Big Trees and Big Reds

This past weekend we headed to the west coast to celebrate an entire year of marriage. Judging by Kim K's breaking news yesterday, a year is something to celebrate. So we did.

I took about 38 pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge. It was so cool to see something in person you have seen your whole life in pictures, and more prominently, in the theme song of Full House.

We crossed the bridge our first morning on our way to Muir Woods and Sonoma.

MS navigated the Chrysler Sebring with style.

It was a beautiful drive. I can see why the 1970s era houses were all around 2 million. Thanks, Zillow app for the info.

Everyone told us it got really quiet when you got inside the woods. It definitely did - and very cold. We tucked inside this tree for a photo op.

It reminded me of an outdoor sanctuary. I could almost see how people become tree huggers.

These trees have seen a LOT of days.

We jumped back in the Sebring towards Sonoma. The drive was easy on the eyes.

After rave reviews on Trip Advisor, I knew we had to stop at Cline Cellars. They are known for big reds and zinfandels, my personal favorite. I couldn't wait to do some tasting and educate myself a little bit more about wines - since most of my experience revolves around the best label or the end cap at Publix. Also the reason we chose Sonoma over Napa.

Cline did not dissapoint. Our server, Joe, was so knowledgeable. The standard tasting is 5 wines. I think we tasted all 20 and were able to easily pick out a few favorites to take home.

Joe also told us about a great deli down the road that smokes their own meats. We grabbed a sandwich to go and headed back to Cline for a picnic on the grounds, where Joe poured us a glass of the Ancient Vines Zinfandel - my favorite.

Zin, San Francisco fresh sourdough and avocado. This was one of the highlights of the trip for me.

In the spirit of sharing the wealth, we decided to feed the fish.

I liked to throw it in the middle and watch them fight for it. Who knew fish could fight?

Absolutely gorgeous day in wine country.

We left Cline and headed down the street to Jacuzzi Vineyards. Jacuzzi also has an olive press and olive oil tasting room. I sort of wanted to move in.

We had another great tasting experience here. I was so glad we chose Sonoma. I'm not a wine snob by any stretch of the imagination, and everyone we met was so friendly and explained why each wine tasted different and why. I was glad we didnt have to swirl and sniff and make comments about tobacco and cherry notes.

On a tip from Jacuzzi, we headed down to enjoy a bottle at Gloria Ferrer. They are most known for their sparkling wines, but we went for a bottle of Pinot Noir. Breathtaking views - not a bad way to spend a Friday afternoon. I almost couldn't believe we were there.

This was probably my favorite day - ironic considering we almost didn't head north to Sonoma at all. It was a last minute decision, and the fact that I was going to skip wine and olive oil tastings are clearly the signs of an overworked brain.