I have to admit it took alot of brain power for this one. Maybe this is my calling? I guess you should ask our guests first to see if they had a good time. Several months ago I received my annual reminder to “bank” any points that I would not be using by our “year end” for our time share. I do the same thing every year, well almost every year. There is that very rare occasion that I plan ahead, notice I said rare occasion. So once I receive that email reminder I begin to see if we have time to go somewhere, where we want to go and if there is a timeshare available at that location and that time frame. As anyone with a timeshare knows, it is a game that we usually end up on the losing end of, unless your times are super flexible and you remember to plan ahead.
However I seem to have lucked out this year when I pulled up availability as we decided to try to go back to Napa. I could even get a two bedroom! So Tracey and I start brain storming about who to invite along on this trip. We come to a mutual agreement to invite our neighbors Sean and Molly. You see we have lived next door to each other for about 7 years and we hardly know them or have spent any time with them. What we do know is we have enjoyed the very limited time we have spent together, a lunch for us girls, the guys playing poker and most recently which wasn’t all that recent, wine rotation night at our house. We had been blessed to have Sean and Molly come by for awhile during our most recent wine rotation night and we were able to spend some quality time getting to know them and share our love of wine with them. It was duing this time that conversation took place about perhaps going to Napa together some day. Now that I have discovered availability at our favorite place to trade our timeshare, I reach out to our neighbors. Would they like to join us? when would they have availability? do they want to fly or drive?
Once those answers are finalized I secure the two bedroom condo, and discover we still have enough points to get another condo! I immediately try to book a second two bedroom for the same dates only to find out there are none available. Only bummed for a minute or two when I go back on to our system and figure out I can get two one bedrooms for the same dates we have the two bedroom, SCORE! Now who else to invite? Only takes a moment to ask two more couples we love to travel with, but one cannot join us due to a prior commitment. Now with Sean and Molly on board and Robert and Michelle, we still have room for one more couple. As Tracey and I ponder who to invite, it dawns on us that most of those we are thinking of are not only friends or family of ours, but friends with Robert and Michelle. Not really a problem, sounds like a good fit but I come up with a better idea. I call Molly and ask that her and Sean pick a couple to go with us. Now at least in my mind no one will feel like a third wheel, not knowing everyone as well as the others.
Now we are close to heading north and I have most of our itinerary planned out. We are very excited to spend some time with our friends and make new friends. I have met Jerry as he stopped by to pay for the wine train excursion I have booked. I only spent 15 mintues or so with him but I am pretty sure we are all going to get along wonderfully. Michelle, Tracey and I are flying up on Thursday morning. Robert is driving and had already left on Monday as he is working along the way to Napa. Cody and Michael have decided to join us and left late Wednesday night to drive up, they are staying with one of my bestest friends from high school, Laura, better known to my kids as Aunt Laura.
Michelle, Tracey and I are met by our driver in baggage claim. Once our bags are retrieved, he leaves us on the curb with the luggage and goes to get the car. We are very comfy in the Escalade he has brought to drive us to Napa in. I highly recommend Napa Valley Tours and Transportation. Even with traffic we are just over a hour getting to the resort in Napa. If you have never been, be sure and check out the Vino Bella Resort in Napa. You definitely will not be disappointed. It takes a little bit to get all 4 rooms checked in. We decide amongst the three of us, that we will take the two bedroom with Robert and Michelle ( we have shared one before) and give the one bedrooms to the others. We entered the “lobby” of the two bedroom, I say that because saying it is a two bedroom is sort of deceiving. You see you enter a locked door to be in an entry way or tiny lobby with two more doors, one door once unlocked leads to a very sizeable studio. A king size bed, a kitchenette with small bistro table, a living room area, laundry closet and a nice bathroom. Unlock the other door in the lobby and you enter a larger one bedroom, a full kitchen and dining area, living room and a seperate bedroom and bathroom and laundry closet. Both sides well appointed and very comfortable. We tell Michelle to take the bigger side as we had it last trip, of course she argues. We decide to go take at a look at the one bedrooms since we have the keys and the rest of the group doesn’t arrive until tomorrow. We discover that the one bedrooms are exactly like the larger side of the two bedrooms unit. We are so far good with our decision until Michelle walks in the bedroom and discovers between the bedroom and the bathroom a huge soaker jacuzzi tub. Now she wants to know if we can change our minds LOL. We each commandeer a one bedroom and move our stuff in. We justify in our minds that we are putting the other two couples together so they don’t feel so alone. Sorry Sean Molly Rachel and Jerry, I think we were just being selfish 🙂
We return to the front desk and confuse the new girl with changing up the names on the rooms, not that it really matters who is in what room, except I don’t think they all want to be addressed as Mrs Wiley or even worse Mr Wiley (those who know us will understand that best) Once that is all straightened out we head over to the bar to get a snack as we are now starving and don’t think we can wait for our dinner reservations. Cute little bar, with a small bowling alley and shuffle board. 
