This past weekend the BS Club tackled the Santa Cruz Mountains as we had heard rumors that there were some very interesting wineries in that area and the Queen wanted to have breakfast at this great hole-in-the-wall-biker bar place called Alice's. (I guess it can only be considered a biker bar place because it is a really cool drive up to it and rumor has it that it is a lot of fun to take the drive on a bike.)
For those of you who are fans of the Queen B's blog, you may recall stories of our previous trip over the mountains (http://queenbisme.blogspot.com/2008/01/playing-hooky.html). Well, this time we didn't fair much better. On Friday before we left the office, we told friends and co-workers what our plans were: Alice's for breakfast, Thomas Fogarty Winery, Bonny Doon Winery, Santa Cruz to see the ocean, David Bruce Winery, then to our friend Jill's house for a bar-b-que and goodbye party for the Queen. Everybody kept saying, "you know it is supposed to rain this weekend, right?" Well, we just laugh in the face of weather "HA! HA! HA!"And yet, we probably should have listened.....
We set out around 10ish in the morning and while it is cool the skies seem relatively clear for Northern California and the drive up through Woodside to Alice's was very pleasant. We had a yummy breakfast and Sam and the Queen had wine-based bloody marys. I, ABBA, being a designated driver expertise, had a glass of chardonnay. But we figured since we were having such a large breakfast that it would be okay.
We left Alice's and headed to our first winery, which is used quite often as a site for weddings and we could completely understand why. Even with the rain, as it had started to pick up, we could tell how beautiful the view would be. And, for those of you who are REALLY interested, this will be the place where ABBA is wed, if that day ever comes!! Thomas Fogarty Winery was established by Dr. Thomas Fogarty who was the creator of the Fogarty heart balloon catheter that is used during heart surgery. AND he makes a pretty decent glass of wine.
After Fogarty's we headed up and over and along the ridgeline of the Santa Cruz mountains to get to Bonny Doon Winery. Now supposedly we went the backwards way in, but crikey!! I thought there were times where we were going to have some hillbilly, hippy inbreed with one tooth jump out and attach the ABBA-mobile!! The road was little more than a single lane all along the ridge with a number of very tight switchbacks and steep hills. And of course it didn't help one bit that it had started to sleet some and it felt like we were driving through the clouds. Needless to say, I was VERY glad when we finally came to Bonny Doon. This is a winery that I would definitely recommend on ambiance and quirkiness alone. (But I would wait until you have good weather to get there, they say it is great in the summer when it is really warm down in the city.) All of their wine labels are very eccentric, and I think we can say that ABBA loves a good wine label. Again, like so many other wineries they seem to focus on reds, which ABBA is not a big fan of, but for some reason she managed to be coerced into joining the wine club at Bonny Doon so that Sam and the Queen could get the private vintage wines at a discounted rate. They also promised that they would buy the red wines from me, if they weren't my cup o' tea!!
While we were in Bonny Doon's, the sky literally opened up and dumped rain on the mountain top, se we decided that we just needed to stay indoors and drink a bit more. After the rain let up, the three of us piled back into the ABBA-mobile and headed down the mountain into Santa Cruz and Capitola so that the Queen could see the ocean one more time before she headed back to the dustbowl known as Texas. Naturally, as we are parking in Capitola near the area where Sam and the Queen learned to surf (http://queenbisme.blogspot.com/2007/09/surfing.html) the sky opens up once again. But that didn't stop the BS Club from climbing out of the ABBA-mobile and going to look at the pounding surf. The Queen jumped up on the wall and got a coupld of pictures with the ocean behind her and then we raced back to the vehicle in hopes of not being completely soaked. Luckily I thought ahead and packed a couple of towels for us for just such an occasion.
