Thursday, January 25, 2018

Livin' It Up At The Hotel California

I've been to California many times because a lot of my family lives there, but this trip was like no other. Since my family was busy with wedding plans, my husband, Jason, & I were able to travel a bit & see things that I've never seen before. It was certainly a trip to remember.

As soon as we arrived in California, Jason & I rented a car & went to my favorite restaurant, Aappakadai. In my opinion, they have some of the best South Indian food I've ever had (aside from homecooked meals of course).

After dinner, we checked into the Palo Alto Four Seasons Hotel, which is always a luxurious treat, & stayed there for 2 nights. Then we drove to Tracy where my grandparents live & stayed with them for 1 night & continued on to Napa.

Jason & I booked the Collective Tour on the Wine Train, which was an amazing experience. We visited 3 wineries: St. Supery, Beringer, & Raymond Vineyards. Each vineyard was unique in decor & its experience. Some stops required a brief shuttle ride from the train to the winery, which looked like a party bus. The Wine Train is also great because you can keep to yourself in your little booth, or you can socialize with the rest of your group. I highly recommend going in the off-season. Even though it's not as nice of weather, it's worth it to beat the crowd. Jason & I had a blast with our little group of 6. By the last winery, we called each other the "Wine Train Fam."

The only thing that I wasn't thrilled with was that after a large amount of money we paid, the wine was not included in the train; the ticket included tastings & food. The service, however, was superb. They were very friendly, personable, detailed, & have a great balance on those wobbly trains!

After Napa, we stayed in Menlo Park in an Airbnb. Although fancy hotels like the Four Seasons are beautiful, some Airbnbs are way more cost-effective & can be in really cool places! Ours has a gym, pool, hot tub, & was central to a lot of food, shopping, & attractions. Some attractions we were lucky enough to see were the Google & Apple Campus. Yes, the Apple Campus is restricted to the public, but I have a family friend who works there & was able to show us around! My husband was in techy heaven. As for Google, you can walk onto the campus & go to the gift shop; you just can't get into the buildings.

After staying in Menlo Park & nerding out, we drove back to Napa for my cousin's wedding at the Meritage Resort.

You know when people say they need a vacation after their vacation? I understand what they mean now. Jet lag + thousands of miles = exhausted!

Until next time! 💗

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