My wife and I had been talking about taking a trip to California’s famous wine country, Napa Valley, for some time. Finally, after making the arrangements we were of for a weekend of wine tasting, winery tours, and some wondrous cuisine. We got an early start on Saturday morning and made the three and half hour drive from Reno to Napa. The trip was uneventful, but was clouded with spring showers along the way.
As our first tour and tasting was in the early afternoon, we drove straight to Robert Mondavi’s Winery. While the wetness of the area this day made for poor pictures of the vineyards, it certainly didn’t disturb the taste of the vino. Our tour took us through the winery, highlighting the production techniques, and ended in a fanciful tasting room with several other couples. We were given generous samples of three different varietals, and fourth glass, which was a blend. The entire selection was fantastic. Having enjoyed this first tour, we decided to get checked into our hotel a few miles south of the winery.
The John Muir Inn in Napa was nothing special as far as luxuries, but was gifted with wonderfully hospitable staff. As Cass wanted to lay down for a bit and I was mildly famished, I borrowed and umbrella from the front desk and walked around the corner to the highly recommended Fume Bistro and Bar for a light salad of pears and blue cheese. As we had dinner reservations later in the evening, I didn’t want to ruin my appetite for what promised to be an outstanding meal.
When I returned, I decided to lay down for a bit myself. The early hour and the drive had tired me as well. After a couple of hours of restful sleep, we both arose and prepared for dinner. As we are both great fans of Japanese culture and cuisine, I had made a dinner reservation at Morimoto Napa a few weeks in advance. Having been to the chef’s location in Philadelphia, I was anxious to see if the dining experience was just as fantastic. We arrived and were treated to a seven-course omakase (chef’s choice) extravaganza. Our course selections varied from sashimi to a stylistic surf & turf, from tamarind and Thai chili ice cream to a fanciful salad with amazingly fresh vegetables being dipped in a garlic and anchovy oil bath. It was a truly amazing meal and will not likely be forgotten by either of us. Having filled ourselves with such an amazing spread of food, we returned to the hotel and relaxed.
Rising fairly early the next morning, we found the day to be quite a bit nice. The sun was even visible through the clouds, and the rain was reduced to an occasional mist. We drove to the northern end of the valley for our next tour and tasting to Castello di Amorosa. As we approached, it was apparent that this was no ordinary winery. A very authentic looking Italian Castle greeted us as we parked. We would later learn that everything including the stones and masonry work was authentic. Apparently, this winery had been built only a few years before as a personal project of a wealthy vintner. Later he decided to actually make wine, though it is only privately available – no distributors allowed. Our tour of the castle included all of the expected stops: the banquet hall, the chapel, the torture chamber complete with an antique and experienced iron maiden. We were also treated to a tour of the cave system hand-carved beneath the castle, which serves as the wine cellar.
Our tour ended with a formal wine tasting of about a dozen different selections. Having visited a few wineries in the past, I must say that the overall catalog of this “castle of love” is among the finest to have passed my lips. Cass enjoyed them all immensely as well. We agreed that this will be a stop every time we visit Napa.
Our tour and tasting completed, we headed off for some lunch before the drive back across the Sierras. We chose to try the Mustard Grille, which is along the St. Helena highway in the heart of Napa Valley. While there was a quite a wait to be seated due to the crowds, the food was well worth it. Our bellies full, our spirits content, we headed home. This had been a wonderful way to spend a romantic weekend.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Friday, March 16, 2012
Red Rock Canyon (Clark County, Nevada)
In addition to visiting the Valley of Fire on this trip, I decided to take time to visit Red Rock Canyon, just a few minutes West of Las Vegas. I had heard of this spectacular place from several friends, but had never, in all of my trips to Sin City, taken the time to see it with my own two eyes. Today, that would change. After grabbing a quick lunch at the nearby Red Rock Casino, which takes it’s name from my destination, I headed out to the canyon.
From many miles away, the red cliff sides were already visible. I drove the scenic loop with every intention of doing some hiking. Unfortunately, duty called and I became involved in a minor crisis at my work. It didn’t, however, prevent me from seeing at least some of what this spectacular canyon has to offer.
I climbed around the Calico Hills a bit, while watching rock climbers scaling the flat faces in the distance. While I have never done any serious rock climbing, it really makes me want to put the gear I have to work and see how I would do outside of the indoor rock climbing facility.