We order drinks, discover Robert is not far away, and take the servers recommendation on which snacks to order. We end up with the “smashed california avocado” better known to us Arizonians as guacamole, and maple honey wings. The wine and local beer was very tasty, but that sauce on the wings would be worth a trip just for that. In fact the waitress came back three times to clear the table and we wouldn’t let her take that board. Once the wings were gone, we used chips to scoop up the sauce and even resorted to our fingers it was so good. Robert arrived and joined us for our second round of drinks. We enjoy the food and drinks but most of all time with our friends. Robert, Michelle and I enjoyed some time in the jacuzzi while Tracey took a nap.
Later we meet up with Laura, Cody and Michael at a wonderful steak house in Napa. Cordeiros. 
Make sure you go, next time you are in the area. Service is top notch and the owner stops by to check on us a couple of times. The food was 5 star to say the least, thank you Laura for bringing some yummy wines for all of us. We are surprised at the end of our meal with a chocolate fondue dessert, in fact two of them for the table. 
Not to be outdone by the after dinner drink cart brought table side complimentary of the owner. We are so full and extremely content by the end of the evening. I think we should have taken more photos but we were so busy enjoying the present moments. We say goodbye and part ways. Robert, Michelle, Tracey and I go back and enjoy some time in the jacuzzi before calling it a night.
Day one in the books, looking forward to Day two and adding in more friends.
Good morning from the beautiful Vino Bello Resort in Napa. The four of us are up early and headed to the spa. We have booked couples massages. The spa is in a cave, when you enter there is a tasting room to your right, meeting rooms in front of you and the spa to the left. We have never done a tasting here at the resort, maybe that needs to be on our agenda next trip. We get checked in to the Spa and are escorted to the waiting room before being seperated and lead into the appropriate locker rooms. Michelle and I are shown where the lockers are, the showers, changing rooms, jacuzzi and steam room as well as the bathrooms. We are each given a locker with slippers and robes and instructed on how to lock up our personal items. We change into our robes and head to the waiting room. We decide that without our swimsuits we are a tad uncomfortable utilizing the jacuzzi and steam room. We are in the waiting room for 5 minutes or so, when we comment that the guys still haven’t joined us. I laughingly state they are probably enjoying the ammenities in their locker room as guys are less concerned with not having swimsuits than we girls are. Sure enough they arrive into the waiting room at the appointed 5 minutes before our appointments, raving about the jacuzzi and steam rooms. Once our amazing massages are complete, we stop by the waiting room for a brief moment and drink of water, before deciding Michelle and Robert probably finished before us and were in the locker rooms. Tracey and I part ways and head into the locker rooms. I don’t see Michelle anywhere and figure they either headed back to the room or are still enjoying their massages. I am just about fully dressed near my locker when Michelle appears from the direction of the changing rooms. We turn in our robes and slippers and head out to meet the guys. Michelle then tells the story of why she was in the changing room.
So apparently when Robert and Michelle finished with their massages they headed back into the locker rooms to change. Michelle is unlocking her locker when an employee comes in with a new client, giving her a tour just like we got upon our arrival. The same speal was being given to the new client all the way through the locker room back to the jacuzzi and sauna and back up through the showers and changing rooms. As they approach the lockers, right where Michelle is, the client expresses her disappointment that she has forgotten her swimsuit and she would have loved to get in the jacuzzi. At this point the employee states “we are swimsuit optional here at the spa”, to which the client raises her arms, fists in the air and rather loudly exclaims “YAY!!!!”. This causes Michelle to scoop up her clothes and proceed to a changing room, she no longer felt comfortable getting dressed in front of this stranger.
