What would helen do?

May 7, 2013

Tuesday 4/30/13 Biking in Wine Country

Tuesday 4/30/13

Me & Denver – he is the owner of Uber-Bike rental
“high end bike rental in wine country……”

before we even left Ivyland we sent Denver a
whole page of measurements from our bikes
so he could properly fit our bikes before we
even got there. this was AWESOME!

Michael & I at the Russian River

our first vineyard was ARISTA

http://www.aristawinery.com/

then we tried Thomas George Wines

http://www.thomasgeorgeestates.com/

Mookie the dog 🙂

the views were stunning!!!!!

no picture can do them justice.

Andy, our bike guide & Michael, relaxing….

for the record……ANDY was an AWESOME guide.
If you are considering biking in Wine Country let me know,
I can make your experience pleasurable…..
I would TOTALLY recommend using ANDY as your guide.
He was GREAT!!!!!!

Did I mention how GREAT our ride leader ANDY was???

IRON HORSE – the Drink of Optimists….
yes, of course I loved their wine 🙂

Michael & Me at the Iron Horse Vineyard

aaaaawesooooommmme……

we rode almost 32 miles — really didn’t do too much
wine tasting – mostly spitting — I’m a pro at that
these days……

Cute dog we met at the nearby coffee shop

later we visited to MacArthur place —
this is where we stayed 10 years ago…..

life size Chess game……

dog like the one we have on our front porch……
we got the idea from them!

they gave us fortune cookies in our fruit basket at
our “Secret Cottages”….loved my fortune…..

It takes more than good memory to have
good memories……..

tonight we had a show with dinner —
we ate a fabulous place called Glen Ellen Star

http://glenellenstar.com/

if you are anywhere near this place,
just eat there, really……. it’s FAB!

wood oven vegetables

snap peas, brown sugar-bacon marmalade

it’s almost worth flying across the country
just to get these, again, really…….

Glen Ellen Star, goodnight…….

http://www.yelp.com/biz/glen-ellen-star-glen-ellen

**********************************

Do good and feel good.
Do bad and feel bad.
It’s that simple.

www.marcandangel.com

May 5, 2013

Monday 4/29/13 Segways, Cain Vineyards, David Fulton & Secret Cottages

Monday 4/29/13

we had an interesting start to our day —
with a dead battery. After a call to AAA
we were on our way to Napa…..
back in the saddle in no time…..

Bye Ava – great to see you 🙂

I arranged for us to have a Segway Tour in Napa.
I wanted to keep our vacation interesting for
Michael as well as myself.

http://www.segwaynapa.com/

One of our drive bys on the Segway –
wish we could have stopped for a sample
but they weren’t open at 9 a.m. ……

Segway injury — OUCH!
you should see his leg!!!!!!!!!!!

lesson #1: Pay Attention!

Next stop was Cain Vineyards.
This is a wine I will be selling for Winebow.

Me & Katie from Cain Vineyards

http://www.cainfive.com/

The Lab!

Next stop – to see friend Stephanie —
asst. Winemaker at David Fulton Vineyards.
Winemaker of 1/16th Wines………

http://davidfultonwinery.com/

Michael & me checking out the Old Vines.

They only produce Petite Sirah here – it is
quite decadent…..

https://wine.appellationamerica.com/grape-varietal/Petite-Sirah.html

All the vines are free standing & they are all
hand harvested. This wine is AWESOME.

We visited the town of Calistoga where a store had
these “trees” outside — and you were invited to
write an answer to the question &
hang it on the tree.

*****************************

These were a few of my favorites:

Past Loves

Maddie — their dog……awwwwww

I want more……

CANDY —- ahahahahah – love this!

I want Less………….

Neg monsters……….. who needs them???

Our living space for the next couple days….

The Secret Cottages in Glen Ellen, CA

http://glenelleninn.com/glen-ellen-inn-cottage-6.html

****************************************

“Your life does not get

better by chance,

it gets better by change.”

Jim Rohn

May 5, 2013

Sunday 4/28/13 Atherton, CA tour, Happy Hollow Park & Zoo

Sunday 4/28/13

I got up early this a.m. & took a little tour of
Atherton, CA where Adam & Vanessa live .
It is located next to Palo Alto, CA.

You don’t get a lot of house for your $$$
but it IS a prime location.

Adam & Vanessa’s house with our pony in the driveway

Across the street neighbors

Around the corner house

another neighbor.

The houses are not McMansions,
you especially don’t get a lot of property
and the houses literally cost millions!!

It’s the Silicon Valley syndrome I guess???

One perk is they live near a really nice park.

and they are kind to their doggies…..

I “ran” around the park a few times
& completed the world gym series that
were posted at each station.