We dried off and headed BACK over the mountains to our third and final winery of the day (I know, compared the the precious weekend, this was pretty light-weight of us!). The turn-off to David Bruce's Winery was scarey, to say the very least. Again, we were back in the mountains on uphill, switch-back turns, with pouring rain and sleet. The windows of the ABBA-mobile were starting to fog up, so we had to use the towels for drying off after Santa Cruz to clear the windows. And yes, you are probably saying "ABBA, why did you not turn around? Why did you not take your precious cargo to some safe dry spot?" First, there was no friggin' way I could have turned around. And, second, we decided that neither rain, nor sleet, nor dark of night would stop us from our winery route!!!
We finally made it to the winery and Sam and the Queen both enjoyed the wines and even purchased some for those "special occasions" because I have to say, David Bruce is pretty darn proud of his wine!! We also explained to the barrista, who was no where near as fun as the Sonoma barristas, that I was the designated driver for two weeks in a row and as I was offering to go get the car and bring it up for Sam and the Queen, she asked if I would be her friend too. Its not every day that a stranger asks to become your friend!!
As the afternoon drew to a close, we headed off the Santa Cruz Mountains and over to Jill's warm and comfy home where a spread of great munchies were available along with great company and good laughs.
I don't know if I'll ever make it across the Santa Cruz Mountains without the storms, but I can only hope...someday.....
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Final Installment of the Banana Slug Chronicles
Dear Reader, I apologize for the delay in providing closure to our trio's adventures, but as you may or may not know I am taking over the duties of the Queen out here in California and my poor little brain is a little slow on the picking up and understanding so I've been a smidge too tired to complete our journey but I'm going to try today.
We left our lovely ladies off singing "Don't Worry, Be Happy" and heading off to Blackstone Winery. After a little "recalculating" by ABBA's personal Carmen (a.k.a. the Queen, Miz Treo, and MapQuest), the ladies managed to locate Blackstone, with only a few moments to spare before they closed their doors. The barristas at Blackstone were not as friendly as those found at the early stops, so the ladies opted to snub them and leave. Admittedly, the only reason that this winery made it onto the list was because ABBA liked their website and their wine label and since she was the one creating the travel plans, she snuck it in. Overall, this location did not make a very big impression since this writer is unable to remember ANY highlights at this time.
Therefore, the ladies piled back into the ABBA-mobile and headed off to Imagery. The adventurers were actually pushing the limit here due to the fact that many of the wineries will close their doors for tasting and selling around 4:30 - 5:00 and it was starting to get a little dark out. While driving and navigating pretty much on her own, since the Queen really couldn't play Carmen any more, ABBA managed to arrive at Imagery with 15 minutes to spare. For those of you wondering what the Queen and Sam were doing during this trip, they were taking pictures of one another in the car. ABBA almost heard "Dueling Banjos" in the background during the dueling cameras!!
Now, the ladies have made it to Imagery and the Queen and Sam belly up to the bar. They actually offered an extensive tasting at this locale and the two decided that they should "split" the tasting. Luckily, the barrista proved to be very adept at pouring a decent amount into the glasses so that both Sam and the Queen were able to fully appreciate each selection. While these two were enjoying the bountiful wines, ABBA decided to explore the tasting room.
Dear Readers, Imagery is one of those really spectacular wineries that I would recommend to anybody touring the Sonoma region. I couldn't tell you much about their wines, but their tasting room is beautiful. They have a series of artists who provide the artwork for their labels and a gallery which displays all of the paintings, drawings, and collages. Since ABBA was raised by an artist (or two), she has a great appreciation for galleries and enjoyed looking at all of the different paintings, which all had a wine theme. There was a separate gallery off to the side which held floor to ceiling works as well and ABBA saw many a quilt possibilities on these walls. At one point, ABBA went over to the club member counter and started speaking with the barrista there since she wasn't busy with any club members. Upon hearing that ABBA was the designated driver she stated "You are so nice to be the driver for your friends. You do realize that it is customary for the driver to be given a bottel of wine from each of the wineries that the group goes to as payment and thank you for being the driver." ABBA is still waiting for these presents.
Eventually, ABBA made it back to the Queen and Sam, who were finishing up with their tasting and it was decided that it was time to hit the road. The trio had plans to get to Sausolito for dinner at a quaint Italian restaurant and ABBA wanted to get out of the winding roads before it got too dark.
