Napa, California: Since we do not need to be to Palo Alto until Thursday, we thought Napa would be just as good as anywhere to spend five days, so we drove from Benbow to Napa today.
Sadly, Kathy drove their tow car back to Portland this morning. (Woody - and their motorhome - remains with us in the Stanford-or-Bust Caravan.) Kathy & Woody's #2 son-in-law broke both heels (ladder accident) yesterday and Kathy decided she would get back home to help her daughter, son-in-law and their toddler for a few days. Get well, soon, Billy!
Speaking of toddlers - I think it has been too long since a photo of Leo has graced this blog. (And by too long, I mean since Thursday.) Leo and his daddy went out for breakfast alone this morning!
Pancakes!The drive south on Highway 101 is very pretty and as we entered wine country, the hills were filled with gorgeous fall-colored vineyards.
Most of leaves have fallen and all of the grapes have been harvested, but the color remains.
We pulled-over to make a sandwich and had this vista:
Highway 101 around Santa Rosa is in such bad shape, I racked-up 1000 steps on my pedometer while belted into the passenger seat! We had stuff rattling in our motorhome we didn't even know could rattle. We teased Woody about his "shake-down" trip in his new RV being a true shake-down!Nearing Napa, we pulled into a fueling station and the gal couldn't figure out to pre-authorize the credit card (so we can avoid the pump shutting-off at $50 or $100), but said her pumps did not have shut-off thresholds, and we could fill into eternity if we chose. Well, she wasn't the sharpest crayon in the box and the machine did, indeed, shut off at $99... so we had to start the pump three times. DT probably wanted more diesel, but was just about to the end of his patience between the rough road and the uninformed clerk.
We are camped at the Napa Valley Expo RV Park. Situated on the Silverado Trail, this small RV park (make a reservation!) is just the best location for a visit to Napa. We have two sites together (booked weeks ago) and will explore the area from our convenient location.
Dave, Woody and I drove downtown for another perfect meal at Ristorante Allegria. Housed in an old bank building, Ristorante Allegria has the perfect combination of a fabulous facility and a fabulous menu. The place is always packed, year after year, with locals and tourists. My dinner photos did not turn-out well, but I assure you - our evening was lovely (though we missed Kathy) and our meals were perfect. DT and I highly recommend Ristorante Allegria. (Allegria translates to English as "happiness, merriment or cheerfulness".)
Until my next update, I remain, your "fall back" correspondent.
RV PARK: Napa Valley Expo RV Park. Our favorite campground in the area. Long paved full-service pull-through sites with 50 amp. Bathhouse, laundry, free wifi, lawn, picnic table. At the fairgrounds and just a short drive to downtown Napa. We paid $45 per night, with a Good Sam discount.
