa Valley you can take the other road out towards Sonoma Valley, which we did for about ten miles. While Napa Valley is a relatively flat valley between hills, what we saw of Sonoma was more like rolling hills with vineyards all along the hillside. It was very beautiful and remarkably different than Napa Valley.

As you drive around, don't forget to stop along the way to really take a look at the grape vines. We visited when they were heavy with fruit near harvest. The photos turned out very nice from several of the spots where we stopped to take pictures.

Napa Valley and its neighbor Sonoma Valley are known for their vineyards and wineries. We spent a Sunday afternoon touring by auto. Because we wanted to make sure that we got to do the actual tour at Sterling Vineyards (see separate review), we headed out CA29 through the Napa Valley through Napa and past St. Helena. The traffic midday was not too bad. We stopped along the way to take some photos of the fruit heavy vines at several of the accessible vineyards. With harvest a few short weeks away, there were a lot of wonderful opportunities for photos.

As we drove the CA29, we passed many well known brand names . . . Beringer, Mondavi and Sutter Home. Some of the buildings were spectacular! There were also many smaller, cottage industry type wineries that produce lesser known Napa Valley wines.

The winery tour industry is a business on its own merits. We were surprised to see the number of tours offered by limo tour operators. As we drove through Napa Valley, we must have seen at least 50 stretch limos and luxury cars. Just about all of the wineries that we looked into touring charged a fee, often between $10 and $25 per person (adults).

I was surprised at the narrowness of the valley itself. From the terrace atop the Sterling Vineyards property, you could see straight down through the valley. Many of the vineyards are on the valley floor but there are several that are up on the hillside.

What little we did venture down into the Sonoma Valley, we did notice that many of their grape vines were on and over the rolling hills as there was seemingly very little flat land in that direction. Perhaps we didn't go deep enough into Sonoma Valley? I don't know.

We did stop at one coop vineyard where grapes are grown for many member wineries. While tours were not provided, there was rather free access to the grape vines so we parked the car and got out to take some photos. The first thing we noticed was that the dark grapes appeared to grow larger than the white. All of the vines, regardless of variety of grape, were bursting with fruit ready to be picked. We were told harvest would take place starting in September . . . so just a week or two away.

If you make the trip on a summer weekend, be prepared for heavy traffic especially coming out of Napa Valley. For the most part, traffic moved rather well and didn't really cause us a significant delay. I think it took us about 15 minutes longer to return "out" of Napa Valley. The mistake we almost made was venturing too deep into Sonoma Valley. As we started to head in that direction, it was becoming increasingly clear that the traffic in the opposite direction was bumper to bumper for several miles so we aborted our trip after about ten miles for fear that we'd be late for our 6:30pm dinner reservation.

We thoroughly enjoyed our day tour of Napa Valley and would suggest that if you have a trip to San Francisco or Sacramento, you allow a day or two to take in the wine country of Northern California.

One of the things we were looking forward to doing was buying some wine to bring home. Unfortunately in a post 9-11 era, you can no longer take wine as a carry-on. While they did have some places that specialized in shipping and just about every winery shop could assist in your shipping needs, we didn't want to take the risk of having them damaged by airline baggage handlers . . . and didn't want to incur the added expense to ship via UPS so we passed on making a purchase on this trip. Maybe next time! In the meantime, we have a couple of wines on our shopping list here at home.

In Napa Valley, there are so many wineries and vineyards . . . so little time! How does one select one or two to explore and tour? We are not big wine aficionados, so making the choice was even more difficult. I asked some fellow travelers what they would suggest, and Sterling Vineyards with their sky tram to the tour and tasting area was highly recommended. We are really happy with our choice on two accounts. First, it was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon . . . and second, it forced us to drive deep into the Napa Valley, beyond St. Helena which is seemingly the end of the tourist area of the wine country.

Upon our arrival, the entrance roadway was beautifully landscaped and welcoming. Parking was plentiful at the bottom of the hillside where the tasting and tours take place. To reach this area, guests must take the sky tram that ascends approximately 300 feet. The buildings were created based on Mediterranean architecture and felt much like a monastery to include the large bell atop the tower.

The tour is self guided, which was also very nice allowing visitors to go at their own pace. In the first foyer area was our first tasting . . . a nice Pinot Gris which I thought went down smooth like sprite! From here, we walked through the first two exhibit areas including a historical overview of the winery and the fermentation process. From here we went out onto the terrace patio where our second tasting took place . . . a 2005 Chardonnay. While not as dry as some Chardonnay wines, I found the taste to be robust with a hint of oak and fruit. The view of the Napa Valley from this area was spectacular!

From here we walked through the barrel storage area and watch video on the bottling process. Leaving this tour area, guests are encouraged to go to the neighboring building that houses several special events rooms, the tasting lounge and wine cellar store. As we entered the large room, we were welcomed with our next sample - their 2003 Syrah. The first of the reds to be sampled, it was a bit too strong for my tastes.