As the ladies headed to the car, ABBA finally spotted the elusive Banana Slug, and pointed it out to the Queen. She was so happy that a tear almost fell to the ground. The trio stopped and looked on in adoration at the elusive Banana Slug that was finally located in the Valley of Moon.
All in all, it was a wonderful day that was greatly enjoyed. The drive was beautiful and the company was fabulous, so what more could three divas ask for.
Long Live the BS Club and continue searching for the elusive Banana Slug!!!
We left our lovely ladies off singing "Don't Worry, Be Happy" and heading off to Blackstone Winery. After a little "recalculating" by ABBA's personal Carmen (a.k.a. the Queen, Miz Treo, and MapQuest), the ladies managed to locate Blackstone, with only a few moments to spare before they closed their doors. The barristas at Blackstone were not as friendly as those found at the early stops, so the ladies opted to snub them and leave. Admittedly, the only reason that this winery made it onto the list was because ABBA liked their website and their wine label and since she was the one creating the travel plans, she snuck it in. Overall, this location did not make a very big impression since this writer is unable to remember ANY highlights at this time.
Therefore, the ladies piled back into the ABBA-mobile and headed off to Imagery. The adventurers were actually pushing the limit here due to the fact that many of the wineries will close their doors for tasting and selling around 4:30 - 5:00 and it was starting to get a little dark out. While driving and navigating pretty much on her own, since the Queen really couldn't play Carmen any more, ABBA managed to arrive at Imagery with 15 minutes to spare. For those of you wondering what the Queen and Sam were doing during this trip, they were taking pictures of one another in the car. ABBA almost heard "Dueling Banjos" in the background during the dueling cameras!!
Now, the ladies have made it to Imagery and the Queen and Sam belly up to the bar. They actually offered an extensive tasting at this locale and the two decided that they should "split" the tasting. Luckily, the barrista proved to be very adept at pouring a decent amount into the glasses so that both Sam and the Queen were able to fully appreciate each selection. While these two were enjoying the bountiful wines, ABBA decided to explore the tasting room.
Dear Readers, Imagery is one of those really spectacular wineries that I would recommend to anybody touring the Sonoma region. I couldn't tell you much about their wines, but their tasting room is beautiful. They have a series of artists who provide the artwork for their labels and a gallery which displays all of the paintings, drawings, and collages. Since ABBA was raised by an artist (or two), she has a great appreciation for galleries and enjoyed looking at all of the different paintings, which all had a wine theme. There was a separate gallery off to the side which held floor to ceiling works as well and ABBA saw many a quilt possibilities on these walls. At one point, ABBA went over to the club member counter and started speaking with the barrista there since she wasn't busy with any club members. Upon hearing that ABBA was the designated driver she stated "You are so nice to be the driver for your friends. You do realize that it is customary for the driver to be given a bottel of wine from each of the wineries that the group goes to as payment and thank you for being the driver." ABBA is still waiting for these presents.
Eventually, ABBA made it back to the Queen and Sam, who were finishing up with their tasting and it was decided that it was time to hit the road. The trio had plans to get to Sausolito for dinner at a quaint Italian restaurant and ABBA wanted to get out of the winding roads before it got too dark.
As the ladies headed to the car, ABBA finally spotted the elusive Banana Slug, and pointed it out to the Queen. She was so happy that a tear almost fell to the ground. The trio stopped and looked on in adoration at the elusive Banana Slug that was finally located in the Valley of Moon.
All in all, it was a wonderful day that was greatly enjoyed. The drive was beautiful and the company was fabulous, so what more could three divas ask for.
Long Live the BS Club and continue searching for the elusive Banana Slug!!!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Third Installment of the Banana Slug Chronicles
Dear Reader, as you will recall we left our trio heading to Dry Creek Winery after visiting two great wineries. The road was open and the company was, well, starting to be very giggly. The trio did not intend to stay at Dry Creek for long, just a dash in and then on to the next stop on the list. Dear Reader, you must understand that the BS Club had 8 wineries on their list so ABBA was responsible for keeping the party rolling.
