While there is a long list of wineries that you can enjoy through out Sonoma, these were by far my favorite wineries. Each make the list for their own reasons, such as atmosphere, tastes, or uniqueness. Matanzas Creek Winery When I think of escaping from reality and taking in all of the beauty of wine country this is the exact place I want to go to. The winery itself is located in a small valley, green and lush from the with grapevines covering hills. The winery grounds are surrounded by lavender and grape vines. The lavender bushes create a unique environment that is not common in at many wineries. Instead of the feeling of sitting on a concrete patio, like you would at many other wineries, it feels more like you are surrounded by nature while sipping your wine. To go along with this idea, the winery is a single cabin on their huge plot of land for the vines and the lavender to grow. On this plot of land there is also an area that you can play bocce ball or plenty of picnic areas that you can set up to enjoy a cozy afternoon with loved ones. After exploring the grounds, it is time to head inside to the cabin to take part in in wine tastings. There are multiple types of wine tastings that you can choose from, such as wine tasting at the tasting bar, private tours, cheese and wine pairings, and black glass tastings. The last two listed are very unique to the winery and not all that common to stumble upon. Cheese and wine pairings is just the start to the experience, there is also small snacks such as almonds that will go along with each of the wines and cheeses. Words cannot describe how wonderful the pairings complemented each other. Once the cheese pairing, you will also receive a white chocolate lavender dessert to be paired with one of their dessert wines. Overall I have never tasted anything so delicious. Lastly, the black glass tasting is a new way to consider wine tastings since our eyes can be deceptive to our taste buds. By creating the glasses so dark that you cannot see what type of wine is in front of you, it creates an exceptional ability to discern the different tastes in each one of the wines. Benziger Family Winery When driving into the Benziger Winery, you are exposed to a small box valley with only the estate and the vineyard that can be seen. Once arriving to the estate buildings it becomes very evident that this is a vineyard that has been passed through the family for many generations. There are large trees, that could have only been planted many years ago, surrounding the creeks and the ponds on the grounds. Walking to the building that you will do wine tastings you will pass the areas that the Benziger family still lives in to this day. Once arriving to the tasting area, you are able to pick the wines you want to taste. This way it is a little more a personal experience rather than a set list. I personally like this set up of picking which wines you taste a little more since there are some types of wines that I love way more than others. The grounds are absolutely gorgeous and even have a self-guided tour as well as a guided tour for you to learn about their farming practices. The Beniger Family Winery does their farming practices a little different than most wineries, by utilizing biodynamic farming practices. Biodynamic farming practices are a type of farming that is very similar to organic farming but instead it treats all of the aspects of farming such as plants, soil animals all related and not as separate entities. The winery uses animals to walk freely around the winery to do things such as cut back grass, give nutrients to the soil through their waste and pollinate their fruits and vegetables. Gloria Ferrer Wines Located just outside Sonoma is the sizable Gloria Ferrer Wines vineyard. When entering the driveway of the property you are surrounded by vine branches on both sides. This makes you feel like you have really stepped into wine country. There is an option to do a guided tour at either 11am, 1pm or 3pm. It is on a first come first served basis, which can be a double edged sword in the regards that my boyfriend and I were not on top of it to make reservations before we arrive to Sonoma valley so we this was perfect for us since most reservations need to be made in advance but the other side is that the tour might be full if you don’t get there in a timely manner before it starts. However, because we were there in the down season there were not many people visiting at the winery so we were able get there grab a glass of wine before the tour starts, which was supposed to be a group tour but we were the only ones who wanted a tour at that time so the tour was a private tour! The tour it self was very different from other tours we have done since it also focused on the champagne Gloria Ferrer produces. The fact that we got to see how champagne is being made was completely fascinating! The tour guide was very knowledgeable about all of our questions regarding the process of the champagne and the wine from the grapes to the final days of production. It maybe helped a little with the fact that since we were the only couple and he did not want the champagne to go flat by the next tour we got four full pours on our tour. Which was a really good bang for our buck! Not only do they have tours but they also have tastings that are something that are well worth your money. There are a couple different tastings you can pick from which includes, pinot journey, bubbles and bites, taste of Spain, and glassware exploration. Picking from any one of the tastings can personalize your experience as well as expand your knowledge of wine. Robledo Family Winery
Just down the road form Gloria Ferrer Wines lies Robledo Family Winery. This is a small family owned cozy establishment not to be missed out on. It is a ranch style intimate environment where you pick from 3 different flights, the estate wine flight, reserve wine flight and collectors cabernet flight. I got the estate flight and my boyfriend got the reserve flight but we shared each wines to maximize the different types of wine we were able to taste. My personal preference is the reserve flight with the port you taste at the end is to die for. We almost bought a bottle to bring back home but then we remembered we only had a carry on luggage. They do not have tours but you do have the ability to walk around their property as well as have a picnic on their covered patio.
