Napa Valley and San Francisco
Suisun City, California
Monday & Tuesday, July 02 - 03, 2018
Smoky & Windy, 72°
“The answer may not lie at the bottom of this wine bottle . . .
But we should at least check.”
Last October, 2017 there was a major fire in the Napa Valley and Sonoma California areas. According to my daughter, there were mandatory evacuations all over the place and where she lived was next on the list to be evacuated if the fire jumped over the freeway. Several fires joined into one very large fire covering over 245,000 acres so the images in my head were hillside after hillside covered with burned vines, trees, and vegetation.
Napa Valley
I have always wanted to see the picturesque rolling hills of Napa Valley with its vineyards and tasting rooms. We took the opportunity to go during the visit with my daughter and her family. Napa Valley itself was virtually spared as the flames went around the valley on the hilltops on either side. Several wineries had some damage but all of the major debris, burnt vehicles and destroyed houses had been cleaned up when we drove through.
Winery Fire Damage
Thankfully, it was hard to tell where most of the damage had been. Several of the hillsides and fields that had been burned were already planted with new grapes so some of the destruction that had occurred was now masked.
Burned Hillside
Healthy Grapevines
As we were driving, my daughter mentioned a vineyard that had lost many vines and most of its buildings had been destroyed. We were surprised to find their off-site tasting room was still open after the fire. Paradise Ridge Winery in Santa Rosa was gone but something neat happened after the fire that has been a media sensation. A photo of the 12 foot tall “LOVE” sculpture that lined the hills at Paradise Ridge Winery survived the blaze and was posted on line.
LOVE Sculpture survived the fire
The sculpture had been the backdrop for countless weddings and other social occasions over the years. It came to be seen as an indication of resilience, survival and hope for the Napa Communities. Love overcomes.
Paradise Ridge Winery before Fire
From USA Today:
Amid a charred grove of oak trees, one relic still stood this week at the Paradise Ridge Winery — the 12-foot-tall, four-letter word: Love.
The sculpture, which originally debuted at Burning Man in 2007, is probably the most iconic piece of art at the Santa Rosa winery, which over the years has collected dozens of pieces for its sculpture garden, many of them originally from Burning Man. The sculpture, a rustic steel sculpture stamped with flying birds, is popular with newlyweds and is the work of Reno's Laura Kimpton and Jeff Schomberg.
Paradise Ridge Winery after the Fire
"That 'Love' sculpture has become a symbol of hope in Sonoma County," said Sonia Byck-Barwick, whose parents opened the winery in 1994. "As my brother said, love conquers all. He took that photo when the property was briefly opened on Monday, and it’s gone viral. High school kids are sharing it on Snapchat and Facebook. It’s their symbol that it's going to be OK. I mean, how can you not love a sculpture that says love?" (USA Today)
I was glad to see the area had cleaned up the debris, new vines were planted and in other fields the irrigation systems were being repaired so that more grapes could be planted. Napa and surrounding communities are working hard to move past the fires, making wine for our pleasure, and giving tourists a great place to visit and learn all about wine country.
After the long drive, it was time for a quick bite before returning home. We stopped at Mary’s Pizza Shack - a great stopping point during the late afternoon. The chicken Alfredo and pizza filled everyone up and everyone, including the grand baby, had an enjoyable afternoon outing. It was a nice break to get outside and see the beautiful scenery of Napa Valley and Sonoma.
Also, while visiting my daughter, we spent an afternoon in San Francisco. It was easier to take the ferry than drive into the city and find parking. We drove to Vallejo to catch the ferry into the city. The day was still warm and smoke from the new fires around coastal California filled the air giving everything a brownish haze.
Ferry Plume
The ferry ride was nice and an easy, just over an hour, sailing across San Francisco Bay. There was no traffic to deal with and beautiful scenery to look at along the way. We passed a small island with a lighthouse and several small out-buildings all painted red and white, which contrasted against the blue waters of the Bay. We sailed past Alcatraz island with the Golden Gate Bridge, a mile or so away, in the distance.
Alcatraz Island
Golden Gate Bridge
We arrived at Terminal Pier 41 on San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf.
Fisherman’s Wharf
People were everywhere, street performers and artists were doing their things along the waterfront and everyone was having a good time. There were caricature artists, street dancers, contortionists, and a guy playing great island music on kettle steel drums. The different smells of various foods drifted in the breeze as you walked along from Pier 41 to Pier 39 and the Embarcadero. There were many restaurants available and you could eat about any type of food imaginable.
San Francisco Hillside
As one ferry arrived about 100 bicyclists disembarked and groups of about 5 or 6 of them fanned out in different directions. I first thought it was a big group of people riding together or a bike club but they did not seem to be on any organized bike ride. It was just a large number of people coming in from the suburbs, having a nice ride in the city on a clear windy day.
San Francisco Downtown
We ate dinner at a seafood restaurant on Pier 39 and while waiting for the return ferry had beignets at a little crab shack eatery. They were so good we ordered more to take back to the house.
It was a great afternoon and everyone was tired after the sunset cruise back to Vallejo.
Smokey Sunset
By the time we returned to the house, the stars were out, the smell of smoke had mostly dissipated; it was a fitting end to a fun day. And, not having to deal with San Francisco traffic was a major plus in my book.