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We had a long weekend trip to California for a friend’s wedding. It was my first time to the San Francisco area so we tried to fit in a bit of sightseeing while we were there.

We arrived Thursday and checked into The Claremont Resort and Spa. The resort was massive and beautiful. Check out the pictures. That afternoon/evening we went down to Fisherman’s Wharf. It was neat to see Alcatraz, though we didn’t end up having the time to tour it.

Friday morning, we headed up to Napa Valley. Time was somewhat limited since we had to be back to Berkeley for the rehearsal dinner but we had time for a few tastings. We stopped at Beaulieu and Sterling.

At Beaulieu, the reserve wines are in a different building than the main tasting area. So after sampling the usual wines we headed to the reserve area. I am tickled pink that Jamie and I had our trip to Ecuador before our trip to CA. When we entered the reserve building, the man greeting us said to me “you look very beautiful today, ma’am”. He spoke to me in Spanish. The shock on his face when I responded in Spanish was absolutely priceless. Then he quickly checked Jamie’s face for his reaction. Jamie, being fairly ignorant of Spanish and blissfully secure in our relationship, merely smiled. In a vain way, it was nearly the highlight of the trip.

Sterling had a self-guided tour of the winery which was quite interesting. Just a fun fact for those of you back east; some of the oak barrels were Appalachian Oak. The tour was interesting but I have to say the best part was the gondola ride up to the winery.

That’s the end of our trip to Napa since we had to back in Berkeley. The rehearsal went as they usually do and we went to Skates on the Bay for dinner. Appetizers and dessert were wonderful. Everything in between was ok. Maybe I’m a spoiled Mid-Westerner used to friendly people and exceptional service or maybe, it’s because we had just been in Ecuador were the people were absolutely amazing but whatever the reason, California seemed very unfriendly, service was mediocre at best and everything was way overpriced.

Saturday, we went back to the Wharf for the Farmer’s Market, wandered around a bit and then had lunch in Japantown with another couple. Then it was time to head back for the wedding.

Sorry to those of you looking for wedding pictures but I have absolutely none. Jamie was in the wedding so no camera for him. And I stayed back with the bridal party to make sure the kids (flower girl and ring bearer) left when they were supposed to. So, I scooted in the back row after the bride was up front which didn’t leave me in the greatest position for pictures.

The reception was a lot of fun. I think this wedding had more people dancing than any other wedding I’ve been to. Since Jamie was at the head table with the wedding party, I was seated with a bunch of strangers (some friends of the bride and some of the groom). Lucky for me, they were a very fun and animated group of people. But it wasn’t until the older generation started to leave and the wedding party started doing shots that things really livened up. Even after the reception was over, the wedding party, sans bride and groom, gathered in one of the groomsmen’s rooms to keep things going. Needless to say, Sunday morning was not the best morning I’ve ever seen. It was quite reminiscent of my 21st birthday many years ago and was a not-so-lovely reminder of why Jamie and I don’t drink. For the rest of them who still drink regularly, I’m sure it was no big deal.

After brunch with the other groomsmen and their significant others, Jamie and I headed for the airport and back to Omaha. Thus, the end of our CA trip.