Starting Out Again

On our fifth cross country trip we are out to explore the places we wish we had seen previously and discover those special places we never knew existed.  We will enjoy time with friends from home and from far away and family near and dear.  And, of course, we will spend lots of time with our son, daughter, son-in-law and the amazing grandson.

Before embarking on a major endeavor, it is wise to test the equipment.  We did that with our community’s RV Club.  We spent four days in Jackson in the foothills of the Sierras on what Jerry used to call a “shakedown cruise” when he had the boat.

Here are the blogs from those lovely days.

Amador County, where Jackson is located, is considered a premier wine producing region.  We set out to see if this claim is true.  Our first tasting was at Amador 360, a shop that has wine tasting for wineries that don’t have their own tasting rooms.

 We were served about a dozen wines by a most delightful wine seller.  After checking the nose, color and taste of the wines, we determined that this is indeed a top wine region and we have the “souvenirs” to prove it.

Wine tasting stirs the appetite.  We dined at the first-rate restaurant Taste.  Monday is their prix fixe night.  Our orders from the special dinner and off the menu were beautifully presented and tasted fabulous.

Day One got us off to a good start.  More good times tomorrow.


Yesterday’s promise of good times held true.  Today was a specialty day.  We specialize in food.  First we wandered in Jackson, spending most of our time at the Kitchen Store where we bought much needed new cooking gadgets.  Then we returned to Bella Cucina, a restaurant we enjoyed on the 2015 trip.

 We learned that they are now open for dinner and, since our lunch was so delicious, we plan to return tomorrow for dinner.

But back to tonight’s dinner.  We had a pot luck starting outside with hors d’oeuvres and wine from yesterday’s tasting.

As it got cooler, we went into Alan and Linda’s coach for the rest of our  dinner.   Good food and good conversation, the perfect ending to a lovely day.
Today was a day of working out.  After taking fast or slow, long or short, or not at all walks around the campground, we moved on to some “elbow” exercises at Helwig Winery.  We started our routine with a couple of wine tastings.

 Then we headed to their cave for a tour led by Cory.

 He took us a ways into the 5000 foot cave and explained their use of oak barrels and re-oaking them for longer use. Continuing our tasting in the cave, we learned more about the five-year-old winery.

Cory posed a question, “What is the most dangerous risk to a winery?” (For the answer check here tomorrow).  Back on the outside, we concluded our tasting, did some purchasing and then sat on the patio enjoying our picnic.

To get more “exercise,” we wandered through Sutter Creek checking out the shops.

 Then it was back to the RV to rest up for our finale of the day, dinner at Bella Cucina.  If the name is familiar, check out yesterday’s blog.  Dinner was our “ultra” workout, luscious chicken, either picata or scallopini style.  We ended the evening with two shared desserts, one a cheesecake with white chocolate and the second a bread pudding with strawberries, chocolate and a sweet liquor.  The chef tried to entice us to return tomorrow for another dessert.

We did enjoy “working out” together today.

It doesn’t get any lovelier than this, a warm sunny day amidst brilliant blossoms.  Rain has kept Daffodil Hill closed but the sun came out and we headed for a morning of traipsing through the flowers.  

 Daffodil Hill is a project of love by the McLaughlin family who bought the land in 1877 from Peter Denzer, a Dutch native.  Denzer started planting the daffodils and the McLaughlin’s and their descendants the Ryan’s have continued to keep the gardens open for visitors.  

 There are now about 300,000 plants in addition to donkeys, peacocks and antique farm equipment, all making for a most picturesque landscape.  

This was theoretically the last day of our trip but some just had to stay another day to enjoy the beautiful weather, relaxing atmosphere and lovely setting.  The evening ended with a fun gathering around the campfire.

To answer the question of what is the most dangerous thing at a winery, it is a straw.