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Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley in the off season Off season for Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley is from November to April. Their off season most likely defined as such because of the unpredictable rain and cooler days and cooler nights (20 degrees fahrenheit difference from summer to winter months). The likelihood that it will rain on your weekend trip is much higher than if you go during the summer. But rain and cooler weather should not deter you from taking the trip. Once you get past the possible weather you will not be disappointed in your decision. When I went during the off season the crowds were not existent and the weather was absolutely perfect with it being 70 degrees fahrenheit every day. Collectively in both Napa or Sonoma Valley I went to about 10 different wineries and all but 1 we didn’t have to wait to order and we had our own personal sommelier or assistant to explain the different wines notes to us. This was extremely different than what my friends have said about their experiences when going during the peak months.
Mountain Sun A cash and check only establishment ranks as one of my favorite places to go for happy or dinner with friends and family. The atmosphere is welcoming to everyone at all ages at any one of their 3 locations in Boulder (Under the Sun and Southern Sun) as well as their locations in Denver (Vine Street Pub) and Longmont (Long’s Peak Pub) Colorado. There are an array of board games ranging from shoots and ladders to jenga to play while you’re waiting or just having a great time with friends. The beer does not disappoint, from the core beers to their beers that vary every time you go in. The happy hour is inclusive of their core beers, which I recommend the raspberry or blackberry wheat ale or the number one belgian style tripel. They always give out free tasters, so if you are unsure of what to get you can always try a variety to make sure you are satisfied with your choice. Don’t forget that they have stout month every year in February, which showcases their own stouts and guest stouts. The stouts can range from a mint stout to a hoppy american stout. While you are sipping your delicious beer make sure to also grab some food as well. Their burgers are by far my favorite park, in particular the “Junk Burger”. The junk burger contains bacon, cheese of your choice, sauteed mushrooms and onions topped with roasted garlic mayo. Every sandwich comes with chips, but upgrading to the fries is a must for only $1 more. Hapa My go to sushi place whenever the sushi craving hits. The only way I can afford to keep up my sushi cravings is by taking advantage of Hapa’s happy hour. The happy hour is not only for drinks but also the delicious sushi they make. Before diving into their delicious food items, you have to order some drinks. Which among their happy hour I would recommend the G-Spot or the Threesome. The G-Spot in a mixed drink with raspberry infused sake, raspberry, vodka, and ginger ale and the Threesome is a mixed drink as well but with pear infused sake, coconut rum, passion fruit rum, cranberry and orange juice. Once getting a drink I move on to the menu to order some amazing food. My favorite food items in their happy hour are the seasoned edamame and monkey brain. When it is not happy hour I indulge in their in-house created 69 Roll or the XXX Roll. The 69 roll has shrimp tempura, california mix, and a cucumber roll wrapped in salmon, broiled in a spicy Japanese aioli and drizzled in sweet soy. While the XXX Roll lives up to it’s name by including avocado, and tempura asparagus rolls wrapped with hamachi and jalapenos, seared with olive oil and served with ponzu. Tahona Tahona doubles as a restaurant and a dance club, but that does not mean that their food is lacking. A must have is the queso fundido. The queso is served in a hot stone bowl made for dipping along with apples, carrots, peppers and house made tortilla chips to dip. The bonus about the queso, is that is also on their happy hour menu! There is a wide variety of food that is offered to order, but since it is taco bar they do not disappoint when making tacos. Some of their best tacos are also included on their happy hour menu, such as the buttermilk chicken taco or the grilled chicken taco. When adventuring off the happy hour menu for tacos I would recommend the BLAT (Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado, and Tomato) taco or the Spicy Shrimp taco. On the other hand their infused margaritas are to die for and are my favorite