I entered the locker room as those two are exiting, I go to my locker and begin changing my clothes. I am wondering where Michelle is, perhaps they are not finished with their massages. I am just about finished when Michelle comes out of the changing room. We turn in our robes and slippers and head out to meet the guys. We pay for our services and head out to the café for some breakfast. Along the way Michelle tells us her story of the excited about naked jacuzzi time lady, and we all crack up. Now that you know the story the featured picture makes a little more sense as we all yelled YAY while raising our fists.
We enjoy breakfast in the café. We also discover in the café a super cool wine dispenser. It is akin to a super fancy soda dispenser, but dispensed 3 or 4 different wines. I will try to post a pic. I decided I needed one at home, that is until we looked up the price! After breakfast the boys head out to the jacuzzi, and Michelle and I head in to shower and get ready for the day. Shortly thereafter Molly, Sean, Jerry and Rachel arrive. We get them their keys and show them to their rooms, then leave them to get settled. Cody and Michael head over from Aunt Laura’s and hang out while I finish getting ready. We get a message that the new arrivals were hungry so they went to get something to eat. The guys are still in the jacuzzi, so Michelle, Cody, Michael and I head out in search of the lunchers. They had said they were near the pool, we check both pools but never find them. Cody and Michael take a walk up the hill into the vineyard, before rejoining us and heading back over to the jacuzzi area. We pass by the empty cages we saw yesterday but they are no longer empty. Beautiful falcons are in the cages, probably 4 or so of them, and they are used to keep critters our of the vineyards. We make it back over to the jacuzzi where we left Tracey and Robert and still have not found the rest of our group. We decide to sit on the chairs and chat with the guys for awhile. I text Molly to see where they ended up and they are back in there rooms napping and or getting ready for our wine tasting. It isn’t long before we suggest the guys get out of the jacuzzi and get ready for our scheduled tasting.
When I first started planning the trip, Viansa Winery in Sonoma where we are club members was have a pizza and pinot event. So I was able to get 6 tickets at club member pricing and 4 at regular pricing, and we would just average it out so everyone paid the same. As it neared time for our trip, I was notified the event was cancelled. When I expressed my dismay, they offered up a free tasting for our entire group and refunded all of my money. Win Win.
So once everyone was ready and introductions were made all the way around, we are headed out in two vehicles to Sonoma. It is a fairly short drive with beautiful scenery to Sonoma. We arrive right on time and are seated at a reserved table out on the patio.
I am not sure what was better, the wines or the conversations. We were treated to several extra tastings since we are long time club members and have our favorites that we wished for our friends to try even though they were not on the tasting menu today. I scored an additional taste for Michelle only as she was sure she loved the Arneis wine from Viansa but wanted to make sure before buying some. So we snuck inside where she was given a taste. To say we closed the place down would be an understatment. We do feel a little guilty so we venture inside to make our purchases and have them shipped home. The staff worked great with us, so everyone paid for their individual purchases but they were all being shipped to our house so we can take advantage of the one cent shipping. Once we completed all of our transactions, we return outside so they can finish cleaning up and locking up for the day. We take some photos, individual, couples, groups and entire group. Cody has found a great spot and is taking each couples photo. We have all appointed him our vacation photographer!! The grounds are so beautiful, it is hard to take a bad photo. Once we finish with the pics, even some goofy ones we head back to the cars to head to dinner.
Since our original plans were pizza here at the winery, I had to scramble a bit. Not knowing Sonoma all that well and finding a place to seat 10 of us on a Friday evening. I spoke with a contact at Viansa once they cancelled their event and took a recommendation from her. We end up at a place called Della Santina. We were seated out on the patio. All ten of us at one table in a garden setting. The food was delish, and the wine stellar. Although the waiter misunderstood Tracey’s comment and we ended up with additional wine to drink. Friends we apologize for that! The laughter rolled freely all through dinner and dessert. I myself really needed to walk back to Napa as I was so full. Definite fit to the saying fat and happy.
Once back at the resort, Cody and Michael headed back to spend time with Aunt Laura, Sean, Molly and Rachel retired for the night but the rest of us enjoy some jacuzzi time to wind down a perfect night.
