Meadowood, Napa

We had a wonderful trip to Napa a few weeks ago. We flew over Lake Tahoe to Sacramento, where I graduated from Sac State, then drove to Napa. Flying over the lake felt like coming home. It also reminded me of the time I worked for the forest service at Tahoe National Forest in Truckee, California.





We stayed at the Meadowood resort.





Our room was in a beautiful wooded area, down a steep gravel path, then up the steps to the porch and into the room.





The room was very relaxing and luxurious. The first night we sat on the porch until dark. Just before the sun went down two deer came by and grazed under the trees while we watched. The second night we went to a deli and brought back a picnic dinner to eat on the porch. It looks like it's screened in, but it's not, it's wide open to the trees and sky! The bed was one of the most comfortable we've slept in. There was a separate living room with a huge flat screen tv, skylights and windows looking out to the woods. Even with the way cool tv and the Olympics going on, we hardly watched any tv.





Last April the grape vines were just coming out of their winter nap. This time, they're covered with big juicy grapes, ready to harvest in September and October.





Now for the food shots. When I lived in the Bay Area, Napa and Sonoma were all about the grapes. Now, gourmet food is almost as important. In fact, the best restaurant in the United States, The French Laundry, is in Napa. Since reservations are need months in advance and it's very expensive we did not eat there. Here are some shots from Go Fish. We also eat at Cindy's Back Street Kitchen (both owned by Cindy). She features fresh, local ingredients. Outside each of her 3 restaurants (she also owns Mustards) she has vegetable and herb gardens. We saw the chef with a scissors and basket collecting things for that nights dinner! We liked the Back Street Kitchen the best (no food shots, sorry).





Our breakfast was at the Meadowood restaurant, again, outside. They claimed to serve the best English Muffins. We agree, they were tasty, served with fresh jams. They came from the Model Bakery in St. Helena. Can you tell I just learned how to add links to the blog?



We hiked the 4.5 mile trail that circles Meadowood along the hillside. Pausing and looking up through the tall trees we saw a brilliant, clear blue sky.



A Spiritual Moment. After we hiked up several switch-backs we came to an opening in the trees. There we found "an ancient meditation prayer tool, the Labyrinth. It is useful for meditation and as a strong method of self-identification in today's complicated world. The Meditative Spiral is a classic seven-circuit design laid with river stones on a bed of pine and Madrone wood chips. A spiral, unlike a maze, has only one path. The way in is also the way out and it requires no analytical thinking. A passive and receptive mindset is required. At its most basic levels the spiral is a metaphor for the journey into one's deepest self and back out into the individual's world with a heightened felling of one's inner self." Can you spy with your little eyes the turkey's crossing the trail in the second photo?





Enough of this spiritual stuff, this is the Massarati I wish we could of rented.



Did you know that Taylor, of Crystal and Taylor, secretly owns Taylor's Refresher? He won't admit it, but it's true, I think. Anyway, it's been featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and has great shakes, burgers, fish tacos and sweet potato fries. Check it out next time your in town, Taylor will appreciate it.





And so we head home to the beauty of Utah.