Once seated we were greeted by another server who provided us a tasting of the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, which is not a wine I like so I passed. The last tasting was what I can best describe as a dessert wine - Malvasia Bianca. It was very sweet and tasted like fruit juice. Not too sweet, so I could envision overindulging in this delightful beverage.

The tours are offered seven days a week and include the tram ride to the top. Prices are slightly higher on weekends ($20) versus during the week ($15). Arrive early (before 12:30pm) and save $5 with a coupon from their website. They also offer a VIP tasting and tour for $45 at 11:30am daily.

For more information, go to: www.sterlingvineyards.com/en-row/home.

We found the Nutcracker Restaurant on our drive on CA Hwy 120 from Yosemite National Park heading in towards Napa Valley. With nightfall coming quickly, and hunger setting in, we stopped here largely based on the huge billboard proclaiming "the best prime rib in town." Once there, however, the dining choices were such that neither of us really felt much like prime rib.

After long thought and consideration, I selected the jumbo prawns which came with choice of soup or salad. David went for the chef's special Jack Daniels' steak which also came with soup or salad. Both meals were also served with choice of potato and vegetables. Perhaps the most unique accompaniment was the cheese fondue served with French bread as an appetizer which also came with all dinner entrees.

We enjoyed our meals and were left feeling very full. They did bring around the dessert tray which had a lot of tempting items including cakes, pies and cheesecakes. But we were good and passed. It must have been that delicious French bread and cheese!

The inside of the restaurant was deceivingly large with several separate dining rooms. We were seated in the area with a nice exterior window which was preferable to the rather dark interior dining areas. The decor seemed a bit mismatched and the table placemats clashed with the general motif of the place.

All in all, however, it was a good meal and pleasant atmosphere with outstanding service. Dinner including tax and tip, was $75 which by this time we realized is "just how it is" in California.

Angelo’s is tucked away in a gated community of Hiddenbrooke in Vallejo, near the entrance to California’s famous Napa Valley. We learned of them via the website Restaurant.com and were glad we did! Since we were only in the area for essentially 24 hours, we needed to make things convenient to where we were staying or near the main freeway system. Angelo’s markets themselves as a "fine Italian dining" establishment. That may be a bit over-exaggerated, but the meals provided are indeed outstanding!

We stopped in Sunday morning for breakfast at around 8:30am. Given their published 7:30am opening, we were concerned that perhaps they were closed as there wasn’t a car in the parking lot, the inside didn’t appear to have any lights on . . . and there was a white paper hanging in the front door window. My heart sunk as I walked up to read the sign, only to learn that they were hosting a private party later in the day. The door was unlocked so I poked my head inside. There was plenty of activity inside, just no customers. Perhaps not the best sign, but I waived David from the car and inside we went for breakfast.

The bright natural light flowing through the large windows on the two exterior walls was such that there was no need for the inside lights to be on. We were invited to sit where we wished, so we took up at a front table, with a nice view of the hillside. Our server Edward was immediately at the table to offer up drinks. David enjoyed his coffee and I sipped on a tall glass of orange juice. Given that they also offered cappuccino, espresso and lattes, I was surprised he didn’t go for something with a stronger kick.

The breakfast menu was quite extensive including the usual breakfast faire, plus crepes, frittatas, sour dough French toast and omelets. Unable to really decide, I opted for the Angelo’s breakfast sampler and David ordered the egg white omelet with everything but the kitchen sink. My sampler plate included the French toast, two strips of bacon, a sausage patty, an egg over easy, breakfast potatoes, fruit and wheat toast. Holy cow – way more food that anyone should eat at breakfast! I don’t think I touched my toast given that the two slices of French toast were more than enough in the way of carbs. David said that he had never had an egg white omelet and that he said was very good. Breakfast, including tax and gratuity was just over $30.

We enjoyed our breakfast so much; we decided it would be a great place to meet another couple for dinner. With a 6:30pm reservation, we were already looking forward to dinner! When we arrived, they had just completed cleaning up from their afternoon private party (a baptism party for over 150 people). As we looked through their dinner menu, I struggled with whether or not to try their wood oven baked pizza or something more traditional at an Italian restaurant. David went for the grilled salmon, while our friends did opt for a large pizza. I sold out for the spaghetti and meatballs, along with an ala carte dinner salad. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their dinner and had their eye on dessert. I felt I couldn’t eat another bite, but agreed to share a cheesecake with strawberries with David, while the other couple shared a crepe with strawberries and chocolate sauce.

The total dinner bill came to around $110, which was not bad given the amount of food we had enjoyed. I should note that while the restaurant had a full service bar and an extensive wine list, we did not imbibe since everyone had some driving to do after the meal.

I hope that Angelo’s will be able to make a go of their new restaurant. Given that they are somewhat remotely located in a gated community, which could really hurt them. The good news is that they are right off the I80 and very accessible without having to venture into the city limits of Vallejo. Hopefully with marketing efforts such as Restaurant.com, they will get their word out and people will find them. We’re glad we did!

Angelo’s Restaurant
8308 Bennington Court
Vallejo, CA
(707) 644-5500
www.myangelos.com