Finally, the long-awaited California trip explained! WEEEEEEE!

Hey all…

I know it's been a while since I've updated this. So for all that were in suspense, here's what my California trip was like! -

The plane ride – I know you guys probably think I'm crazy with details, but this plane ride actually maybe the coolest I've ever had. Our first flight went from Fort Lauderdale to Tampa. We had breakfast in Tampa at the airport and drank a margarita or two, and then boarded for San Francisco. Our plane stopped in Vegas, but we weren't supposed to deplane. San Francisco had fog and we couldn't land there, so they told us to get off in Vegas anyway and they would get us on another flight in several hours. Vegas's airport is crazy! Slot machines everywhere! So Mark and I sat at a slot machine, and he put $1 in and won $10. So we walked away and bought top-shelf margaritas and some lunch. Then we had another drink or two, and boarded for San Fran. By the time we got to California, we were in pretty good moods. Ha.

Napa – As soon as we got there (everyone else had already arrived and was waiting for us), we all loaded into a 12 passenger rented van. There were 8 of us: his parents, the three boys, and their wives/girlfriends. It was about an hour from San Fran to Napa. We made it just in time to hit the latest tasting of the time, as if Mark or I needed any more drinks! But of course, we sucked it up and drank the wine. Once we were at the hotel in Napa, everyone went to rest or shower for dinner, but Mark's dad wanted to hit the bar before dinner, so we joined him. We clearly didn't care at that point how we looked for dinner! We ate at a restaurant basically connected to the hotel, and it was so so tasty. This was Monday. On Tuesday and Wednesday we got up at 8ish, left the hotel at 9ish, and hit the first tastings at various places by 10am. Each day we did 4-5 tastings, so by the end of the day we couldn't tell the difference between red or white! Who cares! The weather was great, not too humid like Florida and Tennessee, and slightly chilly, which we embraced.

San Francisco – On Thursday we left Napa and drove an hour back to San Francisco. Mark's mom wanted to stop at Muir Woods (right outside of the city). She had been there back when she was my age, and she really likes nature and is into gardening, etc, so we drove a few miles up into the mountains and the back down and we were in the woods. It's actually a national park (maybe state park?) – Aunt Becky, you would love it! You should camp there sometime, even though it's really far – where lots of redwoods are. There are trees that were bigger than anything I've imagined! It looked like a scene from Lord of the Rings or something! And there are all sorts of trails up up into the woods and everything is thousands of years old. This may have been my favorite part of the trip. After we left there, we checked into our hotel in San Fran, which was on the top of a steep hill right in the middle of the city. Mark and I had a room on the sixth floor with a crazy high view! We went down to Fisherman's Wharf next, down by the bay, and we saw Alcatraz across the water. It looks like a crazy place to be in prison! Mark, Scott, Ally and I walked many many blocks back to the hotel and everyone else drove, but we wanted to see more of the city. It's really great. I'd definitely love to go back, or maybe even live there someday (grad school??). That night we had dinner at an Italian restaurant several blocks away, but Mark and I were ready long before everyone else, so we went up to the top floor of the hotel where there's a bar/restaurant and took tequila shots. Yum. Then when the time came, we tore the drinks from our hands and headed for some great food. At dinner, more wine and cocktails, and then the brothers (Mark, Karl and Scott) walked back to the hotel in the crazy wind and stopped to get cigars on the way. Mark hates cigars and felt really sick afterwards. The ladies (and Mark's parents) headed for the bar on the top floor of our hotel. The ladies had more drinks while Mark's parents showed off their dancing skills. A swing band was playing, and Mark's parents take dance lessons weekly in Nashville, so they were really good. Mark's dad danced with each of us females, and I was definitely the best! Hah. But that's not me being conceited (or is it…?) – Mark's dad said I was keeping up with him so well that I must be a robot! Lol.

So those were the highlights of Cali. Now I'm back in Miami and back to work. I've just joined a book club for women that meets once a month at a local Barnes and Noble. The book this month is Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen, and I bought it yesterday and just started it. The meeting is next Wednesday night, so of course I'm looking forward to that! I've tried to talk Chelsea and Maggie into having a book club with me, and they didn't go for it. Losers. But you can probably guess I'm excited about talking books! Woooohoooo!

Also my friend Kim (I lived with her in Bowling Green, KY) and her husband Ryan are going on a cruise next week. The cruise ship leaves from Miami, so they'll be in town Friday night, and I'm taking them out here. I'm really excited to see my friend! I was in her wedding in Kentucky last September, so this trip is basically their one year anniversary trip.

That's basically all for now! Love to all.