soaking it up.

At long last, here is the final round of photos from our week-long adventure in the Golden State!
This could be my favorite set of photos too--so you're in for a treat. Our last full day in Napa
started early. We boarded vans to head to the hot air balloon launch pad at 5:30am. It had been
quite some time since I'd seen that hour...but let me tell you: it was totally worth it! Enjoy :)

After our magical ride in the Valley, we headed over to another valley, this time in Sonoma County. 

We met my very knowledgeable uncle at the Jimtown Store on the outskirts of Healdsburg, where

 we found the food perfectly yummy and the atmosphere delightful. From there, my uncle showed

us two more wonderful vineyards {Geyser Peak Winery + Francis Ford Coppola Winery}.  The 

final stop we made in Healdsburg was the tasting room for Williamson Wines. It took the wine 

tasting experience to a whole other level, with the pairing of exquisite bites and tasty sips.

If you're in Sonoma County and don't go to Williamson, you're missing out!

Once we said goodbye to my uncle, we headed back for the Napa Valley and changed in a 

parking lot {classy!} before another phenomenal dinner at The Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant. 

Found at the Culinary Institute of America, the Greystone set the stage for a phenomenal 

last night with the {d}s. We even had an olive oil flight! 

The final hours of that day consisted of Trivial Pursuit back in our suite, which was a perfect way 

to top off our time with {jd} and {rd}. We woke up the next morning and gathered all our wine 

{28 bottles between us--eeps!}, before checking out and heading into Napa for one last lunch.

We chose Gott's Roadside for our final bite, which is another place I'm glad we didn't miss.

I had a killer burger, full of flavor and topped with a slice of bleu cheese. {cv} made a healthier 

choice and had tuna tacos ;) I'm salivating just thinking about that lunch...sigh.

Though traffic from Napa into San Francisco almost allowed us a few more hours with the {d}s, we
said our "see you laters" to {jd} and {rd} after what can only be classified as a perfect visit. Once we
left them, we managed to catch a few final glimpses of SF with one of my oldest friends in the world, {hs}. {Oldest in longevity--not age, of course!} She moved to the city after college for a teaching job and made our last hours in the Golden State that much more wonderful. It was great to catch up with {hs} after a few years apart and see her in her element!

After a stellar week in California and more than a thousand miles on the road, we boarded our
red-eye back to New England and tried to catch a few winks. I'm already ready to go back...
though my pants may never fit again if I was to eat that much food ;)

What is one of your favorite memories from your last vacation?
{I'd have a hard time picking just one from this trip!}


Thanks again for indulging me in one last California post! I hope you'll come back by tomorrow
for another round of Friday's Fancies :) This week, I'm pulling together a lazy and hazy summer
outfit. I hope you'll join in the fun and dream up your own Fancies! Until tomorrow, xoxo {av}

if you need a break from your Thursday, rewind our roadtrip!

day one + day two + day three + day four + day five + day six