Well, the day is here! Today we begin the Key West Tour.
It’s been busy, what with Thanksgiving and family and then making final preparations for the tour. But today all the planning is done, and we are off on our newest adventure! We both wake early and are eager to begin.
October 9, 2015
Miles Today: 42
Total Miles So Far: 265.5
October 8, 2015
Miles today: 59.5
Total Miles So Far: 223.5
Ophelia’s is a very welcoming place. From the moment you walk in, the hostesses are there and ready to help you to your table or the bar. If you are a little early, by all means, go to the bar. The food and drinks are excellent there too. I had the Bellini martini at least two times. It is so incredibly good. I am still thinking about it and can’t wait for the next one. Mike likes Mojitos and they make a good one. The bartender, Michael, is great!
We had one of the best meals at a place called Industrial Eats in Buellton, California. If you didn’t look for it, you wouldn’t find it – and you would be missing probably the best restaurant in the Santa Barbara Wine Region (outside of Santa Barbara proper). It is an amazing, quirky little place with a unique vibe – like communal tables. It is in an industrial area. You would never expect a great restaurant to be there, but that is a big part of its charm.
This was the second time we ate at Brothers Restaurant at the Red Barn. We wanted to go to Mattei’s but found out it was closed for a while (It has since reopened with different owners). Brother’s restaurant is owned and operated by the same two guys (brothers Matt & Jeff, Nichols) that started Mattei’s, so we thought it was a good bet to be a nice place.
The first time we ate at Brothers Restaurant, we thought it was one of the best restaurants in the area. This time around, we thought the same thing again! The hostess seated us right away. The service was very good, but the food came out a bit slowly.
Continue reading Brothers Restaurant at the Red Barn, Santa Ynez, California
Friday April 27, 2012, 5 miles (8 km)
Total so far: 445 miles (716 km)
Today was a fascinating drive. We follow CA Route 128 north and west for almost 70 miles from Cloverdale, a few miles north of Healdsburg, through the Alexander Valley to the Navarro River headlands on the Mendocino Coast. The road twists, turns and winds its way past tiny villages, farms and vineyards. I am extremely glad I am not cycling this route. The posted speed limit is 55 MPH. It’s only 2 lanes, there is no shoulder to speak of, and it is filled with blind corners and rolling hills. We do see a few brave cyclists, but I don’t think I would ride this road.
Thursday April 26, 2012, 22 miles (35 km)
Total so far: 440 miles (708 km)
After the usual huge bed and breakfast meal, Nancy and I get ready to ride in Sonoma. Today’s plan is to make our way on surface streets to The West County & Joe Rodota Trails. This is a local rail-trail built along land that was once the Petaluma and Santa Rosa Railway, a line that linked Petaluma and Santa Rosa with Sebastopol and Forestville. The trails total fourteen miles long. The trails are paved for walking, bicycle riding, and roller skating. An unpaved equestrian trail runs parallel to the paved trail. Designated as a Community Millennium Trail by Former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, the trail offers beautiful views of farms, vineyards, and other agricultural lands.
Wednesday April 25, 2012
This trip is clearly not the pound shedding experience I had envisioned while I was planning. Our breakfast at Shady Oaks is again a delight of waffles and berries.
Saying farewell to the Napa Valley, we load up the car and head for Sonoma. The landscape in Sonoma has a slightly different feel. Hills are a little less steep, the towns feel a little more residential. It’s still wine country, yet the vineyards here seem larger, more commercial.
Monday April 23, 2012
Well, another rest day for us as we take the 90 minute drive from Sacramento into the Napa Valley. Our destination – the little town of St. Helena and the charming Shady Oaks Bed and Breakfast.
We can’t check in until 4:00, so arriving in town at 11:00 we decide there is only one thing to do. Wine Time!
