Kylie Ruth!!!

The moment our whole family has been anxiously waiting for...Kylie Ruth Lovell was born in the early morning hours on Tuesday, July 26th. Josh, Katy, and I had a restless nights sleep here on the other side of the country, all wishing we could be there to welcome Kylie into the world. We were able to skype with Kylie today and so were able to see her with Seth and Brittany. Even though we have yet to meet her face to face, we are all in love already! One more week and we will be back in Virginia and will be able to hold that precious girl.

A bittersweet weekend

Hot Air balloons right outside from where I work...a daily sight!

Last week Mom and Dad were supposed to fly in to Napa to spend a week visiting Katy and myself. However, since Kylie was a week late arriving to this world, they cancelled their flight as they did not want to miss the birth of their first grandchild. Katy and I were very upset that we would have to wait a little while longer to see Mom and Dad as it has already been over six months since we last saw them. However, we definitely understand and cannot wait ourselves to be home home just so we can see that precious baby.....whenever she decides to arrive.

On Friday Katy got good news as she interviewed for a job just outside of Charlottesville at an outpatient clinic and was offered the position the same day. That same afternoon we received word that Katy would be inducted into the Lee High School Sports Hall of Fame! So, despite the disappointment of not getting our expected visitors, we did receive some good news that day!

The next morning we were supposed to be meeting my boss, Angel, and some of my co-workers, Nikki and Taylor, for brunch, but when we arrived at the restaurant we were blindfolded and led down a city block to the Napa Valley Wine Train where Angel and my staff had booked us a reservation. We could not believe it! The Wine Train is a well known tourist attraction in the valley and one we had talked about doing, but never got around to. This is a perfect example of the amazing people I have had the opportunity to work with this summer. So, for the next several hours Katy and I enjoyed a train ride in an old refurbished locomotive all the way up the valley to Calistoga while drinking wine and dining on gourmet cuisine. Katy had seared Ahi Tuna and I  had a vegetarian dish with roasted peppers stuffed with yams, snap pea ravioli, and grilled zucchini. The best part however was an amazing appetizer plate that was piled with all kinds of delicious foods. The views were wonderful and the company even better. Katy and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and could not get over the fact of how sweet the people I work with are to do something like this for us.

That evening we walked back to the downtown and ate dinner at Carpe Diem...which was incredible. Katy had a spicy calamari and chorizo dish while I had a grilled flat bread topped with smoked chicken and chorizo, mushrooms, zucchini, caramelized onions, marinara, and cave aged gruyere, all of which is topped with an organic Sonoma coast duck egg! To drink we had some watermelon wheat beer from a popular Micro-Brewery in San Francisco called 21st Amendment.


On Sunday Katy and I drove to Benziger Winery in Sonoma and took an hour tour and tasting of the estate. It is a very cool place and definitely worth checking out if ever in this area. We had a great time and appreciated the recommendation from Dave and Sherry who went there while they were out visiting us.

That night we had dinner with Angel and her family. One of my closest friends from work, Isaias, was also there. We had a very nice time visiting with each other and I am so glad Katy got to spend some quality time with some of the people I have gotten so close to over the past three months.

So, despite missing Mom and Dad, it was a nice weekend with good news and some fun times. Tomorrow, Monday July 25th, we will pick up Josh from the airport and we will also start our last work week in Napa. This too will be a bittersweet experience as we have so greatly enjoyed this time, but are ready to be back home with friends and family.

Camp SPF Staff

Ron and Jess head to California :)

We picked Ron and Jess up last Thursday evening and headed straight to In and Out Burger for a late dinner which looks like it has become a tradition with all our visitors.  We got to catch up a bit but with work quickly approaching and a long day of traveling we all hit the sack.  Friday, while Eli and I headed to work, they took off exploring Napa going to the Rutherford Grill, the Sterling Winery, and the Silverado Vineyard to begin their trip.  Once Eli and I got off of work we fixed vegetable tostadas and then went downtown for delicious Three Twins Ice Cream and music.  Luckily there was a fire to stand in front of because it was cold.  As Ron and Jess had just left 102 degree Virginia weather, they were not used to the cool, crisp California evenings but did not seem to mind.

