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Exercise calls for lunch. A favorite setting is Brix’s sunny stone patio on
the vineyards. A glass of the owner’s Kelleher Sauvignon Blanc is delicious with
steak tartare, quail egg and baguette, followed by organic baby beet salad and
parsnip soup.
Yountville’s fame as a food Mecca commenced in 1994, with Thomas
Keller’s launching of award-winning French Laundry, renown for its prix-fixe
French-based menus. In 2004, the eatery installed geothermal wells in its circa
1900 building. A circuit of water-filled pipes draws the hot air from the kitchen
260 feet into the earth to cool it, sending it back for use as heat at a constant 65
degrees.
Napa weather can turn chilly at night. Back at the hotel, there’s a warming
fire on the bar patio, where we opt for lighter fare like Kobe burger and
caramelized onion and cheese Panini.
Day Three
– High Art and Historic Places
W
e arise restless for a change in culture and view. A short drive west
accesses the museums and walking paths of Golden Gate Park in
San Francisco. We are easily admitted to the de Young Museum for a Ver-
meer exhibit in town from The Hague. After a stroll and pleasant lunch in
the Science Museum, we are ready to drive south.
Convenient midpoint between San Francisco and Montecito, San Luis
Obispo is our overnight destination. The main artery into town still has a
Fosters Freeze with its original 1940s sign. An exciting surprise is the hip
“new” boutique hotel we happen upon in the downtown walking district.
The Granada Hotel & Bistro was originally built in 1922 as an enclave for
traveling actors. Later, rumor suggests clientele included the cow-town’s
“Johns” as part of its brothel trade. Recently, the hostelry has undergone
a polished renovation, using glass, chrome and steel-beam design, to
complement its brick structure.
As befits a college town, we won’t go hungry. Besides the popular
Granada Bistro, Novo at creekside offers an adventurous menu under the
stars, lulled by the croaking of river toads.
Fortified the next morning with Big Sky Café’s homemade cornbread,
eggs chili verde and rustler-sized lattes, we’re on the road again. Since
starting our trip, the wild flowers have exploded. The hills are Kerry green.
Hawks, llamas and mustangs all contribute to a stunning rural landscape.
Someone once said “it’s the small pleasures in life,” acknowledging the joys
in minor moments.
When it comes to springtime and California, a two-day sojourn in
Napa can be transforming.
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