The RIDE!

 

Nautie Friends,

Do you know that my cousin Rhiannon has participated (as in rode a bike) in The Ride To Conquer Cancer three times and is gearing up for her fourth ride?!  Two years ago I wrote about my cousin Rhiannon riding.  The fact that she's gearing up for her fourth ride leaves me awe struck.

Cancer means something in almost everyone's lives.  We all know someone who has been affected by cancer.  In my family it means the loss of a Grandmother, Aunt, and Uncle.  It means that my Dad is a survivor of Bad Ass proportions.  For me, it means that sunscreen is no joke.

This year is extra special because I'm flying to Seattle and will be watching her cross the finish line this weekend!  Yippee!  It's not lost on me that this year she'll be crossing the finish line for her Dad on Fathers Day.  (oh golly, I just teared up...)  I'm just feel so honored to be there cheering her on!

I'm proud to announce that Rhiannon has reached 100% of her fundraising goal!  That being said, I'm here to ask you to consider donating to such a noble cause.  The cliche is true:  Every Dollar Does Count.

By visiting her personal page you'll be able to donate online.

Thank you in advance!

Best,

Megan the Nautie Mermate

Nautie Adventures :: Napa Day Two

Yes, I'm still talking about Napa! After waking up on day two slightly "under the weather" (day one was a doozy ya'll) we were moving rather slowly.

Seeing as we were in wine country we figured we'd continue visiting wineries...good plan, right?  We didn't have a tour scheduled which meant we were able to move at our own pace and pick out some wineries that particularly interested us.

First stop of the day:  Gloria Ferrer

This was a great spot.  The views were stunning.  They have caves which is cool (no pun intended) but, we didn't stick around for a cave tour.  Since this was our first tasting on our own it was a bit of a reality check.  This place was high traffic.  You basically sit down and select a flight and then a waiter brings it over.  You're not really learning about what you're drinking other than the literature provided.  It was borderline anti-climatic.  I guess I left feeling like if I went back I'd want to go on a tour where we had a private tasting and a cave tour otherwise I wouldn't really care to go back.

Second Stop:  Mumm Napa

This was my favorite stop of they day.  I loved it.  It was similar to Gloria Ferrer in that you're seated and then order a flight.  The difference?  Our waiter was engaged and interested in our tastes.  He asked us questions and then brought us tastes that may or may not have been on our original order.  The bubbly I ended up purchasing wasn't on my ordered flight.  Mumm Napa produces a Sparkling Pinot Noir and yes, it's as fabulous as it sounds.  I now know that if I want to look hoity-toity and show up at a gathering with some bubbly, I can't go wrong with Mumm Napa.  It's delish.

Third Stop of the day:  St. Supery

After our stop at Mumm Napa I didn't know where to go next so I made an emergency call to Ariel she said:  You'll Love St. Supery.  She wasn't wrong.  When you walk up to this winery all you can think is, 'wow.  this is amazing.'.  The gardens, and outdoor seating really set St. Supery apart.  Its warm and inviting, quaint yet chic, stunning while casual.  As I walked up the first thing I noticed was that a boules game was readily available.  I can't explain why but, it instantly warmed my heart.   Once inside it was like being in an art gallery.  There were so many visual appealing accents.  Simply said:  St. Supery is Gorgeous inside and out.  Plus, they make a pretty tasty Moscato!

Last Stop of the day:  Napa Cellars

My Dear Friend Jenny said, 'I'm going to be so mad at you if you don't stop at Napa Cellars!'...so we did.  Napa Cellars holds a few added bonuses:  varietals from Folie a Deux and Menage a Trois.  What I loved?  I knew their name and had maybe had some before!  Tip from Megan:  If you're going to a friends a bottle of Napa Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon will be a hit.  The winery itself was cute and they had a beautiful picnic area behind the tasting room.

