I woke up and it was my birthday! Yay, the capstone day of our long weekend! We were still in the dreamy Singlethread hotel and looking forward to our Japanese breakfast. Part of what drew me to Singlethread was the incredible amenities and special touches throughout the stay. Breakfast had been highly praised. SMS and I wanted a throwback to our ryokan days in Japan so we ordered the Japanese set.
There was so much food! Little dishes abounded, including rolled up egg (tomago), several sashimi, rice, fruit, pickled veggies, and yuba. Yuba is Japanese for “tofu skin,” which sounds way worse I think!
After breakfast, we hung out on the rooftop and sealed our Northern California-ness by splitting a bottle of Pliny the Elder. It’s a double/imperial IPA beer made in limited batches with stern admonitions to drink it fresh! We had heard of people lining up for it so we decided to sample it since it was so easily available to us. It was quite hoppy with a slight juniper taste. I would drink it again if I ever saw it again on a beer menu, but I wouldn’t stand in line for hours for it.
After checkout at 11 a.m. (we stayed as long as we could!), we drove to Calistoga to pass some time before our appointment at Medlock-Ames. Spoiler alert: Medlock-Ames is my new favorite winery!
It was a gorgeous day and a fun day for a drive. We passed the largest fire damage that we saw on our trip just North of Calistoga. The fire had burned both sides of the roads, although it looked like the vineyard on one side had been spared. We grabbed a panini in Calistoga before heading over to the vineyard.
Audra gave us a fantastic tour and I can’t wait to go back. While the wines are delicious and the tasting pours quite generous, I mainly want to go back so I can pick some vegetables in their organic garden later this Summer!
After wine tasting, we drove to Napa and had dinner in Oxbow Market. We wanted to stop by the CIA but it was closed. We headed home, where I had a near panic-moment when I thought I had left my purse at the restaurant. Fortunately, it was hidden in the car. Phew!
And that was my birthday weekend! It was an incredible trip and very special. No particular reason why this birthday was such a blow-out, but it was so much fun!
Portmanteau Suitcase 