margaritas in Boulder. Their flavors change from season to season but still manage to peak my interest every time I decide which flavor to get. My top few flavors are Palisade Peach, Blueberry Basil, and Strawberry Mint. The Mediterranean The Mediterranean or “The Med” is widely know as the best tapa happy hour in Boulder, Colorado. There is about 30 different tapas that you can choose from, ranging from a pizza to oysters. My top four tapas to try are the bacon wrapped dates, grilled hanger steak, empanadas, and calamari. While you’re enjoying happy hour with the different tapas make sure to try their sangria, which is made on site. The red sangria has just enough fruity flavor to complement the sangria, while the white sangria has a great refreshing taste to make your taste buds happy. The only thing that you have to plan on is getting a table in those peak hours of happy hour. Sometimes the wait can be up to an hour, which would mean that you would be late to the happy hour times so make sure to get there at the beginning of the happy hour! Airbnb is widely know as a way to live as the locals while also getting a good deal on lodging. About half of this is true when using Airbnb while in Vegas, and of course it is not to live like the locals. If it were about living like the locals of Vegas then you would not be staying any where near the strip. When trying to stay on the strip there is a large selection to choose from depending on where and what you want to be close to as well as what type of pool do you want to be lounging at. One thing that does not vary too much along the strip though, is the prices of hotels. On average in their high season hotels start at $200 a night not including the resort fees. This is is where Airbnb comes in as a good deal for lodging. People can buy properties in different places on the strip and along the strip and then put them on Airbnb. One example of this is the MGM Grand Signature. The MGM Grand Signature is the three high rises located right behind the pool of the MGM Grand. If you use Airbnb to rent out a room at the MGM Grand Signature you will often times pay half the price of a room that is anywhere else on the strip and you do not have to pay the daily resort fee either! When checking in it appears just like a hotel with a lobby and valet so you don’t have to worry about check-in times like with a typical Airbnb. A good thing to note is that often times when booking these rooms through Airbnb, will also give you the same privileges, such as pool access as a normal hotel patron. This is a nice added bonus when staying at the MGM Grand Signature since you will be able to access the huge MGM Grand pool without the daily resort fee as well as shorter walk than the patrons staying at the MGM Grand. Other examples of place you can reserve on Airbnb that are still on the strip are Treasure Island and The Cosmopolitan. As always though, make sure you are getting what you are paying for by reading the reviews and reserving from a verified person. Park Distillery From the simplistic exterior, to the cozy interior and the fantastic food and drink, Park does not disappoint! The photo below is a Rundle Roast, by far my favorite part of my stay here. Block Block is located downtown, and to the uninformed appears to be a nondescript “hole-in-the-wall” restaurant… but don’t let the exterior fool you. Best arrive with plenty of time to spare, as the wait can be long at times due to the small seating accommodations. Once my turn to dine arrived, the food had a delightful Asian twist to it. To the left is the lettuce wrap dish. Cows The creamiest ice cream I have ever had. Their cow wordplay is goofily apparent when you look at their selection of flavors and combinations, so be sure to study the descriptions to be sure of what you’re ordering. Rave Coffee Simple but dandy coffee shop. There is little to no bitter taste in their coffees, and they even also their beans so the transient visitor can enjoy their flavor near and far. Grizzly Paw Brewing Company
