I would like to say that I am not a regular wine drinker but I love Napa Valley. I started going to Napa in 2011 when I moved to Sacramento, Calif. There was not much to do in Sacramento at that time so most people went to Napa or Lake Tahoe. I love them both for some of the same reasons, but since I left Sacramento several years ago, Napa is one place that I go back to every year. 

My first trip to Napa was fun-filled and I tried many things for the first time. The one thing I remember most is a bike tour I took through Napa. It was a birthday trip for my ex and I felt that this would be fun and something I had never done before. There were two ways to do a bike tour: a tour with a guide or a self-guided tour with a map. Being adventurous, we decided to do the self-guided bike tour. 

The beginning was not bad until we had to get on the streets and realized that most of the streets did not have bike lanes! It was scary riding next to cars, especially when you factor in my second point: doing wine tasting while riding a bike is a big no-no. 

After the second or third winery, I was tipsy and wondered how would I ever make it back to the hotel. I made it back, but I learned my lesson! The thing that keeps bringing me back to Napa every year is how beautiful it is. The lush green hills, the fresh air and the beautiful wineries make me feel like I don’t have a worry in the world!

Now that I’ve learned my lesson about tipsy bike riding, whenever I go to Napa my friends and I usually rent a sedan for wine tasting tours. This year we decided to do something a little different. For the past few years, we have been staying in Sonoma. It’s not far from Napa and they have great wineries there as well. 

This year we did a winery tour in a vintage VW bus. We found this experience on Airbnb and after reading it, we booked it. The only reservation we had was that we would be in a vehicle for 5.5 hours and we hoped the tour guides were cool like us. Luckily, they were. When we arrived at the pick-up spot, we were super-excited and greeted by the owner, Jacob. He made the adventure a great one!!

I was experiencing most of the wineries scheduled for our Sonoma tour for the first time, so I was excited to check them out. Our first stop was Abbott’s Passage. We were the first ones there, so we had the place to ourselves. A very nice winery with a great patio and tasting room. 

The second stop was Three Fat Guys Wines; this one took me by surprise. When we drove up, it looked like a convenience store. We got out of the van and one of the owners cheerfully welcomed us and said, “Come to our backyard for a drink.” 

It looked like a backyard. It was nothing fancy like most of the wineries. It had basic tables and chairs in the back behind the building. The owners are three former football players who met and became friends. One of the owners, Tony Moll, happened to come through while we were there, so he sat down with us and told us his story. He was very nice and full of energy. 

We started the wine tasting and we all were surprised. I guess you can’t judge a book by its cover. The wines were so good that we took a few bottles back to the Airbnb with the favorite being the Champion Brut. I highly recommend this spot!!

Our last stop was Anaba Wines. It was beautiful driving into this winery. Lots of pretty flowers and all the other things you would expect. We walked through the tasting room to the outside courtyard and it was stunning. It has a great view of green hills that still takes my breath away. We sat down, ordered a flight, which is a selection of wines, a charcuterie board, and took our shoes off to enjoy the wine and the views.

While the Sonoma day was great, I knew the Napa day would be even better. We booked a Black sedan and our driver arrived at the Airbnb on time to take us on our adventure. The first stop was The Caves at Soda Canyon. This was my first time here and I had no clue what to expect. 

This winery was way up in the mountains and the driver had a difficult time finding it. It also did not help that he lost his GPS signal due to the remote location of the winery. When we drove up to the spot, I was a little disappointed because the view was not spectacular. 

We were greeted at the front door and led into the winery. It was dimly lit, nicely decorated, and three glasses were waiting for us. We started the tour and walked by many barrels of wine. The host gave us an overview of the winery and introduced us to one of the owners. 

It was time for our tasting, so he led us to our tasting location. We walked through a large wooden door and I was blown away by the view. Being so high up made the view spectacular. I could have stayed there all day. The host was so nice and the wine was delicious; so delicious that I ordered two bottles. A great way to start my day!

Next up was my favorite, Chandon. Every time I come to Napa, I must visit Chandon. This place is beautiful from the moment you enter the gates. This is my Napa happy place. We love sitting outside under a tree and ordering lots of bubbly and snacks. Chandon is such a refreshing wine. I drink it at home and sometimes I buy it by the case. 

The last stop on the Napa tour was a new spot, Regiis Ova Caviar & Champagne Lounge. My brother-in-law (BIL) and I love caviar and this was a must. My assistant found this place and he knew we had to try it. It was located in one of my favorite places, Yountville. We arrived at the location and were nicely greeted and escorted inside. The place is beautiful and the patio is just as nice.

We decided to sit outside and enjoy the beautiful day. As soon as we sat down, my BIL gave us orders. “No need to worry, I got this!” We sat in our chairs, took off our shoes and let him take care of the ordering. I think the server was shocked that he knew so much about caviar. It started with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot and seasonal crab and I can’t remember the rest. We enjoyed everything and left feeling great!

For me, Napa must be on the list every year! I am disappointed that I was not able to visit Brown Estate but they will be first on the list for my next visit. No matter how many times I visit Napa, each time is better than the one before. If you haven’t been, do yourself a favor and go — you will not be disappointed!!