Saturday morning we are all on our own until the limo bus picks us up for a day of tastings. Tracey and I are getting ready when the offer comes in to join Robert and Michelle for breakfast in their room. Robert is going to pick it up from the cafe and we will eat on their patio. What a great way to start any day!
Once it is time, we wander over to the lobby to meet the limo and our group. We find bits and pieces of our group, coming and going but no limo. I get a call from the driver and he is over by our rooms, but tells us to stay put and he will come pick us up. We gather the group and board the bus. I think everyone is looking forward to today. 
First stop on our trip is V. Sattui. A new to all of us winery. Evidently we are a few minutes late as I had received a call when we were about 5 minutes away asking if we were still coming. We are greeted out front and introduced to our guide. We are given a tour of the property that ends in a wine cellar. A small private room with a huge bar. Besides the bar there is enough room for the ten of us and two other unsuspecting innocent guests. We laugh, tell stories, listen to Jerry’s jokes (I swear this guy outta do stand up) and taste some wine. Cody gets lots of photos, a few of us make purchases and we head back to the limo so we are not late for our next appointment. Our driver places our purchases up front with him, to keep them safe I am sure, or out of the hands of those of us drinking already.
Our next stop is Paraduxx. This one I have been to as it is in the portfolio of the company my friend Laura works for. No tour at this location just a beautiful setting outside under a ramada. We have a wonderful hostess, very knowledgeable and funny. Tastings here are done like flights, very interesting. This way we are not only able to taste at our own speed, but we can circle back to the ones we liked the most. I order up three snack trays for the table, cheeses, meats, fruits and nuts. We are all hungry but there is no time in the schedule for lunch!! opps better plan differently next time. We have a little more time at this one than any of the others and we make good use by laughing a little longer, and probably louder. Not sure I have ever been in a better fitting group.
A few venture off to take some photos and check out the storage tanks for the wine. We make our selection for purchase and head up front to pay.
Our driver is waiting for us and takes our packages once again and places them up front. I have to admit, the rides from winery to winery have been entertaining to say the least. Jerry’s comedic act has us all rolling in laughter. Stories of previous times in limo buses are abundant, although most had stripper poles in the stories. Not sure if we just surprised the youngest members of our group, Cody and Michael, or scarred them for life!
Next stop is Duckhorn, again I have been to this one as it belongs to the portfolio of the company Laura works for. Such a beautiful house and property. Love the garden they have for the employees. We don’t get time to explore the grounds though as a private room is awaiting our group. The table is elegantly set. 
Our host is a hoot and we have a great time. Not sure there is anywhere this group would not have a great time. The wines are spectacular as I expected and we very much enjoy our tasting. We are able to make our selections before leaving the tasting and have everything shipped to us. A few minutes to find the restrooms and scan the gift shop and we are loaded back on the bus heading to our final stop for the day.
Berringer is our last stop. This property is stunning. We are dropped off in front and make our way up to check in. Once we are all checked in, we make our way up to the meeting place for the tour. This is the only winery that we are not in a group of just us, there are ‘strangers” in our group now. Of course they are not strangers for long, we are a friendly bunch, loud, funny and a bit liquored up by now. So the others can like us, or well I guess have a bad tour LOL. Our tour guide seems a bit dry at first but with the guys in our group he loosens up. 
We get the tour of the property and into the wine caves, tasting along the way. Lots of pictures taken. Of course the tour ends in the wine shop and we HAVE to buy some wine! We are making arrangements to have it shipped and Robert adds to our order. Later I hear that he told Michelle he couldn’t find her so he had me buy his wine!! Love that man. We end up outside on the beautiful property and get some great photos. Cody gets some pictures of each of us and our driver takes some group photos for us.
We have had an amazing day, Cody and Robert took turns playing DJ in the limo, not sure their music choices were always the best, but they for sure brought out some old memories and belly laughs.
Once back at the resort, we are all hungry and decide to order room service. My good friend Laura is coming to join us and we are all eating in Sean and Molly’s room. Drinking all day has made us too tired to go out to eat, especially when we are not sure we want to spend a ton of money and not remember what we are enjoying HAHAHA. We end the day with, you guessed it, in the jacuzzi.
Sunday morning, Tracey and I head over to Michelle and Robert’s room, where Robert has once again picked up breakfast from the café. We congregate in their room to “watch church”. We are very blessed that our church live streams each service. We enjoy our breakfast while getting our church on. Then it is back to our rooms to finish getting ready.