Moving on, I head out to Ice Box Canyon, which my friend Amy had suggested as a great hike. While fighting to get a cell phone signal to continuing working the crisis, I decided to at least hike a little ways up into this canyon. It is named Ice Box due to the significant temperature difference between the air in this canyon and the surrounding desert. The angle of the canyon walls drastically limits the amount of direct sunlight that seeps into this little area, and so it remains much cooler than the rest of Red Rock Canyon. After about a mile and of hiking over sandstone boulders and through some fairly lush greenery, I decide to head back to the car. I have a plane to catch after all.
From many miles away, the red cliff sides were already visible. I drove the scenic loop with every intention of doing some hiking. Unfortunately, duty called and I became involved in a minor crisis at my work. It didn’t, however, prevent me from seeing at least some of what this spectacular canyon has to offer.
I climbed around the Calico Hills a bit, while watching rock climbers scaling the flat faces in the distance. While I have never done any serious rock climbing, it really makes me want to put the gear I have to work and see how I would do outside of the indoor rock climbing facility.
Moving on, I head out to Ice Box Canyon, which my friend Amy had suggested as a great hike. While fighting to get a cell phone signal to continuing working the crisis, I decided to at least hike a little ways up into this canyon. It is named Ice Box due to the significant temperature difference between the air in this canyon and the surrounding desert. The angle of the canyon walls drastically limits the amount of direct sunlight that seeps into this little area, and so it remains much cooler than the rest of Red Rock Canyon. After about a mile and of hiking over sandstone boulders and through some fairly lush greenery, I decide to head back to the car. I have a plane to catch after all.
I wish I had more time to explore on this trip, but rest assured, I will be making it back to this magnificent canyon soon.
Fire Wave (Clark County, Nevada)
Since I was headed to Las Vegas anyway for work, I decided to take an extra day and explore an area of Valley of Fire State Park that I had read about. The Fire Wave is a not-so-well-known rock formation full of rich colors. It seemed worthy of checking out. I arrived at the park early and headed to the Northern end of the park, near where my sources said the trail to Fire Wave was located. Just as I had read, there was a very small sign on the side of the road labeled “Wave” with an arrow pointing off into the desert. I parked my rental car about at a pull-off about a quarter of a mile up the road and walked back to where the trail began.
Immediately upon loosing sight of the road, I was bombarded with a palate of deep reds, sandstone whites, and a all variations of pink in between. The landscape here is gorgeous. From the information I had, the Fire Wave itself was only about a quarter of a mile further, and so I began making my way over flat sandstone formations, until finally, I reached what was obviously the Fire Wave.
While the whole surrounding landscape is breathtaking in its beauty, this area above all us steals the show. Several wind-polished boulders and hillsides combine to form what seems to be a wave of lava frozen in time and space. The whites and reds take turns with each ripple. The wind has worn some sections down while leaving others as little islands of color for all to behold.
It’s no wonder this place is not talked about all that much, for I fear too much foot traffic would damage the Fire Wave’s splendor.
Immediately upon loosing sight of the road, I was bombarded with a palate of deep reds, sandstone whites, and a all variations of pink in between. The landscape here is gorgeous. From the information I had, the Fire Wave itself was only about a quarter of a mile further, and so I began making my way over flat sandstone formations, until finally, I reached what was obviously the Fire Wave.
While the whole surrounding landscape is breathtaking in its beauty, this area above all us steals the show. Several wind-polished boulders and hillsides combine to form what seems to be a wave of lava frozen in time and space. The whites and reds take turns with each ripple. The wind has worn some sections down while leaving others as little islands of color for all to behold.
It’s no wonder this place is not talked about all that much, for I fear too much foot traffic would damage the Fire Wave’s splendor.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Ubehebe Crater (Death Valley National Park, California)
My friends, Brent and Nick, and I had long heard of the sailing stones of Death Valley. After talking to the rangers on my last visit to the park and learning that winter is the ideal time to adventure in Death Valley, we decided to do some camping and explore some of the wonders the park has to offer.
Our adventure started with Ubehebe Crater, a large volcanic crater at the northern end of the park. Upon walking to the edge of the giant hole in the ground, I was amazed by the scale. I'm just guessing here, but the crater is probably 3/4 of a mile across and 600ft deep. The entire area surrounding the crater is covered with black volcanic ash, which adds a distinct character to this part of the desert.
