Dear TA’s,

Sorry Tony Bennett, I really tried! After some beautiful days in Napa we drove to San Francisco to finish our well-deserved vacation. Actually, the trip started really well with a delicious lunch at Le Garage in Sausalito. Sausalito continues to have charm and it is beautiful to see San Francisco from there. But then we arrived in SFO, we drove to the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins, on the top of the hill next to The Fairmont. It is really a classic, it was bought by a Chinese company and because of Covid, nothing has been done to it and it looks neglected. Of three small elevators, only two were working. A long line forms to go up in the elevator, especially in the late afternoon with those who want to have a drink on the 19th floor at the scenic Top of the Mark.

Driving around the Fisherman’s Wharf is so sad, it reminds one of a deserted town, very few shops are open, the streets are so dirty and there are homeless everywhere.

Anywhere other than the Russian Hills and Lombard Street feel very unsafe for walking around. Even when going by car to any supermarket or drugstore, there are signs everywhere saying not to leave valuables inside the car to avoid theft and vandalism. Many of the cable cars have graffiti all over them.

The last time I enjoyed San Francisco was 15 years ago, and then the city was really beautiful. I still enjoy seeing Fisherman’s Wharf on a video program through my tread mill when I exercise, but the reality is much different.

I highly recommend using the airport SFO, renting a car, having a nice lunch in Sausalito and then driving to Napa or Sonoma for a few days, or even a couple of weeks, but definitely avoid the city for now.

Los Angeles and San Francisco were once beautiful. It’s not necessary to go into politics, but my suggestion is to avoid the cities as much as you can, despite the fact that I live in LA!

Cheers!

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Dear TA’s,

I mentioned last week that there would be a part two to the part one about Napa and its surroundings. The wineries deserve a whole blog about them! You don’t need to be a wine connoisseur to appreciate the wine from that area and for those who are not so much into wine, I am sure you will find at least one wine you like, there are so many varieties.

Honestly, if there is a silver lining from Covid for visiting and tasting at the wineries, it is that you can do it by appointment only and they have a limited number of tables and seats. Everything is mostly outside. In other words, for wine lovers like me, it is heaven going by appointment only, avoiding lines and a busy conglomeration of people, and being able to enjoy the delicious wine in peace. How could life be better? LOL!

Napa and its surroundings have so many wineries, you would need months to visit them all (doing 2 or 3 a day). We were there for 4 days and 1 day in SFO. We are already members of 2 wineries, so we decided to visit a couple of our favorites that we are not members of: Caymus, Peju and Bremmer, and some new ones to fall in love with (and we did,) Pine Ridge and Alpha Omega.

At Caymus we discovered Sea Sun, one of their brands of Pinot Noir. Even though I am not a Pinot drinker, this one is so smooth and delicious that we had to buy some.

We were one of three couples and maybe from getting older, I noticed that I can’t tolerate as many tastings, so I split my taste with my husband, which was fine with the winery. The price of the tasting is complimentary once you purchase wine. Between the 3 couples it was easy to purchase a case of 12 wines and delivery was free. Actually, it was so easy to buy cases of wine, we returned from the tastings almost empty handed, we just purchased some extra Sea Sun Pinot Noir for our dinners as great treat.

There is no way to go wrong experiencing the wineries in Napa and surroundings, especially now that you need to make appointments. Make sure to ask how much the tastings are, if the tasting can be split between 2 people, and if it becomes complimentary once you purchase the wine. Some of them are even complimentary to begin with.

Sure, you can find wineries for $150 a taste that cannot be split, and bottles of wine for over $300 each. The same way you can go to The French Laundry Restaurant and pay $350 per person for the meal plus drinks. It is a matter of money but, taste as well. The choice is ultimately yours!

Cheers!

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Dear TA’s

I love to talk about my favorite part of California, Napa Valley and its surroundings. When I come here my heart just relaxes. I feel like the world stops so I can enjoy every minute, and even Covid rules and worries don’t upset me. I feel like I’m in heaven.