As a huge brewery fanatic from Colorado, one of the pleasant surprises of this trip was the opportunity to try a myriad of Canadian made beers. They have a long list of beers to try which was hard to choose from but the best way to enjoy many of them was to have a beer flight. Grizzly Paw has a fine selection of house beers, in addition to a wide selection of other Canadian brands. Thoroughly enjoyed the food, beer, and atmosphere. Eddie’s Burger Bar Eddie’s Burger Bar offers a wide selection of pre-made creations in addition to custom burger creations, and either way you choose to go, the food is impeccable. I’d highly recommend you’d exchange the normal fries for some house-made poutine! 1. Explore Downtown Banff Downtown is super quaint and has a very cozy appeal regardless of whether you choose to visit in winter or summer. Parking all round town is free on the side streets, so don’t be alarmed that there is no parking on the main street (Banff Ave). There is a large variety of dining options, and it's you'll be hard pressed to make a decision from the many great options. See my food post of my favorite places to eat in Banff. 2. Plain of Six Glaciers and Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse Plain of Six Glaciers is about a 9-mile hike from Lake Louise. About .25 miles from the Plain of The Six Glaciers there is an adorable tea house to stay your hunger after the long hike (hours 9-5). Be warned, both the tea house and Lake Louise are very popular tourist attractions, and early arrivals are rewarded with solitude on the trail and views full of splendor. When we visited, we saw the dawn's first light falling on Lake Louise and the glacier behind it, a breathtaking and awakening start to the morning (before 6 o'clock!). Even arriving before 6 o'clock, there were several dozen other visitors eager to rent a kayak and start the hike up to the prime views - the early bird gets the worm! The hike is mostly flat as you make your way around Lake Louise, but once you reach the edge of the lake you'll start a more ambitious climb to the Plain of Six Glaciers. Once you reach to the switchbacks, you've almost reached the tea house, where you either grab food or continue forward to Plain of Six Glaciers viewpoint another quarter mile up the trail. We arrived at the tea house at about 8:30AM and did not realize that the tea house didn’t open until 9:00 AM so we continued to the Plain of Six Glaciers viewpoint. The tea house food tasted amazing after hiking about 2 hours (but we're sure it would taste amazing any time you had it!). I would 100% recommend any of the teas (I had the cream of earl gray tea and it was outstanding). You can also find any of the teas sold at the tea house at the Banff Tea house located in downtown Banff. Tips: 1. Start early to maximize your day as well as avoid the crowds. 2. The hike can take anywhere from 2 hours to 4 hours one way depending how in shape you are and if you are adjusted to the altitude. 3. Try some of the tea at the tea house – free hot water refills to get the most of your delicious teas. 3. Athabasca Glacier If you have the time to make the drive-up Icefields Parkway to the Athabasca Glacier is a once and a lifetime experience. The glaciers leading up to the Athabasca Glacier are so massive that is hard to understand how big they truly are. You really start to appreciate the size of the glaciers once you are at the Athabasca Glacier. Brewster just started evening on the glacier tour, where you get be on the glacier with only about 20 other people (instead of around 200 when taking the tour during the day), apple cider and appetizers while on the glacier, and dinner once you get back to the welcome center. Tips: 1. If you want more bang for your buck and intimate experience go for the evening on the glacier tour - a new program that everyone hopes they continue to operate. 2. Bring a water bottle or some type of container to bring some of the glacier water home. 3. Dress warm! It gets pretty windy on the glacier and, no surprise, it's very cold on the glacier. 4. Herbert Lake The perfect pit stop to start the drive up the Icefields Parkway! The small lake appears almost like glass to have mountains on the background reflect on the lake. Tips: Don’t miss the turn off it is every easy to drive past the turn off. 5. Peyto Lake The hike from the personal car parking lot (where the two pin points are on the map) is all up hill to the first overlook. The first overlook is denoted by the blue arrow. The path from the personal car parking lot to the first overlook is paved to make it a little easier to hike up. The best view is further up, which not many people go to and settle for the first overlook. It doesn't take more than 15 minutes more to reach the best overlook, and we would highly suggest you don't go without reaching the rocky overlook that affords the view in the photo above. The map to the left shows the starting point of the first overlook (blue arrow) to the Peyto Lake Panorama Viewpoint (black arrow) that will give you the view as shown above. Follow the path that is circled in the red circle to hike to the Peyto Lake Panorama Viewpoint. |