They even have a paracourse for those in wheelchairs!

after running it was time to relax with a mimosa
and my book that I’ve been trying to finish….

We headed to the Zoo today —
Michael & Ava

Me & Ava — they have to shade the animals
with umbrellas bc they got extremely HOT!

The cow was eating MONEY…

and pooping coins!! HA!

we went on the roller coaster – arms up!!!!

Blaze on the look out when we got home!!!

**********************************

Tis easy enough to be pleasant,
When life flows along like a song;
But the man worth while
is the one who will smile
When everything goes dead wrong.

– Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1850-1919)

May 5, 2013

Saturday April 27th 2013 San Francisco, Alcatraz, sparkling flight

Saturday April 27th 2013

Adam, Ava & Blaze seeing us off to San Francisco
via the Train – it was easier than driving

We got to walk through SF, it was a FUN Adventure.

Heart Park
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearts_in_San_Francisco

Chinatown is ALWAYS interesting —
I could spend forever there.WHAT IS some of the stuff they are selling???

OF COURSE – we needed some of these —
elongated pennies – brother Raymond collects them.

Any extras laying around you don’t want??
Send them my way!

We were off on a boat ride to Alcatraz.
I’ve wanted to visit this place every time I
was in San Francisco but you have to make
plans way in advance.

http://www.nps.gov/alca/index.htm

View from the boat.
I learned a lot about Alcatraz on the tour.
Did you know it is now a State Park?

Life was not too good for those sent to Alcatraz

The views were quite stunning!

Alcatraz bird

After the Alcatraz tour we did the tourist thing & hit Pier 39

Very Busy Pier with Entertainment!

We ate at Fog Harbor which is a known tourist restaurant
but locals go there as well.

4 stars on Yelp!

We had the famous soup in a sour dough bowl.
It was good!

Later that night we went out on the town with
Adam & Vanessa.Vanessa & I were enjoying a flight of Champagne
at Gravity wine bar.

http://www.gravitywinebar.com/

Cheers 🙂

************************************
We all make choices,
but in the end our choices make us.*

www.marcandangel.com

* the men sent to Alcatraz should have
been told this……

May 3, 2013

Friday April 26th 2013 Hello San Francisco, Adam, Vanessa & Ava!

Before starting my “real job” with Winebow
Michael & I took a little excursion to California.
We wanted to visit friends Adam & Vanessa
who moved there back in December.
Also, I wanted to explore Wine County.

Friday April 26th 2013

We tried an off site parking service for this trip.
They drive you to the airport in your car then
pick you up in your car & you are on your way.
It was less expensive than airport long term parking.
We really liked it & plan to use the service again.

The airport had this cool exhibit.
People took photos in Philly for one day
& everyone sent them in that day.

http://www.philaphotoarts.org/philly-photo-day-2012/

This was the collaboration.
I might try this with my Picture of the Day readers!

Michael insisted we get a convertible for this trip.
We got the car but it was like the Seinfeld episode
the time Jerry tried renting a car.

Relaxing at Vanessa & Adam’s house in Atherton, CA

Here’s the front view

Michael walking Max at the park near the Keeney’s house

Vanessa & Blaze

We stopped at Adam’s office

Cheers to your FIRST East Coast friends to visit!!

Next stop was picking up Ava from school

Surprise!!!

The Mustang throws these cool pony lights on the ground

April 26, 2013

4/26/13 FRIDAY California Vacation / Itinerary

I will try to post here while we are away on Vacation:

https://whatwouldhelendo.com/

check out my blog while I am on Vacation. https://whatwouldhelendo.com/

I will try to post a link to Picture of the Day – but if I don’t
just try checking out the site……………..
https://whatwouldhelendo.com/

Friday we will be here in San Francisco….

Saturday – the only thing I told Michael I wanted
to do was visit Alcatraz. I heard it was an
amazing tour. I will let you know!

Sunday we will be hanging out in Palo, Alto CA
with friends Adam & Vanessa

Monday we will be touring Napa, Ca on Segways
with Segway Napa Tourshttp://www.segwaynapa.com/

Tuesday we will be biking & exploring Sonoma
with a guide from Uber bikes

Wednesday will be spent visiting Russian River Breweries.
Bear Republic. Russian River & Lagunitas.

Wednesday night we will be spending in Sausalito.
This is the view from my friend Joslyn’s apartment.We are also meeting up with Facebook friend Alana Gentry.

http://girlwithaglass.com/blog/

Thursday we will be retuning to the City of Brotherly Love
aka Philadelphia…………THEN we will be having BEER SCHOOL at
friend Tanya’s house & relaying all our vacation
escapades…..