Dry Creek turned out to be one more in a list of great experiences. At this point, the
drinkers, the Queen and Sam, began referring to the people serving the wine "barristas" because they couldn't come up with any other way to refer to them and "wine pourers" just didn't have the same zing. The "barrista" at Dry Creek provided not only great suggestions for wine, but great commentary on the wineries in Napa....they are over-crowded and pretentious. At this point, the trio all agreed because they had met outstanding people at the wineries thus far. The barrista, who shall be named Eric, whether that was his name or not, served the Queen and Sam a variety of reds and offered ABBA a cool beverage as well. Since ABBA was the designated driver, she did say thanks, but no thanks, and then did accept a taste of a WONDERFUL Fume Blanc, a smidge of a artichoke tart, and then lots of water.
drinkers, the Queen and Sam, began referring to the people serving the wine "barristas" because they couldn't come up with any other way to refer to them and "wine pourers" just didn't have the same zing. The "barrista" at Dry Creek provided not only great suggestions for wine, but great commentary on the wineries in Napa....they are over-crowded and pretentious. At this point, the trio all agreed because they had met outstanding people at the wineries thus far. The barrista, who shall be named Eric, whether that was his name or not, served the Queen and Sam a variety of reds and offered ABBA a cool beverage as well. Since ABBA was the designated driver, she did say thanks, but no thanks, and then did accept a taste of a WONDERFUL Fume Blanc, a smidge of a artichoke tart, and then lots of water. As the trio left Dry Creek, they realized that the moon was already up in the sky, which seemed odd since it was still early in the day, but they decided to marvel at it and take a picture of it. They couldn't pass up the opportunity since they were visiting wineries in a region called "The Valley of the Moon". Luckily, a very nice lady offered to take a picture of the ladies and since she had experience in photography actually staged the photo so that it did not look as if our heroines were in a line up. She also asked where the group were headed off to next and recommended that they go to a place called the "Family Wineries". This winery is actually a group of smaller boutique, family wineries that came together to provide an outlet for the taste and sale of their wines. After some small discussions, the party decided to divert from the original plan and try out this new recommendation. Kudos to this decision because the Queen and Sam had the opportunity to taste a much wider range of wines than if the ladies had hit up the individual locales.
Sam and the Queen started making their selections with the assitance of the barrista, Sean, from Boston. ABBA opted to take a seat out on the front porch and enjoy the sun and scenery. After a period of time she hears "Andrea, get in here we need your ears!" Mind you, ABBA had mentioned earlier in the day that red wines have and affect on her ears. It turns out that Sam and the Queen could not really distinguish the differences between a couple of the wines and needed a "virgin" set of taste buds. Since ABBA was drinking water, she felt it was okay to take a sip and provide her opinion as to what the affect was on her ears (its all about how the tanins kick in).
The Queen and Sam were becoming quite friendly with Sean, the barrista, and A
BBA just watched and was entertained. At one point, Sean and the Queen began a fabulous rendition of Bobby McFerrin's hit "Don't Worry, Be Happy" and we all recieved great smiley face pins. The Queen acquired a present for her dear husband and then the group headed out to find their next winery adventure.
BBA just watched and was entertained. At one point, Sean and the Queen began a fabulous rendition of Bobby McFerrin's hit "Don't Worry, Be Happy" and we all recieved great smiley face pins. The Queen acquired a present for her dear husband and then the group headed out to find their next winery adventure. It was at this point in the travels that ABBA was starting to have quite the challenge of herding the drunks, but this was just adding to the hillarity and enjoyment for all.
That wraps up this installment. Please tune in again and join the ladies as they head to their final two wineries, Blackstone and Imagery.
Second Installment of the Banana Slug Chronicles
We left our heroines on the road from Muir Woods to their first winery.....
The ladies were all quite excited to be on their way to Iron Horse Winery, even though the MapQuest directions actually stated "partially unpaved road". The Queen was riding shotgun and scrolling through Miz Treo to provide ABBA the directions. The drive was truly beautiful as the day remained sunny and the traffic was next to nothing.
