Smokestack Barbecue, which resides in the Magnolia Brewing Company building brings together my two favorite things: Beer and BBQ. Walking in you just know this is going to be a memorable spot. The place is done up in an old San Francisco warehouse. Full-on 1920s exposed mortar, aged support stacks that are holding up the 30 foot ceiling above us.

Bleached faded benches from a 1950s yard sale that were left out in the rain, the place oozes character and charm. It's total retro throwback to a backyard garage, rusted and stained from years of good ole backyard BBQ use.

The bar is an interesting and fascinating set up. A mix between pre-prohibition saloon and an absinthe haberdashery, it is flooded with light from huge factory windows that are not at all conducive to nursing a hangover the next morning. This leans towards that comment about the shabby nobility in being drunk by mid afternoon.

As I've mentioned before, unfortunately, the food did not live up to the expectation. Although the menu is extensive, a little to foodie for barbecue spot in my opinion, my spare ribs seem to Dryden and on the verge of jerky. Granted this was one single visit in the middle the day in the middle of the week, so of course I must do right by them and visit again. Consider the arm twisted.

But as always in these matters, it's the beer that saved the day. They've got a great menu, and my Midtown Amber Ale worked out just perfectly for this...meal. this was a launch as I would never combined barbecue and work for lunch. So next time I'm in San Francisco on oh cool spring evening, Smokehouse BBQ, here I come.

My favorite aspect of traveling around the world are the hotel stays. I love staying somewhere that makes you forget where you came from and where you're going to, and just let's you enjoy where you are. And more common these days, finer hotels will include a nice robe and slipper combo with your stay. Slippers, a luxurious throwback from the past,  can make the difference between "what did I just step in?" and "Let the President know I'll see him now." It's just a fun little extra that makes a great hotel grand.

Now granted, these little slippers can be bought on Amazon for about $2/pair in their plain white version. But there's something extra nice when the slippers are actually detailed in a manner that reflect the hotel and therefore can remind you of your travels. That way, not only are they convenient have-to-haves like a toothbrush or a bar of soap, but they also make great souvenirs. A cherished reminder of your travels and a keepsake of your pampering. As 2017 comes to an end, I open my closet and go through several suitcases and I come across some of my favorite slippers from my past travels.

 

Honorable Mention: The Cosmopolitan Hotel - Las Vegas

The slipper is the normal plain-Jane disposable type. Nothing fancy, but it's the little details that make it worthy of mention. What catches my eye is this cool steel blue piping around the arch trim has a slight reflective nature to it. As blue is my favorite color, it not only stands out on its own as a soothing, relaxing color, but it also matches the blue piping of the bath robe in the room. And nothing is as relaxing as sitting on the balcony in Las Vegas, 40 stories above the strip, looking down on an absolutely beautiful day full of sunshine and mimosas, in a color coordinated robe and slipper combo at the Cosmopolitan Hotel. But it would have been seriously cool had they done it in Cosmopolitan purple, the theme color of the hotel. Nice! @Cosmopolitan_LV

 

5. Aria

Addition to the cool solid blue and white color scheme, again is my favorite, I enjoy the open toe design of the slippers. The ribbed material of the upper slipper is unique for disposables, the very fluffy bottom material makes my feet incredibly warm, even with an open toe design. But either way, as Aria is one of our favorite hotels, they’re very convenient to wear around the hotel room for short periods of time. Perfect for just getting out of the shower and getting dressed. And since it's Vegas, lets get the show on the road! Those dice aren't going to roll themselves! This is how we Vegas! @AriaLV

4. Beverly Hills Hotel

The subtle BHH on the front of the slipper is a complete contrast the the bold nature of the Beverly Hills Hotel. This slipper gets a nod for being one of the most wonderful stays at a hotel ever! I still remember breakfast on our private patio, with our dog running around. Those Eggs Benedict were amazing! Although the logo almost disappears when wearing the slipper, making it look like a plain white slipper, the open toes design is cooling and the padding is quite deep, making this a slipper to wear all day. I just wish the slipper had a little more to it in relation to the luxurious nature of the hotel. Maybe the logo in iridescent pink to match the iconic pink design of the hotel? Maybe the stitching could have been a little more prevalent, something to give it some pop? Let them know what you think and maybe they make a change in 2018. @BevHillsHotel