Here's what I learned about tooling about on our own:

• If you are the driver:  Be careful!  Bubbly will sneak up on you!  Be responsible!
• Your car should have copious amounts of water available.  Between stops you will need refreshing.
• Pack snacks.  You will be able to purchase snacks at some wineries.  Crackers, spreads, nuts, dried fruit.  Your car or purse could easily have some heartier snacks to keep you going.
• Many wineries had amazing picnic spots.  Dining al fresco in Napa?  Ooh la la.  Pack a gourmet picnic!
• Take your time.  Feel like hanging out under a shady tree between stops?  Do it!
• Share tastings!  If you're traveling with a friend buy one tasting.  It's more than enough and will help you save a substantial amount of change.  (It will also help 'keep you in check' i.e. no one likes a sloppy wine taster!)
• This is a no brainer:  Have a budget.  How much wine do you want to take home?  Since coming home I'm sometimes hesitant to drink the wine I bought....because I don't want to 'waste' my expensive bottle.  That's not good.  How much money are you comfortable sipping away?  Stay true to your tastes and style!  (Also, use caution when you're in your cups.  Affordable becomes 'relative' as the day progresses!)

Clearly there are more photos!

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Austin!

Happy June First From Austin! My Mom and I drove from Houston to Austin yesterday.

I'm here to officially tell you (although, this will come as no surprise) Austin is WAY cooler than Houston.

Yesterday we took our time hitting the road at a leisurely pace. We had coffee and food truck snacks. So yummy.

The roadtrip wasn't bad either. It was way more scenic than I imagined. Lots of wildflowers in fields. Lots if cool looking antique shops. Pleasant surprise.

Once the hugs and squeals were complete we went into town for some thrift shopping. Because obviously that's the first thing that needs to happen when you have a friendship reunion!

There were patio drinks....on really cute patios. There was a healthful trendy dinner. There was also some bat watching. We'll revisit that later.

Segue way to this morning. I'm drinking black coffee on a lovely breezy patio.

The coffee is black because I begin an intense food regimen this morning. It's June First. So begins the sugar-detox and also the Whole30. Wish me luck for the next 30 days. I think I might need it.

Nautie Adventures :: Napa Day One

Nautie Friends, Napa was beautiful.  It was also travel / tourist friendly.  The food choices were ah-may-zing.  There was wine.  Good wine.  Lots of good wine. Day One in Napa was my Girl Cousin's Birthday.  I know right, the day after mine!  (It's almost like we planned it...)

We had a big day planned....one that was to include a hot air balloon ride....and then it got windy.  Like, as the balloons were filling up with hot air it got windy...and the balloons started behaving a little erratically.  Wop wop.  (There will be an entire post dedicated to balloon shenanigans, fear not.)

We skipped the ride and ate a hearty breakfast before meeting up with our wine tasting tour guide.

We signed up with Platypus Tours and it wasn't a mistake.  I mean, not only was it not a mistake it was a good idea.  I know.  Gotta love good ideas when you have no idea what the eff you're doing!

By being with Platypus we were able to:

• Not drink and drive.  Win!
• Have private tastings.
• Not worry about hydrating between tastings....lots of water in the van.
• Eat a yummy lunch.  With a desert.  In a pretty location.
• Meet friends on the bus to go out to drunk dinner with!

I think I'm just going to inundate you with photos.  Why tell you alllll about it?  Check it out!

First stop of the day:  Laird Family Estate.  Their wine was some of my favorite from the trip.  Plus, their lanai was seriously where it was at!

Second stop of the day:  Luna Vineyards.  I enjoy their wines.  Period.  We also had lunch here so I was able to bond with their patio furniture.

Third stop:  Hopper Creek.  I realize that this photo doesn't showcase the place itself.  That being said, tasting is by appointment only here.  The introvert in me loved this.  Also, we spent a fair amount of time chatting on the lanai behind the tasting room.  There were lovely views and it was so wonderfully casual.  I'm sure you can appreciate that wine country can feel a bit uppity at times.  You won't feel that way here.  It was hands down my favorite stop of the day.  (Lastly, for some reason I love this photo.  This check had on such a great wine tasting outfit!  Ha!)

Fourth and Last stop:  Hagafen Cellars.  The ambiance and charm at this place was unbeatable.  I am also not the biggest Chardonnay fan however; I bought the best Chardonnay I've ever had in my whole life here.

My only word of caution when going wine tasting:  HAVE A PLAN.