The group turned into the drive to reach the winery and wound around some, hit the unpaved part of the the road, come across a "Slow" sign and then a "Slower" sign. Found a one lane bridge or two and played chicken with people leaving the winery. Finally they reached the pinacle of the mountain and find a spectacular view and even more wonderful, they found the winery. The winery had a tasting run of sparkling wines, which is what our heroines all opted for. (Yes, ABBA did have a drink here but only a sip from each and then let the
Queen and/or Sam finish off her glass.) A toast was made to the first meeting of the BS Club and the ladies visited with the other patrons. The funny thing was that the other patrons were from Coppell, TX not 5 miles from where ABBA moved from!!!
Sam made her purchase of some bubbly to take back to her folks as a thank you for Kenya-sitting. And all three purchased one logo stemware to commemorate the visit.
The adventurers th
en hit the road and headed off to Hop Kiln Winery. Again, the drive was easy and beautiful. With the Queen acting as her personal Carmen, ABBA couldn't go wrong. The winery was located in record time and after coffee and wine already the ladies immediately headed to the "facilities". All agreed that the facilities at this winery were possibly the nicest outhouses ever expereinced by our trio!! Once inside, the ladies bellied up to the tasting bar and found some very enjoyable people to serve them. Sam and the Queen went right in to their tasting and ABBA sipped here and there, but nothing too grand. (Hop Kiln does have a wonderful white wine called Thousand Flowers and ABBA recommends it to anybody that would like a nice light wine for a picnic or warm day on the beach.) They also had these FABULOUS chocolate syrups infused with wines that the ladies sampled with the winery's late harvest zins....yummy.
The BS Club wrapped up their purchases, took some more pictures, and hit the road to get to the next winery..... Dry Creek where even more adventures occurred.
Tune in next time for our trios continued trek through the Sonoma Wineries.....
The ladies were all quite excited to be on their way to Iron Horse Winery, even though the MapQuest directions actually stated "partially unpaved road". The Queen was riding shotgun and scrolling through Miz Treo to provide ABBA the directions. The drive was truly beautiful as the day remained sunny and the traffic was next to nothing.
The group turned into the drive to reach the winery and wound around some, hit the unpaved part of the the road, come across a "Slow" sign and then a "Slower" sign. Found a one lane bridge or two and played chicken with people leaving the winery. Finally they reached the pinacle of the mountain and find a spectacular view and even more wonderful, they found the winery. The winery had a tasting run of sparkling wines, which is what our heroines all opted for. (Yes, ABBA did have a drink here but only a sip from each and then let the Queen and/or Sam finish off her glass.) A toast was made to the first meeting of the BS Club and the ladies visited with the other patrons. The funny thing was that the other patrons were from Coppell, TX not 5 miles from where ABBA moved from!!!Sam made her purchase of some bubbly to take back to her folks as a thank you for Kenya-sitting. And all three purchased one logo stemware to commemorate the visit.
The adventurers th
en hit the road and headed off to Hop Kiln Winery. Again, the drive was easy and beautiful. With the Queen acting as her personal Carmen, ABBA couldn't go wrong. The winery was located in record time and after coffee and wine already the ladies immediately headed to the "facilities". All agreed that the facilities at this winery were possibly the nicest outhouses ever expereinced by our trio!! Once inside, the ladies bellied up to the tasting bar and found some very enjoyable people to serve them. Sam and the Queen went right in to their tasting and ABBA sipped here and there, but nothing too grand. (Hop Kiln does have a wonderful white wine called Thousand Flowers and ABBA recommends it to anybody that would like a nice light wine for a picnic or warm day on the beach.) They also had these FABULOUS chocolate syrups infused with wines that the ladies sampled with the winery's late harvest zins....yummy.The BS Club wrapped up their purchases, took some more pictures, and hit the road to get to the next winery..... Dry Creek where even more adventures occurred.
Tune in next time for our trios continued trek through the Sonoma Wineries.....
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