After gazing in and taking a few pictures, we decided to descend into Hades and check out the bottom of the crater. A fairly well defined path leads down the gravel-covered side of the inner cone. The trip down seemed to take no effort at all and was much more akin to snow-shoeing downhill than anything else I can compare it to. The only challenge was to ensure we didn’t' fall flat on our faces and glide the rest of the way down. After a few dusty minutes, we reached the bottom and found ourselves surrounded by the inner cone. It's massive. The ground here is . . . well . . . a little bizarre. It's a dry red mud that has cracked open into large palm-sized flakes, but then has much smaller flakes on top of each of the large flakes. It really is interesting to look at the crack patterns.
We spent a few minutes exploring the bottom and then decided to make our way back to the rim. Obviously, going up was not nearly as easy as going down. Climbing back up the loose gravel at this grade and for this duration is quite the test of endurance. Along they way, my throat starts to feel as if it has a covering of dust all around it. I cough and hack my way back to the rim, and then once again marvel at nature's beauty in this valley of death.
Our adventure started with Ubehebe Crater, a large volcanic crater at the northern end of the park. Upon walking to the edge of the giant hole in the ground, I was amazed by the scale. I'm just guessing here, but the crater is probably 3/4 of a mile across and 600ft deep. The entire area surrounding the crater is covered with black volcanic ash, which adds a distinct character to this part of the desert.
After gazing in and taking a few pictures, we decided to descend into Hades and check out the bottom of the crater. A fairly well defined path leads down the gravel-covered side of the inner cone. The trip down seemed to take no effort at all and was much more akin to snow-shoeing downhill than anything else I can compare it to. The only challenge was to ensure we didn’t' fall flat on our faces and glide the rest of the way down. After a few dusty minutes, we reached the bottom and found ourselves surrounded by the inner cone. It's massive. The ground here is . . . well . . . a little bizarre. It's a dry red mud that has cracked open into large palm-sized flakes, but then has much smaller flakes on top of each of the large flakes. It really is interesting to look at the crack patterns.
We spent a few minutes exploring the bottom and then decided to make our way back to the rim. Obviously, going up was not nearly as easy as going down. Climbing back up the loose gravel at this grade and for this duration is quite the test of endurance. Along they way, my throat starts to feel as if it has a covering of dust all around it. I cough and hack my way back to the rim, and then once again marvel at nature's beauty in this valley of death.
Racetrack Playa (Death Valley National Park, California)
The main focus of our trip was the Racetrack Playa, which is a remote valley in the northwestern wilderness of Death Valley. It is famous for the sailing stones, which I had heard stories and reports about for a few years. On the muddy expanse of playa, rocks (in some cases large rocks) apparently move all by themselves, leaving a trail etched in the surface. Sometimes the paths are straight. Sometimes the paths curve. And sometimes, the paths take sharp turns or even double back on themselves. I had always wanted to see this natural wonder and today is the day.
Nick had been told on his visit to the park a couple of years ago that it was necessary to have a 4x4 vehicle with special tires to reach the Racetrack Playa. However, upon talking to rangers and reading some articles on the Internet, we believed the trip could be made in my Jeep Wrangler, which has some heavy-duty tires on it. Passing Ubehebe Crater, we turned down the gravel road towards the Racetrack, expecting it to be a rough and hazardous ride. To the contrary, it wasn’t' bad at all, and didn't even really require a 4x4. The trip is about 29 miles from the crater and traverses some amazing vistas of the park. We pass numerous joshua trees and other vegetation on our way.
Finally, we see the vast Racetrack Playa in the distance, with the "Grandstand" at the northern end. We make our way to a makeshift parking lot to find numerous other adventure seekers already here. We get out and start walking out towards the Grandstand, which is a rocky island in the middle of the dry muddy sea. Along the way, we are amazed at how smooth and lifeless the playa is. I have been to the Black Rock Desert before in Northern Nevada, but the playa there wasn't nearly as smooth as this. This almost seems polished when running ones fingers over it. We reach the Grandstand and begin climbing around exploring. Eventually, we find a few stones around the Grandstand that have some faint trails behind them. It is pretty amazing to ponder how this could have happened.
After a while, we decide to head down to the southern end of the playa, near where we are planning to camp. Again, we find a makeshift parking lot and begin exploring this end of the playa. While there is nothing at this end like the Grandstand formation, the sailing stones are far more numerous here. We begin seeing them about a 1/2 mile from the parking lot. Each one we find is surpassed in splendor by the next. The variety of trails and rock sizes is amazing. Finally, we make our way to a rock face on the southeast corner, which seems to be the source of many of the rocks scattered about the playa. As we approach the frequency and density of the sailing stones increases rapidly. There are hundreds of them here, most with a unique trail of some kind.