Are you interested in purchasing wine?  yes?  How much do you want to spend?!  By the end of they day the likely hood of you being slightly willy nilly with your purse will undoubtably be an issue.  HAVE A PLAN!

Say you're feeling slightly willy nilly after wine tasting - if you're staying in Napa - Go to Norman Rose.

(Also, I've been linking to these businesses because I enjoyed them....in the off chance that some of you go to Napa and want to check them out I want to make sure you have all the tools necessary!)

I'm going to leave you with the tiniest photo gallery.  There were hundreds (and I do mean hundreds) of photos from Napa Day One.

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VEGAS!

....and I'm off! To Bloggers in Sin City.

Words cannot describe my happiness percentage level.

I flew out of the house a hot mess.

I had to turn around right before I got on the freeway and head home because I forgot my make up bag.

My bag weighed 55lbs. I packed nine pairs of shoes. For the weekend.

Sitting at the gate holding a coffee with your name on it....heading to Vegas for the first time....to hang out with bloggers...pretty freakin' cool.

I'm just hoping to make it flirty thirty and not dirty thirty (i.e. keep my drunken sailor debauchery in hand).

Flirty.Thirty.

I had plans for what Thirty would look like on this blog. There would be some sort of this much i know is true post - maybe there would be a photo montage - maybe a letter to myself...that I could read later in life...

None of that seemed like enough.

I.was.really.excited.about.turning.thirty.

I mean, really, really excited.

I think there are quite a few people who worried that I wasn't excited so much as flipped out but, I'm here to set the story straight.

I was ready to not be in my twenties.  Majorly.  Buh-bye.

I remember years ago my Cousin K up in Canada said, 'being in your thirties is awesome...it's like you can finally just be yourself...'.  Amen Sister.

What I knew about turning Thirty was that I was not going to let it slip by unnoticed.  I was going to do something, damnit!

At first I started planning a trip abroad.  It's been awhile since I went abroad as a tourist....who could leisurely sip her coffee at a sidewalk cafe.

Then I decided I was going to Napa.  I had never been.  I like wine.  Like, a lot.

Then I invited my Cousin (she doesn't have a code name but, I love her thiiiis much!!!!!), and the trip just came together.  Girl Cousin's birthday was on the 4th the day after my own so it was a birthday extravaganza.

(I should say, the trip just came together with a little help from my friends....Ari, you get an A+.)

The day before yesterday I wrote about how epic Napa was.  What I should have said was:

Turning Thirty Was Epic.

It was such a lovely day.  Such.

I woke up at The Waterfront Hotel at Jack London Square in Oakland.  It's all kinds of nautical goodness...if you're a Lady Sailor this is a fun place to pass some time.

I woke up really early - I'm sure it had something to do with jet lag - and decided that an early morning photo safari was a must on the first day of my thirtieth year.

Then it was off to breakfast at The Cock-A-Doodle Cafe.  There were crepes and graham cracker french toast.  Delish.

A stroll through a farmers market?  Flowers?  Yes please.

Of course no city tour is complete without admiring some local architecture.  Pictures looking up at buildings....check.

You can't cruise the Bay Area and not check out the Golden Gate Bridge.  amiright or amiright?

I got to visit with a long lost Auntie.  It was amazing.  Silly me hadn't been to her house since I was a kid.  Apparently, I was geographically challenged as a youth because I didn't know she lived in the Bay Area.  I totally thought she lived in SoCal.  I know, right?  Who doesn't know where their Aunties live?!

Said Auntie had a pack of Chihuahuas.  It was awesome.  Can you see George?

After a full afternoon of visiting we got in the car and took off for Napa.  Aaaah.  Deep sigh.  This meant we needed a coffee to go.  Clearly.

First stop Napa?  The Andaz Hotel.  Oooh La La!

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Birthday Dinner.  One Word.  Bottega.  It came highly recommended.  It didn't disappoint.  There was a personalized Birthday Greeting....and beet raviolis with fennel.  Just Sayin'.

Want to know how I ended the evening?  Food Porn.  Panna Cotta with winter citrus, micro basil, mint syrup and a wheat cigar stuffed with sweet lemon ricotta.

Happy Flirty Thirty To Me!