Saturday morning we got up early and headed to Vallejo where we hopped on the ferry to San Francisco.  Once we got there and drank our coffee we walked down a few piers to do the Alcatraz tour which was home to the famous federal penitentiary known as "the Rock" from 1934 to 1963 as well as previously being a military prison and later spent time being occupied by Native Americans.  You hop on a  ferry which takes you to the island which is about a mile and a half away from the city.  There are many different things you can do on the island but we watched an informational video and did the audio tour which takes you all through the prison including D-Block which was the isolation area for the most disruptive inmates.  The audio was incredible and did a great job giving a detailed overview of Alcatraz.  I cannot and do not ever want to imagine life on Alcatraz.  After our tour it was already 1 in the afternoon, so we headed back into the city and sought after their famous bread bowls from Boudin Bakery.  This was Ron and Jess's first bread bowls and like us, they were instantly in love!  After eating, we waddled around the city and up lots of hills to Ron's highlight of the day, The Beat Museum.  Ron and Jessica took the tour as Eli and I looked through the shop and walked around exploring.  After the museum we hiked up to Coit Tower to get a look out of the city and then headed back on the ferry.

 

Once back in Napa, we went to Vintage Sweet Shoppe where they do a chocolate and wine tasting.  Most importantly here, we found out that Jessica's favorite was the sauvignon blanc!  That evening we spent playing cards and chatting for hours.

Sunday, we cannot take credit as Jessica planned our day!  We slept in a bit and then headed into Sonoma Valley to do a horseback riding tour at the Kunde Family Estate.  It was an hour tour which took you all over the property and to beautiful look outs of the valley.  Our horses and guide were great.  Immediately following the horseback riding we drove down the road to the rest of their property to do the Mountain Top Tour.  They shuttled us to the highest point on the property where you could see the vineyards on the property, the neighboring mountains, and you could even see as far as the San Pablo Bay.  It was a picture perfect day with beautiful sites and even better company.  Once we came down from the top we picnicked at Kunde and then headed back to Napa.  After cleaning up we did some more fine dining at Rotisserie and Wine which was founded by the famous chef, Tyler Florence.  It is a recently built restaurant that sits right on the river and offers a small but delicious menu.  After dinner, we played the game Farkle.  Jessica had a strong come from behind victory over all of us in which we saw her sweet dance moves!! :)

On Monday, Eli and I headed once again to work while Ron and Jessica headed north to Calistoga to see fainting goats!  There is a geyser the erupts every 40 minutes and there are goats that will faint.  The only problem is now the goats are used to the geyser and to people so they rarely faint...unfortunately we will not be getting a Christmas card with Ron and Jessica lying down next to the fainting goats.  The rest of the day they ate at a Mexican restaurant and did some more site-seeing around Napa.  Once Eli and I got home, we made eggplant and zucchini lasagna and enjoyed their company for the evening.  We tried to head to bed early as Tuesday was an early morning taking them to the airport in San Francisco.  It was hard to say goodbye as it was an amazing trip in which we just had the best time.  The good thing is we will see them in under two weeks on the EAST coast!!!

Lake Tahoe

Mom and Dad arrived this past Thursday evening for another fun weekend!  As San Francisco is a nightmare to navigate around rush hour, we had them hop on the local transit to pick them up.  On our way home Thursday evening we stopped to eat at one of the California staples, In and Out Burger, which literally just has burgers, fries, and shakes.  The pull is that everything is fresh and local.  The potatoes are peeled on sight....but yes, it is still fast food...but oh-so delicious!!!  As their flight had gotten delayed due to fog in Virginia we didn't get home until late so my poor folks were up almost 24 hours by the time we hit the sack that night.   

Sadly, Eli and I still had to work Friday, but my folks were able to experience Napa valley driving the Silverado trail and looping back down route 29.  They stopped by the Silverado Vineyard to sight see, but tasted at the Sterling vineyard which they told us was wonderful.  You take an aerial tram up to the tasting room which looks out over the valley and offers stunning views as well as top notch wine.  From there they went to the Rutherford Grill for lunch and then did the olive oil tasting at St. Helena Olive Oil Company.  By that time, I was done with work (yay) and ready to join the party.  When Eli got off of work we ate crab cakes, corn on the cob, and fruit salad while sitting outside enjoying good conversation.  After dinner, we decided to walk downtown.  My folks got a kick out of all the redwood trees, palm trees, and interesting houses along the walk.  After seeing the town we walked over First Street to the Oxbow Market where we got the second best ice cream (2nd to Klines Dairy Bar in Virginia) I have had at Three Twins Organic Ice Cream.  As we walked home we saw lots of people out and about as well as live music coming from different outdoor venues around Napa.

