Napa Valley Road Trip

Probably my favorite photo of the entire road trip. John sits, satisfied, at our table at Mustard's Grill. We have cooked many a meal from this restaurant's cook book, so going here for dinner was like meeting a pen pal for the first time. A place you know you like even though you've never visited.

for me, the drive is half the fun. Having John be a captive audience so we can talk and plan and talk some more. Even the ugly salt flats were a bearable part of the journey because John and I spent the hours chatting and laughing together.

This was my personal favorite: Buchon Bakery. Chef Thomas Keller is owner and operator here. We saw the most beautiful baked goods on this planet, and got to eat some of them too!

63 miles of riding up and down the valley was a fun and long day for both of us. But the beauty of the vineyards and the fun of knowing John has wanted to ride these roads for years and years made the many miles worth it!

We enjoyed much of a day at the Culinary Institute of America. Here, the country's top chefs are trained and tutored to produce the finest in culinary arts. John said to me as we left that he hopes one of this institution's "boot camps" would somehow be in our future.

John and I recently enjoyed a road trip to Napa Valley. This was a dream come true-for John because he has wanted to visit this cooking mecca for many years, and for me because I've always wanted to take him there. John's 40th birthday was the catalyst; I saved pennies and dollars, spare change from the dryer and rebates sent in the mail. All of these dollars and cents added to just enough for the two of us to drive to the valley, enjoy some great food, learn about cooking, and spend some time together. There was one particular restaurant we could not try because we couldn't secure a reservation. But otherwise I'd say the weekend was nearly perfect! Uninteruppted time spent talking in the car. Time spent on our bikes (a lot of time!). Time spent learning together about food and how to make something so necessary into something so special. I'm so glad we could get away together; and I'm especially glad we went away to this unique and interesting valley where food is paramount and beauty is everywhere.