3. Park Hyatt Milano

When it comes to design, no one does it better than the Italians! The Park Hyatt Milano welcomes you with luxury at its core. Located just steps from Il Duomo di Milano, probably the grandest attraction in Milan, next the the Gucci store of course, The slipper rates high if you're a fashionista. And who isn't? The black piping along the split wing arch cover is something you are not going to find on just any disposable. Add to that, when shopping in Milan, always get the label. And with these slippers, the interior label of Park Hyatt Milano give it lots of style. The split wing top keeps the feet cool even though it is a closed toe designed. The slipper is good looking, stylish, and very comfortable to wear. A favorite, and a great reminder to head back to Milan ASAP! @ParkHyattMilan

2. Hôtel Le Negresco - Nice, France

The Hotel Negresco is the oldest, grandest, most unique hotel I've stayed in. The room decorated early baroque was the epitome of comfortable European elegance. And their slippers made a lasting impression too! They scored high for the one-of-a-kind gold embossed stitching displaying the hotel logo. Très chic indeed! The slippers are a classy way to dress up breakfast on the balcony at any hotel or home. These go in the shrine box, never to be worn again and to serve as a fond memory to the wonderful stay at the incredible Le Negresco in Nice France. C'est la vie! @NegrescoHotel

1. Ponte Vineyard Inn - Temecula, California

My overall favorite slipper! For both it's design and purpose, it has to be the beloved Ponte Vineyard Inn slipper. The slipper has a cool bright lime green piping with the name embroidered. But not only embroidering, but dual font stitching at that. This is the good stuff! And to add to the love, this slipper is from the Ponte Vineyard Inn and Resort where I was married. Ahhh... all those years ago, when my date at the time said, "I want to get married at a Vineyard," I knew I had a keeper! So the slippers will always have a special spot in my heart. Again this is another pair, never to be worn again, to be stored away, in the bag with my wedding tux. I really love the look and feel of the slipper. The pillow stitching seems extra padded and very comfortable on foot. And again, the stitching matches the robes, so brew up a cup of coffee, open the balcony doors, and take in the exquisite vineyard views on a lovely morning in these slippers. Champagne wishes and caviar dreams! @PonteInn

 

 

I mean come on, who doesn't love sunsets? I do. I mean like...obsessively. I love seeing them and if I'm lucky, I'm able to catch the images on my phone as I see it and feel it at the moment. All photos here are captured either while driving home from work or elsewhere on the road. I don't pull over, stop the car, get out and setup a perfect shot. I just grab, point and tell Siri to, "Take a photo." I love the colors in the sky: the reds, yellows, purples. All photos here are as they occurred. No retouching. No special Photoshop-ing. If the photo is good enough, I post it. I like to keep it natural, otherwise, it's not natural. Here are some of my favorites.

 

Day 1: The  Day started off like any other day in Palm Springs:  Beautiful blue sky, the soft whisper of clouds floating above, the rugged mountains of San Jacinto making their presence known, and me 2 hours late. I recently made the mistake of purchasing a house in Palm Springs. Not making a mistake purchasing the house, but making the mistake of thinking I can complete the repairs myself. Why pay a contractor $75 to install a lock, how hard can that be?   The answer: not hard at all. But when you have to install five of them, then things start getting a little tricky. And what happens when that lock on the fourth door is already suffering from water damage so the screws strip as you try to mount the lock? And this door swings outward, the other door swings inward, so now the locks are reversed. You get the picture, homeowner nightmare.

But either way, it’s a beautiful day. So let’s enjoy this Palm Springs lifestyle and get cracking on the door locks, painting the garage door, installing the new sprinkler timer, cutting the back lawn, trimming the hedges, Oh forget it. I fixed two things on the house  before I look up and notice the awesome sunset behind San Jacinto mountain. I grab my phone, and realized in the past three hours I’ve installed the locks, trim the hedges, and now I’m cutting the grass as darkness approaches. Fortunately, I’ve already planned on two days worth of work, so let’s head to the hotel for our one evening stay. We're doing one night at the Hyatt Palm Springs, for free, thanks to points on the Hyatt card. Remember when I told you about Pimpin Your Credit Cards? Well this is one of those cases where it comes into play. The Chase Hyatt provided us with two free nights at the incredible Park Hyatt Paris. And then we had two free nights at the incredible Park Hyatt Milan, and now, we’re staying at the almost as incredible Hyatt Palm Springs. Awesome! When we check into the hotel,  the front desk says something about executive suite. Executive suite? I flinch, but keep my cool, I’m not saying nothing.We head up to the room and upon opening the door, we arrive at our circa 1972 Executive Suite.