Saturday morning we got up and moving.  We headed back downtown for breakfast at the Napa General Store.  After breakfast and looking through the cute shop, we headed east to South Lake Tahoe.  It was about a 3 hour drive.  When we arrived to the Horizon hotel we realized our room on the 8th floor had a great view of the lake and the SNOW capped mountains!!!  It was beautiful.  The weather was in the low 80's and the views were amazing.  We decided to walk to the water and found an outdoor restaurant right on the beach that we could sit to have a drink, appetizer, chat and get an up-close look of the lake.  After walking back to the hotel and cleaning up, Mom and I drug Eli and Dad through all the shops.  One stood out as it was a botique that offered comfy couches with free wine, beer and cookies for the men to sip on as the ladies shopped...what an excellent marketing idea!  Finally, we went to a fine dine and wine restaurant, Kalani's, which served Hawaiian cuisine...it was some amazing food.  I think all of our plates were cleaned dry when we were done.  We capped the evening off with some local wine in our hotel.

The view from our room...

Sunday morning we got up and headed to Zephr Cove for the M.S. Dixie II site seeing cruise on Lake Tahoe.  It was a 2 hour tour that offered a scenic tour of part of the lake.  We lucked out with  a sunshine filled day and front row seats to view the blue water and mountains that sit right along the lake.  Following our cruise, we drove to Emerald Bay to a few scenic look out points.  Following all our site-seeing adventures, we drove home and faced California traffic once again!!  I lucked out and caught a snooze in the car but poor Eli got stuck facing traffic once again.  When we got back our pups were very happy so we took them as well as Mom and Dad on the Brown's Valley hike that overlooks Napa and then we went out to eat at a local Chinese restaurant.  After being absolutely exhausted we hit the sack.

On Monday, once again Eli and I worked, and Mom and Dad decided to explore Sonoma Valley.  They went on an hour and a half tour at the Benziger Winery which from their report was a must do!!  This is a winery that is a step above organic as it has a whole biodynamic system.  They tasted 7 different wines including several from the reserve list and were given a tour of the cave as well as out in the vineyards.  Following their tour they went into Sonoma to eat lunch at the Red Grape and buy local cheese for our dinner.  It was great when I got off of work to see my parents waiting on me.  We really just relaxed Monday night eating cheese, crackers, pepperoni, fresh fruit and drinking wine they got from the day.  We all talked for hours and once we realized it was after 11, we headed to bed.  

Tuesday, Eli went to work and I dropped my folks off.  It was sad to say goodbye but not too sad as we get to see them again in less than a month when we head back to Virginia!!!  Eli and I both worked long days today and have begun getting ready for our next visitors, Ron and Jessica.....we can't wait!!! :)

Tara!

This past weekend, our 10th as Californians, we had our good friend, Tara Stewart, visit us from her home in Seattle. Tara was not alone as she flew to Napa with some extra luggage, her dog, Kita. Tara arrived Friday afternoon and we wasted no time in showing her around. We loaded up the car with a picnic and the dogs and took off for Dillon Beach. When we left the temperature said 91...when we pulled into the parking lot at Dillon just an hour later the temperature read 61! The weather sure can change drastically as you head towards the coast!

We hung out on the beach for over two hours playing with the dogs, eating our picnic dinner, and enjoying the company. When we left the beach around 8:30pm it had cooled down to 52! However, it was still nice and hot in Napa when we arrived home as the temperature was hovering right around 80 degrees.

Kita likes to sit on your shoulders!