Unfortunately Cody and Michael have headed home this morning. We had such a great time having them with us and being able to share one of our most favorite places with them them.
The other 8 of us, head over to the train station where we board the wine train. We enjoy an amazing meal and some wine, while taking in the stunning views of wine country.
About an hour into the trip, we get off the train at Grgich Hills winery for a tour. Tracey and I have ridden the train several times, and Robert and Michelle have been on the train but we have never disembarked and taken this tour. This tour is partially outside in the vineyards and finishes inside. It was a little toasty warm outside but the wine and the photo ops made it bareable! 
No matter how many wineries you visit and how many tours you go on, each one is different and special in its own way and we always seem to learn something new. I think this was the first winery that I had some wine that I really didn’t like. Don’t get me wrong there is always wine that is just okay, or that isn’t my favorite but this one had a couple that I just really didn’t like! We still end up making purchases before finishing up and heading back onto the train.
Once the train returns us to the station in Napa, we congregate to decide what the plan is for the rest of the day. Molly, Sean, and Jerry are heading to drop Rachel off to catch a shuttle as she is flying out this afternoon to get home to her kiddos. They decide they are headed back into Napa afterwards to do some sightseeing and find a place to eat. The other 4 of us head back to the resort to kick back and relax, and will hook up when they decide where they are eating.
Laura has decided to hang at home and relax, so we are sad we won’t get to see her again. We enjoyed our time as always with her and look forward to our next time together wherever that may be.
We get back to the resort and meet up with Robert and Michelle’s friends Kevin and Jenee, who have driven in from the Sacramento area. We meet up at the resort bar and have a drink and play a little shuffleboard. I have never played before but fill in with the guys playing as there are only 3 of them. This gave Michelle and Jenee a chance to catch up. Sorry Robert I suck at shuffleboard, but it certainly was fun.
The six of us meet up with the threesome at a pizza place right in Napa. Service was awful but the food was okay. We ate individually since they seemed to only be able to prepare one or two meals at a time. By the time the next person got their order the previous person’s was cold. It was unbelievable. Good thing we really enjoy each other’s company, therefore we had a great time. Jerry catches a ride back with us as Molly and Sean are going to do more sightseeing. It happens to be Molly and Sean’s anniversary! Happy Anniversary my friends, and wishes for many many more. We should have planned something more celebratory ☹
I believe we ended this night in the jacuzzi as well. Just something about it this time. All of our previous visits here, we never went near the jacuzzi but this time seems like everyday we spend some time in it. Maybe it is just the company? Maybe the weather? Maybe the wine…….
Monday morning, our last day as we are all headed home this evening. Okay not ALL of us. Robert and Sean are still working in the area so they are both staying for a few more days. I guess it could be worse, it is beautiful here. Sean has a friend that has arranged a tasting for us at a new to all of us winery called Black Stallion. We pack all of our stuff and all the purchased wine that did not get shipped home into Robert’s car, as he has driven all the way up here from Chandler. We need to check out of this stunning resort so we must take all of our belongings with us. It is a cross between a jigsaw puzzle and a jenga game fitting everything into the back of his car. To add to the load, Kevin and Jenee have left some things with Robert to take home as they will be flying in to join us in Mexico at the end of the month.
Our first stop is Caymus winery. 
This is one of our most favorite wines and was high on the wish list of Sean. He has a business associate that loves their wines and he wants to get some for them. We don’t have reservations, but after being made to feel like we were going to miss out, they seat us at a table in the garden area and our tasting commences. First winery I have been to where they allow you to share a tasting. So we do one tasting per couple. After all it is Monday, some of us are headed home and some have to work today. 
Our second stop is Black Stallion. We are treated to a complimentary tasting at the bar and a tour of their winery. It was gorgeous and the wines were yummy. We enjoyed our conversation with our host as well. Sometimes it is all about the presentation and the presentation cannot be good if the host or hostess has a dull or even worse, no personality.
This has definitely been a trip for the books. WOW. We did a lot, we saw a lot, we ate and drank a lot, most of all we laughed a lot. I thank you friends for joining us on this amazing adventure. Now let’s go home and drink some wine!!!