A huge living room welcomes us, with a dining table separate bar area in the separate bedroom and bath. I thought I saw the ghost of Dean Martin whipping up a quick martini. This is cool. Upon closer inspection, the Pink Sand Stone marble tile in the bathroom goes all the way up the wall and encompasses the floor, the top surrounding of the wall and the counter-top. Wow, that’s a lot of pink tile!  But hey, I’m not complaining. We get  changed to head over make our 8 o’clock reservation for Spencer’s. Spencer's is one of those old-school Palm Springs restaurants. What makes a Palm Springs restaurant? Classic American fare, outdoor seating under trees in the dining area, and golfers! You can just imagine stars from the 60s hanging out here on a quiet Palm Springs evening. Casual and relaxed. Palm Springs is always been a quiet little golf and tennis town, isolated, a get-away for the LA rich and famous. Palm Springs in the 60's was the Hearst Castle  of the 20's. We sit down for dinner, which was tasty, but the winner once again for me, was the banana coconut banana cream pie at the end. Yum Yum Yum!, With two torched bananas, I haven't seen this layout in a while. I sit back, look up the tree, take in the beautiful weather, and begin dreading the fact that the next day will be full day of working on the house. Why can't everyday be like this? I'm ready to retire now. What if I gotten myself into?

Day 2: What is that elephant on the wall? We wake up and Nancy calls her friends David and Francis to see if they’re in town, and David is. We all head to the Ace Hotel for breakfast today before digging and mowing. this is one of the new hotspots for the younger hipsters. Who else needs a Photo Booth in the bar lobby? Fun kids crowd the place. It's hard to tell who's a local and who's visiting. Even the kids with German accents are from West Hollywood. Breakfast was not as interesting as the building itself. could have used a little more flare, but a solid meal to start the day. And what a day. Six hours later, the 1/3 acre backyard is cut, trimmed and seeded. 2 trees have been cut down, all locks are finished, and half of the front shrubbery has been removed. Oh boy! 2 trees still stand, the other half of the shrub needs to go, the benda-border is not laid out and the branches need to be loaded for hauling. Crap...we need to stay another night! I call Hyatt and they are sold out tonight, oh no. We call David, they have guests coming to stay, arriving by 9:00p. Oh brother, what to do? I call Hyatt back, seems they have room at the Indian Wells location for only 20k points, but 20 mins away. Oh well, we book it, and start to head over. David calls and suggests that since we're staying another night, let do dinner at Birba. OK, see there by 7:00. We say we're heading to The Wells to check-in, "Oh just shower here, and Birba's right down the street."

We swing by to pick up David, shower up and head to Birba, just 3 minutes away.  Could have walked actually. We have Chloe with us, so good thing everyone here is so dog friendly. Birba is a nice little secluded outdoor patio filled with overarching magnolia trees . The place is full with hipsters, young and old, girl groups, and real estate professionals. You can tell the real estate professionals, they’re the ones who walk in on their phone, sit down on their phone, eat on their phone, and leave on their phone.

The bruschetta arrives, and I’ve never seen tomatoes so red. My first thought is this has to be enhanced, but at first bite, the tenderness and sweetness leads me to believe that this is some local farmer market, organically grown, pioneering farmland that supplies these tomatoes on a daily basis. Plump and juicy, I even began eating the tomatoes without the bread. This makes me wonder why I settled for a simple pizza as my main entrée rather than following up with the other more exotic  dishes on the menu. Oh well, the Modern Times amber beer goes down smooth, so I'm good to go. Afterwards, we drop David and he invites us in for another beer. We start talking on the back patio, what the hell,m a quick dip in the pool under the full moon. And this is the Palm Springs life.

We head back to Indian Wells, and trek along Hwy 111 to get there. Interesting, going from Palm Springs, through Cathedral City to Rancho Mirage, past Palm Desert to get to Indian Wells. Seeing the sights, the art deco landmarks of The Springs, the strip malls of Cathedral, the mega malls of Rancho and the emptiness of Palm Desert. Then you hit the luxury spot of Indian Wells, and this ought to be nice. And it is. It's located right around the corner from Indian Wells tennis center where the annual BNP Paribas Indian Wells Classic is held. The room is nicely appointed. A sunken living room reminds me of the Venetian/Palazzo setup in Vegas. But not as ornate. Very relaxing, and a small balcony off the room allows for some "me time" as we finish our bottle of wine and stare at the stars.