The next morning Katy had us all up and out the door by 8am, even the dogs, so we could get an early start to the day. We started off by hiking to Westwood Hills. The trail runs through a cow field, next to a winery, and up a steep hill that provides a scenic overlook to the city of Napa. After working up an appetite and getting a little exercise we headed into downtown and went to a bakery called Sweetie Pies for breakfast. After breakfast we visited a few shops and went to the Oxbow Market to look around. We mostly just did some window shopping, but we did come away with some chocolate covered gummy bears and some chocolate covered strawberries to pack in our picnic lunch.

Monticello Vineyards

Once back at the house we showered, loaded up the car with some chairs and blankets for our concert and some coolers for our picnic, and then we took off to enjoy wine country. We headed up the Silverado Trail and stopped first at the Monticello Vineyards. These vineyards are run by the Corley family, but are named in honor of Thomas Jefferson. One of the buildings on the estate is actually a smaller size replica of Monticello itself. This turned out to be one of our favorite stops of the day as the wine was good and our host was extremely friendly and even poured us a few glasses from their reserve list.

Silverado Vineyards

Our next stop was the Silverado Vineyards, which is probably the most gorgeous winery we have been to thus far in Napa. It sits up on a hill and has a very scenic view of the valley floor with vineyards as far as the eye can see. They were very busy, being that it was a holiday weekend, and so the service left a lot to be desired. However, realizing that they had neglected us they decided to pour Katy and Tara each a glass of wine (I was DD) and give us a private tour of the estate, which was very impressive. I asked our host if they ever saw any famous people come into the winery, and he said that they see Tamera Mowry (star of the old television show, Sister Sister) all the time and that she had recently had her rehearsal dinner at their winery. She lives in Calistoga and is frequently seen around Napa Valley.

Twomey Cellars

Our next stop was at Sterling Winery, which was jam packed with tourists so we decided to head somewhere a little quieter. We went to Twomey Cellars, which was also a favorite stop of the day. They not only had some good wines, they also had some delicious cheeses set out to sample, which we certainly did, and they had a very nice sitting area outside where we put our feet up and enjoyed our picnic lunch.

Picnic at Twomey

Castello di Amorosa

After Twomey we went to Castello di Amorosa, which is a castle. Yes, literally a castle. We then drove to Del Dotta Vineyards which is another vineyard that is well known for its ambiance as it is an extremely extravagant place complete with caves! After visiting these two impressive places we drove to the Alpha Omega Winery to do some more tasting.

We ended our full day in Wine Country at the Robert Mondavi Winery to eat dinner and listen to Gavin DeGraw in concert. It was a gorgeous setting for a concert with the vineyards and rolling hills serving as the backdrop. The concert was wonderful and had us standing up and dancing most of the time. We actually saw Tamera Mowry at the concert, and even though we did not say hello, she did come to chat with some people who were sitting about 10 feet from us. After the concert ended we were treated to a fireworks show. It was a wonderful day, but we were exhausted. The good news was that the Robert Mondavi Winery is only ten minutes from our house, so it was a quick trip back home!

Sunday was another early morning as we left the house at 7:45am to drive to Vallejo and catch the ferry into San Francisco. After an hour ferry ride we arrived in the city. The first thing we did was rent some bikes and bike across the Golden Gate Bridge. It was a beautiful ride, but the bridge was packed with pedestrians and other cyclists, so was a little crazy. After biking for two and a half hours around the city, we returned the bikes and went to the famous Boudin Bakery for lunch. After lunch we walked, and walked, and then walked some more around what seemed like the entire city of San Francisco. We walked through Little Italy, Chinatown, beside the AT&T Ball field where the Giants play, under the Bay Bridge, and finally after several hours of circumnavigating the city, we ended up at the SF Ferry Building where we hopped back on a ferry and headed home. San Francisco, which never gets too hot, was having a heat wave and so the temperatures were up around 80 degrees for the day, which was very nice.

Once back to Napa we headed downtown to the Normon Rose Tavern to grab a burger and then we called it a day. After a very packed weekend I drove Tara and Kita to the airport on Monday morning. It was a wonderful couple of days and now I am readying the house for our next visitors while Katy is at work. On Thursday Dave and Sherry will arrive and then next weekend we will head to Lake Tahoe with them. California has been a whirlwind so far, and with every weekend from here on out booked with visitors, it promises to be a sprint to the finish line!