As the sun begins to go down in the west, we decide to make camp. Heading another 1/4 mile or so south of the playa, we come across the primitive campground we had been told of. We erect our tents and prepare some dinner over our camp stoves. Night falls quickly out here in the remote desert, as does the temperature. We go to bed with intentions of rising early and seeing the sunrise over the playa.
I awaken a bit before my friends and decide to get out and make some coffee over my camp stove. Wow!!! It's cold out here. I'd guess the temperature is only about 20 degrees at this early hour of 5 AM. As I hear my friends beginning to rustle in their respective tents, I begin packing my gear.
By 6 AM, we are packed back at the Grandstand parking lot. Sunrise is still about 30 minutes away, and with the unobstructed wind here on the northern end of the playa, it is damn cold! We explore the area and prepare for the sun. As it breaks over the mountain, we are able to capture some very cool pictures of the Grandstand, the playa, and of course, the sailing stones. Our time well spent, we decide to head on back to civilization.
Nick had been told on his visit to the park a couple of years ago that it was necessary to have a 4x4 vehicle with special tires to reach the Racetrack Playa. However, upon talking to rangers and reading some articles on the Internet, we believed the trip could be made in my Jeep Wrangler, which has some heavy-duty tires on it. Passing Ubehebe Crater, we turned down the gravel road towards the Racetrack, expecting it to be a rough and hazardous ride. To the contrary, it wasn’t' bad at all, and didn't even really require a 4x4. The trip is about 29 miles from the crater and traverses some amazing vistas of the park. We pass numerous joshua trees and other vegetation on our way.
Finally, we see the vast Racetrack Playa in the distance, with the "Grandstand" at the northern end. We make our way to a makeshift parking lot to find numerous other adventure seekers already here. We get out and start walking out towards the Grandstand, which is a rocky island in the middle of the dry muddy sea. Along the way, we are amazed at how smooth and lifeless the playa is. I have been to the Black Rock Desert before in Northern Nevada, but the playa there wasn't nearly as smooth as this. This almost seems polished when running ones fingers over it. We reach the Grandstand and begin climbing around exploring. Eventually, we find a few stones around the Grandstand that have some faint trails behind them. It is pretty amazing to ponder how this could have happened.
After a while, we decide to head down to the southern end of the playa, near where we are planning to camp. Again, we find a makeshift parking lot and begin exploring this end of the playa. While there is nothing at this end like the Grandstand formation, the sailing stones are far more numerous here. We begin seeing them about a 1/2 mile from the parking lot. Each one we find is surpassed in splendor by the next. The variety of trails and rock sizes is amazing. Finally, we make our way to a rock face on the southeast corner, which seems to be the source of many of the rocks scattered about the playa. As we approach the frequency and density of the sailing stones increases rapidly. There are hundreds of them here, most with a unique trail of some kind.
As the sun begins to go down in the west, we decide to make camp. Heading another 1/4 mile or so south of the playa, we come across the primitive campground we had been told of. We erect our tents and prepare some dinner over our camp stoves. Night falls quickly out here in the remote desert, as does the temperature. We go to bed with intentions of rising early and seeing the sunrise over the playa.
I awaken a bit before my friends and decide to get out and make some coffee over my camp stove. Wow!!! It's cold out here. I'd guess the temperature is only about 20 degrees at this early hour of 5 AM. As I hear my friends beginning to rustle in their respective tents, I begin packing my gear.
By 6 AM, we are packed back at the Grandstand parking lot. Sunrise is still about 30 minutes away, and with the unobstructed wind here on the northern end of the playa, it is damn cold! We explore the area and prepare for the sun. As it breaks over the mountain, we are able to capture some very cool pictures of the Grandstand, the playa, and of course, the sailing stones. Our time well spent, we decide to head on back to civilization.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Devil's Punch Bowl (Nye County, Nevada)
When Nick asked me if I wanted to check out a couple of sites in the desert this weekend with him, I wasn't sure about going. However, I’m very glad I decided to make the journey. We made four stops, but the most amazing of them was without a doubt the Devil’s Punch Bowl.
Rising up like a bulge in the desert, we began seeing steam rise from a few miles away. Mind you, this is rough country and out in the middle of absolutely no where about fifty miles south of Austin. Had it not been for my jeep, I doubt we would have been able to traverse the roads to this wonder. The Devil’s Punch Bowl, also known as Diana’s Punch Bowl is a geyser, though I do not know and could not find any information on how often it shoots water. The main feature, at the top of the bulge looks as though a stone cylinder some 60 feet in diameter and at least 40 feet tall had been neatly cut out and removed. The inner walls of the cylinder glisten with mist from steam rising from the water’s surface some 30 feet or so below the edge where we stand. The amount of steam rising from the geo-thermally heated pool below is amazing and somewhat obscures our view into the geyser.