Day 3: David calls and Francis made it in, so let's meet for brunch at Lulu California Bistro. And I love it when the title of the restaurant is a snazzy as the deco of the restaurant. Colorful walls, ceilings, chairs and flooring greet you and instantly transport us to happy time. Never mind be the nagging feeling that I still have so much work to do on this house, but forget it all, I'm heading home today regardless. Nancy orders a big sweet salad, I man up and get the half rack of ribs. Both were awesomely yummy, very tasty, and a lot of fun to eat in such a lively vibrant place. The weather is perfect and we are sitting just 2 tables rows from the sidewalk, so we get that warm Palm Springs breeze blowing in, it’s a beautiful day, let’s go shopping! Cabazon Outlets is for sure on the trail this time. interesting thing, in Milan, we were told to hit the outlets to get some great deals on our fashionables. Will we got there, they were the same stores as the US! But 10% higher! Go figure.

Before heading to the house I decide to make a couple of quick run to return some items to Home Depot.  I head down some street, make a wrong turn and come across Hotel California. My immediate thought is of the Eagles and I look up for the woman in the room in the window, and then I quickly realize this ain’t the Eagles hotel. It’s just a more rustic cowboy look to it. And then next door is the InINN. This place has the most interesting door front and all the Palm Springs, something between some mid evil and Middle Eastern temple. I snap a couple shots drive down the street and realized I made a wrong turn on a one-way street and took the long way to Home Depot. We wind up driving 2 miles to get 2 blocks from our house. Why did I just do this last night, oh well. We return the items, dig up some shrubs, and since it’s still early in the afternoon, let’s go have some more fun and head over to the outlet center. Hooray! what a wild couple of days.

 

 

 

 

 

A wise man once said, “A day with bad barbecue is still a good day.”

And I wholeheartedly agree. Now whether or not somebody actually said it, it’s still my belief. And whenever I travel I always do my best to search out a barbecue spot. On recent travels to San Francisco, I've had a chance to rack up quite a few barbecue stays. Over a three day conference, I was able to hit a couple of spots. Of course my wife called me crazy, but then if you love barbecue you know I'm crazy like a fox baby!

San Francisco is a foodie mecca. But I was actually surprised at the variety of barbecue locations. Everything from mom and pop little shops, to art-trendy, food as a conversation piece hang out joints.

The prime example of this would be Smokestack barbecue, which resides in the Magnolia Brewing Company building. Walking in you just know this is going to be an incredible barbecue spot. The place is done up in an old San Francisco warehouse. Full-on 1950s exposed mortar, aged support stacks that are holding up the 30 foot ceiling above us. Bleached faded  benches from a 1950s yard sale that were left out in the rain, the place oozes character and charm. It's total retro throwback to a backyard garage, rusted and stained from years of good ole boy use. Unfortunately the food is nowhere near as interesting. The collar greens were tough and rubbery, as were the spareribs, which seemed to have been left out for the last couple of days. The sauces served were kind of useless. Sorry, I don't do Vinegar. And mustard is for ham and sandwiches, which left their BBQ sauce, that was sort of plain, sort of...just not quite there. The beer was good though.  @SFSmokestack

What I did like about the place is that the music is booming with 1950s and 60s soul Gospel. Cranking out James Brown, the predominate sound, was a great sound system and the benches that you’re sitting on were vibrating with his funk, but unfortunately the meat just does not live up to the hype.

Smokehouse Bar-B-Que

2698 3rd St, 

San Francisco, CA

(415) 864-7468

Well that was lunch, for dinner that night I venture over to Baby Blues in south south San Francisco. Now here’s the Texas juke joint that’s got the right flavor.  My ribs that were meaty, could’ve used an ounce more but OK, and sauces on the table had 4 flavors that bring it all to life. I know there’s a lot of people out there who swear never eat barbecue with sauce, but not me. I grew up with barbecue sauce and I’ll die with barbecue sauce.

