Wine Country for the Underage - Part 4

Although our destination in Napa were the outlets, we had to make one more stop on the way there. The town of St. Helena is the heart of Napa Valley. On Main St there is a wonderful chocolate shop, which was our third stop. Woodhouse Chocolate makes delicious chocolates that come in a variety of flavors. Some favorites include Sur de Lago, Heart of Darkness, and Honey.

Guess, Talbots, Ultra, Sunglass Hut, TSE

Our final stop brought us to one of my favorite places: Napa Premium Outlets. Including stores such as Barney's New York, J.Crew, Banana Republic, Coach and Nine West, it is a shoppers dream; so I fit in perfectly.
By the way, it is safe to say that I contained my excitement and can officially cross of number 8 on my list.
  8. Resist the summer sales


We wrapped up our trip driving through the fog-hidden, traffic-jammed San Francisco, and headed for home. 

7pm

10am
same day, only hours before

Keep in mind we started our day in the sun.

Wine Country for the Underage - Part 3

From the street this red building can be passed by in a heart beat. If you turn into the small, narrow parking lot and walk inside, the food is so wonderful that it is worth the long wait for a table. Boon Fly Café is one of the restaurants at the Carneros Inn. Yet I have never stayed at the hotel, their café is to die for. Although my lunch always consists of a club or B.L.T. sandwich (with my sense for classic food, I highly recommend)I have been informed that their Hippie sandwich is a must for any vegetarians, or hippies in the making. No matter what I order, I always have an order of their crispy french fries. Nothing makes a more classic meal.

Crispy French Fries

P.S. If ordering donuts (as directed on the sign) ask the waiter first because making them takes a very long time...

Wine Country for the Underage - Part 1

Napa, California is known across the country as having best wine in the nation. But for a teenager, wine is not an option. Luckily, this beautiful area has much more than alcohol to offer. With my frequent trips to Napa, I have discovered some of Wine Country's best hidden treasures.

I always start my day at Corner Stone Sonoma. As the sign states, there is food, shops, wineries, and gardens. Corner Stone is known for their designer gardens. They select designers from across the country to come and create a modern area. Each receive about 1,800 square feet, and they do amazing work with the space.

Daisy Border by Ken Smith

Small Tribute to Immigrant Workers by Mario Schjetnan

Eucalyptus Soliloquy by Walter Hood & Alma Dusolier

by Mark Rios

The Knowledge of Man is as the Waters by UC Davis Students

Attention!! Potager by Scott Daigre

Corner Stone has two iconic pieces: a blue oversized adirondack chair, and the (now deceased) 'blue-ball' tree.

by Claude Cormier, this is the blue tree at its prime,

and this is it today. The tree itself has died, all of the branches have been chopped off, and the 'ping-pong' balls are faded and broken.

A great part of Corner Stone is that entrance to the gardens is free; this was not always true but as of the bad economy, they have adjusted their rates and are currently booking special events. This has become a very popular destination for weddings. However, Corner Stone is much more than just gardens. They have a wide variety of shops to fit many interests. My personal favorite is Zipper. It sells very modern merchandise including home decor, jewelry, kids and dogs. Other stores are listed here.

This adorable guy sits with his brother outside of Zipper.

Look out for more from Napa coming soon.