From Mountains to (wine) Valleys

Most of Yosemite is still closed this time of year, but there was still enough to see to easily fill up a day. We started with a hike through what was, at times, knee-deep snow to a grove of giant sequoias. These mammoth trees did not disappoint, and we spent a couple of hours marveling at their size as well as getting a little dirty climbing about them.

As we travelled the winding and picturesque roads toward Yosemite Valley, we stopped so that Jared could get a closer look at some raging falls along the side of the street.

The remainder of the day we hiked and drove through the valley checking out some of the main attractions: Bridal Falls and the monoliths El Capitan and Half Dome.

The high point (pun absolutely intended) of our travels through Yosemite Valley was the trek to the base of Yosemite Falls, allegedly the second-highest waterfall in the world at 2400’. The imposing yet majestic cascade of water was nearly more than waterfall-smitten Jared could handle, and he started a trend as he climbed along the rocks to get a closer view.

Even with the majority of Yosemite closed to us, the grandness of the rising peaks and forest-hidden falls within the valley made for a spectacular day in the park.

After the sun had set, we journeyed back west, stopping in Fairfield, CA for the night. Unbeknownst to us, but easily apparent in the daytime, Fairfield, CA is home to the famous Jelly Belly candy. Not really seeing how we could pass this by, we toured the factory learning all about this bean-shaped confection. Most interesting to us was that Ronald Reagan’s addiction to the Jelly Belly (his favorite flavor was licorice) is what helped to make them world-famous.

As it was Sunday and we happened to be in Napa Valley, a few wine-tastings seemed in order.

Per a local’s recommendation, we travelled the Silverado Trail past an untold number or vineyards. The most grandiose winery we passed was Darioush which reminded us of a Persian palace with its stately columns, lush gardens, fountains and reflecting pools.

The inside of Darioush is as lavish as the out, but it was a little high-falutin for two people who spent the night in a Target parking lot. We opted to continue down the vine-bordered trail stopping in at the Miner Family Vineyards. We chatted with a few other visitors as we tasted a variety of reds and whites; our favorite was their Viognier. Down the road a bit further, we ended our day at the hip Honig Vineyards where we continued to study these delicious libations as we sat on their terrace overlooking row after row of grapevines.