And these sauces are to die for. I had a hard time trying to decide which was my favorite, the Molasses has a spicy sweetness to it that was just yummy, but the XXX, oh yeah, that hit the spot! Spicy, tangy, but full of smoke flavor so it retained its BBQ heritage. Can I have some tri-tip with these please? The sides were pretty good too. I chose Collard Greens and Mac & Cheese. And I was surprised, it actually tasted like Mac & Cheese. All too often, you show up at a BBQ joint around 9pm, and the M&C is dead to rights. But Baby Blues kept it real and it was still tasty and tender, and no Kraft Velveeta fake cheese taste. That was real Texas BBQ M&C flavor. OK, I'm getting hungry again...  @BabyBluesBBQSF

Baby Blues BBQ

3149 Mission St
San Francisco, CA

(415) 896-4250

For lunch the next day, I went in search of The Famous Rib Shack, but they’re closed on Tuesdays so I instead head over to Chicago for Ribs. This is really good chain restaurant BBQ. The ribs are huge, the sauce spicy, and the sides are flavorful. I have to admit it, I enjoyed it, but that may have been due to the fact that I just sat out on the back patio with the perfect sun warming my aching body. Then again, it may have been the 20 ounce beer as well. The M&C was a little Kraft-y, but the greens were good and the corn bread wonderful. With the exception of the distance from the office, this would be #1 on the list to revisit. With the sun, the beer and the BBQ, this is a killer combination. So next time, I'll  just have to schedule a 2 hour lunch meeting to cover travel time @ChicagoForRibs1

Windy City Pizza and BBQ

35 Bovet Rd
San Mateo, CA 94402

(650) 578-1942

Finally, I head over that night to The Famous Rib Shack. This is down home mom and  daughter barbecue spot is a throw-back to the old BBQ spots we used to go to as a kid. Nothing fancy, no hipster memorabilia on the walls, except maybe someone's little league trophy. It just reminds you of the little barbecue shop down the street when you were growing up. So I step up and order some baby back‘s collar greens and barbecue beans, what came out was nothing short of spectacular. The bones were so huge juicy tender and flavorful, spicy barbecue sauce with red chili pepper flakes visible, oh boy, screams of joy! The meat is tender the sides are flavorful and mom is a total sweetheart. The cornbread is top with honey, only true Carolinians do that, and I just love the old school red and white tray liners. I don't think I've seen anything like that since living in Houston.  But I highly recommend it as a stop if you are anywhere near SFO.

The Famous Rib Shack

223 El Camino Real
San Bruno, CA 94066

(650) 952-2809

Of all the pleasant surprises I've been afforded in life, Armadillo Willy's is in the Top 10. This spot was a surprise due to the fact that it's San Mateo location is right next door to my office! Yeehaa! So now, anytime I have to head up north for a team meeting, I get my BBQ fix on! This was good BBQ. The ribs are meaty and flavorful. The sauce is standard, but they put on just enough to compliment, but not over power the meat, which can stand on its own. The Tri Tip was so juicy, and cut it with a fork if you have to. I was disappointed that they had no classic sides such as M&C or Collard Greens, but with meat like this, I'll get over it. This is a chain store "inspired" by Texas BBQ, and I would have to say, they do Texas proud. For convenience, this is my San Mateo go-to for BBQ. I prefer the classic sides, but if The Famous Rib shack is not open, or I don't have the time allotment, AW is my spot!   @ArmadilloWillys

Armadillo Willy's

2260 Bridgepointe Pkwy
San Mateo, CA 94404

(650) 571-7427

When my wife told me that we were going to Holland I perked up real fast. Tulips. Van Gogh. Pot shops. Red light...stop right there you moron! "Holland, Michigan. To visit Julianne and the new baby." Oh, that's different. OK, Holland MI. Let's do it. We had just finished weekends in Vegas and Amador County, so what's one more to wrap up her wild October birthday month. So off to Holland we fly. First stop, Chicago O'Hare airport, better know as ORD. Why, because FAA says so. No, really it's because it was once known as Orchard Field. The airport was renamed in 1949, seven years after opening, after Edward O'Hare, the Navy's first fighter ace and the first Naval recipient to be awarded a Medal of Honor. OK, that explains it.

Today, O'Hare has one of the coolest terminals with a nod more to its aviation heritage and less to a sprawling retail mall. The airport still retains it diminutive roots, with ceilings in some areas topping out at 8 ft. I was able to touch them just by reaching up! And yet, some areas have a thoroughly modern design and feel to it. But I love the United terminal with it's fuselage feel of rods and pulleys overhead. And since we were on the red eye, for breakfast, I definitely wanted something Chicago-esque, so I grab a bag of Nuts on Clark popcorn. Sorry, McDonald's is the same the world over, but Nuts on Clark, now that's Chicago! As the headquarters are located near Wrigley field, this will be on the tour for sure next time we set foot in the Windy City. But, we're off to Grand Rapids to be picked up for a family weekend in Holland.