A few months ago, I was having a conversation with one of my besties about how I still need to get to Paris. As soon as I said it, it was like a light bulb went on his head.“Let’s go to Paris for my spring break,” he said. Without hesitation I replied, “Let’s do it.” A trip to Paris has been on my bucket list for a long time. I had no idea what to expect but I was ready to go and take Paris by storm!

The flight to Paris seemed like it took forever. I have never been one able to sleep on planes so I knew that this flight would be tough for me. I had a 10-15 min nap and for the remainder of the flight I worked and watched a few movies. But the lack of sleep didn’t bother me. Just walking through the airport after we landed, I was acting like a wide-eyed, excited tourist. I marveled at everything, from the art on the airport walls, the chairs at the gate, and the cleanliness of the bathrooms without even having an attendant in there.

After going through customs and getting a cab, we arrived at the hotel about 9 am. Of course, the room was not ready, so we checked our bags with the front desk attendant and decided to hit the streets of Paris to get breakfast. We found this delightful little café, Le Corail located on the corner of 79 Rue La Fayette,about a five-minute walk from the hotel and had breakfast. It was called. It was the cutest café with a bright yellow awning and great people-watching. With our bellies full, we were ready to do some sightseeing.

As we walked, I took it all in: the buildings, people, fashion, etc. Here are just a few of my reflections:

City

As we started walking, I could not take my eyes off the buildings and the amazing architecture. My eyes started at the top of buildings and ended at the beautiful wooden doors on the homes and other buildings. The buildings were all at once strong, beautiful, opulent, and intricately detailed; I could not take my eyes off them. As we stopped at the Arc de Triomphe, Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris, Château de Versailles, and Palais Garnier. Theamount of beautiful detailing and the gold on Château de Versailles took my breath away. As we walked through the Versailles Gardens, I was astounded at the beauty.Gorgeously landscaped lawns, perfect flowers, the Fountains of Versailles, the Grand Canal, and the Peaceful Groves. I never got tired of looking at the beautiful architecture of Paris.

People

I’ve heard so many times that the French are not nice but now I had the opportunity to find out for myself. We all know that I am a morning person and I love a greeting. I love to greet in an email, in the grocery store, walking the down street, etc. After day one, I realized that the French people I came in contact were not big on greeting. After no responses from people after I greeted them and doing a few observations, I realized it was just not their thing. Again, I am not saying all French people are like this; I am saying the ones I encountered were not greeters. On the other hand, when we needed instructions on how to ride the metro, the attendant was very helpful, and the waiters and waitresses were very nice. Plus, a few random strangers we ended up talking were very friendly. 

I made a few other observations about Parisians . They do a lot of walking. It’s not a fast-paced walking, but a very leisurely stroll, like they are not in a rush to get to their destination. It is very different from the fast-paced walking in New York City. I am sure people were going to work, school, or had other pressing commitments, but no one was rushing to get there. I found that to be refreshing.It made me reflect on something that one of my best friends always says: “Slow down. Why are you in such a rush? Is it that serious?” That weekend in Paris, my friend and I reflected about fast-paced rate that we do things in the US. We walk fast, we drive fast, we have very little patience, and we over schedule meetings, rushing to get to one thing or another. In the last few weeks since I came home, I have been practicing intentionally slowing down. It’s helped me realize that whatever I am working on will get done and although what I fill my day with is important, it is not a matter of life or death. 

Dining Out

One of the things  that is hard not to notice in Paris are the number of places to eat. On every block there were at least three to five places to sit and enjoy a good meal. I only noticed two people working on laptops while having a meal and very few people were on cell phones. Whether people were alone or dining with others, they enjoyed the moment by looking out the windows or talking to each other, It was very breathtaking. There was even no picture taking of food (except for me, LOL). Even when my bestie and I were enjoying meals, we made it a point to stay off of our phones and enjoy the moment. 

In addition to staying present and enjoying the experience of dining out, the French start drinking early. I noticed people having wine as early as 10 am. In my mind the earliest one should start drinking is 11am, unless you are on vacation. But who am I to impose my silly rules on others? Not only were the Parisians I noticed drinking wine, but they were enjoying lots of bread, which I know I could never eat every day. I was so intrigued that I emailed a colleague to do research on the health people in France compared to the United States. He sent me this article– Lifestyle in France and the United States: An American Perspective—which pointed out several interesting points. Please understand that I am not judging but just researching as my curiosity was peaked. 

My last point on dining in Paris is how I noticed how the French take their time and dine. People would be enjoying each other, the food, and the atmosphere for what seemed like hours. I really loved how no one pressured you to the pay the bill and leave so the restaurant could sit other patrons. I was also surprised that there was no need to tip in Paris. Unlike servers in the United States, servers in Paris are paid a living wage. And since service is already included in the price, no one is expecting you to tack on an additional 15 to 25 percent at the end of the meal.

As a person who frequently dines out, this was refreshing. It remined me of my best friends and how we don’t buy each other birthday gifts, we pick a nice restaurant, enjoy good food and have great conversation. My dining out in Paris remined me that life is short, and we should enjoy every moment and every bite!

I know that four days was not enough to see all of Paris. The beautiful architecture, café’ culture, endless art and culture, bakeries and fashion make Paris a city to fall in love with. Paris has been on my bucket list and I am happy that I was able to enjoy with one of my besties. Two things I can say for sure: I will be back and I am no longer a Paris virgin!