Napa Valley

              

For the past 2 weekends I went to Napa Valley with some good friends. The town of Napa is so quaint and beautiful.  The first weekend I stayed at the Andaz Napa for 2 nights. The hotel was damaged during the August 2014 earthquake but I couldn't even tell because it was as good as new!

1st trip

Domaine Chandon

Nickel & Nickel

Cakebread Cellars

2nd trip

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars

Robert Sinskey

Mumm Napa

ZD Wines

V. Sattui (only for lunch-delicious!)

Chimney Rock

My favorites from the two trips were Domaine Chandon, Nickel & Nickel, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, and Robert Sinskey. I took a trade tour at Domaine Chandon and Nickel & Nickel which made for excellent experiences overall. I learned so much more about wine from these trips and I highly recommend a trip for all of you wine lovers!

Costa Rica

My family and I took a short and sweet vacation to Costa Rica. We stayed in the Andaz Papagayo Resort, which is a fairly new Hyatt luxury hotel. The resort was breathtakingly beautiful and so enjoyable to stay at.

One day we basically went off-roading trying to see the volcano at Rincon de la Viejo. We also drove to Portero Grande to see the divine beach. On our last day we drove 5 hours to San Jose, which is the capital of Costa Rica. It was a busy city with lots of cars and lots of wind. We also got pulled over for illegally making a left turn (there were no signs to prohibit this)! However the police basically asked us to pay him money equal to $20 to get off without a ticket. Shady business!

My favorite part about Costa Rica, besides the beautiful scenery, were the hole-in-the-wall restaurants (called "Soda" in Costa Rica) that we bravely just walked into and enjoyed. It was an amazing way to experience local cuisine but be aware that people in these places do not speak any English! We sort of just took wild guesses and ordered a mix of things. The only thing I knew of was 'Cafe con leche' which is just coffee with milk - delicious! 'Gallo pinto' was another dish that I loved - basically rice with black beans but prepared with certain seasonings and flavors! 

All in all, it was a memorable vacation, one that I will never forget! Costa Rica, thanks for memories!