We land at Gerald R. Ford International Airport, gateway to fun! I'm sorry, but anytime I hear of Gerry Ford, I immediately think of Chevy Chase's impressions of the 40th president, on Saturday Night Live, back in the day. If only someone would have said to me, "Welcome to Ford airport, have a nice trip." I would have laughed my ass off! Oh well, let's scram and start the party. And the party starts a few minutes later on a dreary drizzly corner in Grand Rapids at Marie Catrib's. this spot is so out of place. The outside is pure rundown, mid-west. Inside is big city brightness. I expect to see this in West Hollywood, more so than West Michigan. Or maybe I just need to get out more and realize that the world isn't divided between New York/Los Angeles, and everyone else in the middle. A vegan serving shop in this little corner of town, the shop has some great options for meat eaters as well. It also has a great sense of humor, such as the Larry David lasagna. I have no idea how or why, but that's what its called. Maybe a binge of Curb Your Enthusiasm will reveal the secret, but for now, I just chuckle at the thought.

While everyone is eating healthy, kale salad this, and vegan barley soup that, I grab a nice turkey and ham on cheddar with tenderly toasted multi-grain bread. And to add to the drama, they throw in a few apple slices, green apple to provide a nice acidity to cut through the meat and cheese. I'm good to go. Who knew a vegan health shop could throw down a wonderful combination like this. Yes, I really need to get out more. Nancy enjoys a butternut squash quiche that's actually pretty tasty. Not that it's "actually" tasty, but for a meat eater such as myself, it was pretty tasty. We head out and head home and settle down to catch up with family.

The next day, we hit downtown Holland. A cute little replica of small town mid west Michigan. I say a replica, because all the buildings are so new looking and modern in their themes. A beautiful melding of old west with new modern that again, catches me off guard. Where are the faded facades, crumbling brick and rundown closed up shops. Not here, because Holland is a

major tourist spot, hosting Holland sister city activities such as Tulip festivals, winter wonderlands and all sorts of Dutch inspired treats. And if it's inspired treats you want, then our first stop fits the bill. Cherry Republic is all things Cherry. Of course they have the standards, cherry salsa, cherry beer, cherry butter. And then they just go crazy! 8 types of cherry salsa. Cherry chocolates, 3 varieties. Cherry butter, maybe 6 flavors. Cherry jams and jelly, or course. Cherry candy in so many configurations of chewy, crunchy, squishy, gummi. Cherry sausage, yes, sausage. Cherry BarBeQue sauces, 3 levels of heat. Boomchunkas, snack sticks, beer, preserves, honey, beer, mustards, (yes, again, mustard) licorice, horseradish sauce, beer, wine, rootbeer, coffee, and that mid-western favorite, Cherry icewine. Wow, and best of all, it's all out for tastings. I think I put on 2-3 lbs in tastings alone. OK, lets grab a little of everything and leave now or never.

We take a walk down main street here. Quaint and cute, but with a variety of stores to fit your every need. Of course there are the cute little local curio shops, Fris Downtown and Harbor Wear of Holland, but they rub elbows with established big city brands like White House Black Market and Jos. A Banks. Cherry Republic itself is sandwiched between Merle Norman, Lakeshore Pilates and Talbots. And that's what makes it so great. It's not a bunch of stodgy old fogies trying to hold onto the past. They embrace the old and the new here and that provides a refreshing atmosphere where everyone has such a sense of community. Young people here are so bright-eyed, and are as enthusiastic about stories of their town as they are about hearing our stories of LA. Actually, once we told them about the traffic, they began to tune out and just chuckle on to the next story.

So on to  our next stop, wine tasting! Yes! Warner Vineyards, a local of the area has a wonderful tasting room here. So we saddle up and and sample the goods. A nice little variety of sweet wines, a little young in structure, but look, it's Holland Michigan, so none of the Robert Parker stuff, just enjoy a glass and share some jokes with the locals. Although, the young girl, Ashley?, starts wondering about our souls, I can appreciate the lack of separation of church and wine. We assure her the same thoughts have been going around for millennia, and the most important thing is to enjoy life and help those around. Whether she appreciated or not, I'm not sure, but the next pour did seem a little heavy. God bless.