As we do occasionally get clear shots into the depth of the cylinder, we are both amazing at what we see. There is abundant plant life that has made its home on the rocky crevasses at the water’s edge, but this is not normal desert plant life. There are ferns and other high humidity plants flourishing in this sauna. Hues of green make way to snowy white, as we scan further around the surface. It’s frigid up here and with the strong wind blowing, I wouldn't be surprised to find out the wind chill was twenty or thirty below zero. It appears that the steam as it blows across the surface meets with some of this blustery cold wind and freezes into unique ice crystals on the leaves of the foliage below. On the top of the bulge, this is even more apparent as tiny surface level rocks and ridges have ice crystals forming horizontally off them in the face of the wind. It almost looks like minuscule snow-covered Christmas trees grown sideways out of the rocks. Truly breathtaking.
We've been exploring and snapping pictures for the better part of an hour up here and we both feel frozen to the bone. It’s time to head back, but even with the cold temperatures and almost unbearable wind chill, I’m very glad we made this journey this time of year, for the contrasting effect of the hot steam and cold air made for an amazing visual.
Rising up like a bulge in the desert, we began seeing steam rise from a few miles away. Mind you, this is rough country and out in the middle of absolutely no where about fifty miles south of Austin. Had it not been for my jeep, I doubt we would have been able to traverse the roads to this wonder. The Devil’s Punch Bowl, also known as Diana’s Punch Bowl is a geyser, though I do not know and could not find any information on how often it shoots water. The main feature, at the top of the bulge looks as though a stone cylinder some 60 feet in diameter and at least 40 feet tall had been neatly cut out and removed. The inner walls of the cylinder glisten with mist from steam rising from the water’s surface some 30 feet or so below the edge where we stand. The amount of steam rising from the geo-thermally heated pool below is amazing and somewhat obscures our view into the geyser.
As we do occasionally get clear shots into the depth of the cylinder, we are both amazing at what we see. There is abundant plant life that has made its home on the rocky crevasses at the water’s edge, but this is not normal desert plant life. There are ferns and other high humidity plants flourishing in this sauna. Hues of green make way to snowy white, as we scan further around the surface. It’s frigid up here and with the strong wind blowing, I wouldn't be surprised to find out the wind chill was twenty or thirty below zero. It appears that the steam as it blows across the surface meets with some of this blustery cold wind and freezes into unique ice crystals on the leaves of the foliage below. On the top of the bulge, this is even more apparent as tiny surface level rocks and ridges have ice crystals forming horizontally off them in the face of the wind. It almost looks like minuscule snow-covered Christmas trees grown sideways out of the rocks. Truly breathtaking.
We've been exploring and snapping pictures for the better part of an hour up here and we both feel frozen to the bone. It’s time to head back, but even with the cold temperatures and almost unbearable wind chill, I’m very glad we made this journey this time of year, for the contrasting effect of the hot steam and cold air made for an amazing visual.
Toquima Cave (Nye County, Nevada)
My friend Nick has a great interest in ancient Native American petroglyphs and pictographs, and has inspired interest in me as well. When was suggesting this trip, he included Toquima Cave, which is in a remote area of Central Nevada.
After a long drive down forest service gravel roads, we finally reached the trailhead. Its cold up here tough and there is a light dusting of snow on the ground. We follow the short trail and eventually climb up the rock face to the cave itself, which has been fenced off to protect the treasures contained within. The fence still affords as a terrific view of the pictographs though. These are some of the brightest and boldest, I have seen to date. Whites and Reds illuminate a huge number of figures along most surfaces inside the cave. If only we had a better understand of the ancient peoples that left these artworks for posterity.
After a long drive down forest service gravel roads, we finally reached the trailhead. Its cold up here tough and there is a light dusting of snow on the ground. We follow the short trail and eventually climb up the rock face to the cave itself, which has been fenced off to protect the treasures contained within. The fence still affords as a terrific view of the pictographs though. These are some of the brightest and boldest, I have seen to date. Whites and Reds illuminate a huge number of figures along most surfaces inside the cave. If only we had a better understand of the ancient peoples that left these artworks for posterity.
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