Actually, every time I come to Napa I always stay at the same hotel (The Westin Verasa Napa). I tell my husband that one day I want to retire, live in Napa and work part-time at a winery. Then I go back home and forget my dream until the next time I visit.

Right now, I am sitting on the sofa in my room at the Westin Napa. The view from my room is so peaceful. I love going to Oxbow Market for my breakfast, but first we always stop at Model Bakery for some special treats. The biscuit is everyone’s favorite, and then we head to Ritual Coffee Roasters for the most delicious coffee (even though I drink Chai latte). Casa is an innovative kitchen with New Mexican Cuisine and 100% gluten free (my personal heaven, since I am gluten intolerant). 

I get my infused olive oils and Balsamic vinegars at Olive Press inside the Oxbow Market. I am completely hooked. When I get there, Ruth or Becky know me. It was funny how Becky even recognized me with my mask on from far away and started to walk towards me. Both of us were wearing masks, and we hugged (I honestly forgot we weren’t supposed to). 

For lunch we usually eat in St. Helena since it is between wineries (check Napa and Surroundings Part II). I highly recommend The Market restaurant. Even if you need to eat inside, they have invested a lot in air filters, and remodeled the whole restaurant, so you feel safe eating indoors. Although there are other restaurants in St. Helena, many times we prefer to come back to Napa and enjoy The Oxbow Market and Gott‘s Roadside before enjoying the pool a bit until around 3:30pm before heading to another winery. After all, these are the long days of summer, and we want to be sure to take advantage of the hotel’s swimming pool.

Evenings we enjoy dinner at one of the many restaurants Napa offers: La Toque, Cole’s Chop House and TORC. All need reservations and are within walking distance of the hotel (La Toque is next door to the Westin Vernasa Hotel with an entrance inside the hotel).

My experience in Napa and its surroundings was even better after Covid. I felt that even though many places are still short of staff (like all over the US) by making reservations everywhere or downloading their app and pre ordering meals where possible, my family and I never felt neglected or waited in lines (something that stresses me immensely).

This vacation was very soothing and relaxing and I can’t wait to go right back!

Cheers!

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Dear TA’s,

The cruise industry is making a strong comeback!  The cruise ship environment is now considered to be an advantage for travel, because unlike anywhere else, cruise lines are able to control their own environments and eliminate the risk of a big outbreak. They are doing this with greater testing capabilities, and of course, vaccines. The C.D.C. guidelines require 98 percent of crew and 95 percent of passengers to be fully vaccinated before a cruise ship can set sail.

After suffering billions of dollars in losses, cruise companies restarted operations in Europe and Asia late last year. After months of preparations to meet stringent health and safety guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cruise lines have started to welcome back passengers for U.S. sailings. Currently, demand is outweighing supply, with many itineraries fully booked throughout the summer. Royal Caribbean recently announced that all sailings from Florida in July and August are fully booked.

At first, it was difficult to imagine how cruise ships, which carry millions of passengers around the world each year, would be able to sail safely again. People still remember the terrible stories of major outbreaks of Coronavirus onboard cruise ships, where passengers were confined to their cabins as the virus traveled rapidly throughout the ships, infecting thousands of people, and killing more than 100. Now, if everyone on board is vaccinated and tested regularly, it’s probably one of the safer options for international travel!

Cruising still has some risk. Several coronavirus cases have been identified on cruise ships since U.S. operations restarted in June, testing the cruise lines’ new Covid-19 protocols, which include isolating, contact tracing and testing passengers to prevent the virus from spreading. One ship was forced to do the right thing and cut short an Alaskan sailing after three people tested positive for the virus.  Another threat is the highly contagious Delta variant, which is causing surges of the virus around the world.

All things considered, industry analysts are very optimistic about the cruise industry’s future and the potential for passenger numbers to recover to pre-pandemic levels, even as soon as next year. That optimism is boosted by what may be the industry’s best asset – unshakably loyal customers.

Cheers!

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