 

Well all this walking and talking and drinking has made us hungry, so off to the local brew house. New Holland Brewery is the hot spot in town. And why not? The place is huge, bustling with people watching various college football games. Oh, in these parts, this is serious business, as witnessed at the table behind us. Out of the 150 or people people in the place, located in western Michigan, home of the Spartans, myself and one gentleman were the only ones passionate about the Ohio-Penn State game. Understand, Ohio is the arch nemesis of Michigan, both Sate and University of, so us rooting for the enemy was not looked upon with glee. Add to the fact the the other gentleman was sitting at a table of 10 or so family members who thought he was crazy, made it all the more fun. OK then, back to the story. New Holland Brewery has a fanciful menu of their local brewed beers. A reminder that micro brews are taking over and providing a relief both financially and spiritually to communities across America. witness the fact that New Holland and Hope College are the only items that pop up on Google map at the 1000 ft. level. So I support the movement by ordering the Amber Ale. Yum, a beer so nice, I support it twice. Add to that some yummy chicken wings and nachos, and its a perfect mid western college football Saturday afternoon. We are enjoying our time when it dons on me, "You have a baby...in a bar" Yes, the little one has woken up and is stirring, bright-eyed and bushy tailed. Oh no...Is he gaining consciousness...in a brew pub. I think this kid has Michigan State in his future.

 

 

Day 3: Amador County Wine Tour 2018, I wake up thinking to myself, “I could live here. This tiny little town with these incredible winds, I could totally buy a house here and become a wine country resident." Then I remember, I said the same thing when I was in New York, “I could totally live here. I could be up on the 20th, no make that 50th floor of some penthouse suite. Awesome!" And that reminds me of the time we were in Miami, “I could totally live here, one of these $5 million houses along the canal with my yacht. Awesome!" Of course I could totally live that lifestyle, now I just got to figure out where to come up with the other $4,997,000. OK, back to reality and another day of tasting before heading back to cousin Michael’s house, so let’s hit the road. We only have Helwig scheduled as we’ve been passing up on that every day, and then we'll just wing another vineyard before heading off to lunch.

Helwig Winery greets you with a huge driveway marker. Pulling up, the first thing we noticed is that unlike the other locations, this one has some huge grounds ahead of it. We drive along a the roadway with decorative lanterns to light the way in the evenings, a little pond off to the left here, and finally up the road to the tasting room. The location is a modern historic design. Steel beams supporting an antique wood theme.  Helwig has a reputation of "come for the wine, stay for the views". The backside of the tasting room as a patio overlooking a valley that is quite breathtaking, and quite frankly my pictures don’t do it justice. Back inside, we chat with the few other guests while I really enjoy the Sparkling Rose. I pick up a bottle and we head off to our next destination, Vino Noceto. Nobody really has mentioned this winery to us, but it is on the list of the nine wineries that Shenandoah Inn partners with for free tastings. We see the sign and we pull in.

Vino Noceto sets in a classic style red barn. The tasting room itself is a quaint little room, but filled with an tasty collection of Zinfandel, Barbera and Sangiovese wines and Tamara behind the counter. A fun time was spent talking with Jeff and Lisa, from Pasadena. Jeff has been coming here for the last 30 years loves the little get away from the big city. Pasadena just 20 miles or so from my house so being here in Amador County it’s like we’re neighbors. The Noceto reds are pretty bold for my taste. Maybe they just needed to aerate a little longer to mellow out. The Barbera was just a little too tart, the Zinfandel just a little to sweet, it reminds me that these need a proper pairing with food, as in is it is getting towards lunch time. But then I have a sip of the Riserva Sangiovese, and I'm good to go! Luscious fruits come through at just the right pitch, so I pick up a bottle and bid everyone a good day. As we walked back to the car, Nancy remarks that we have a bottle for every winery that we visited and then some. We have to figure out how are we going to take this back home, somehow, someway. I tell her don’t worry about it as I'm sure we will find a way to drink it all before we leave. Plus, we are headed back to a major metro area, I'm sure we can buy some sort of travel pack or larger luggage to handle it. Worse case, we can find a FedEx shop to pack it up and ship it home.

As we head down the hill we see a distinctive 'R' on the left-hand side of the road, so we pull in and find ourselves at the Jeff Runquist Wines. Jeff is well liked in the valley, his wines do quite well at tasting events and competitions. We step in and have a sip or two, our tummies are starting to grumble and we're ready for lunch, so we’ll call it a day with three wineries and head on home after this. I don't feel like messing around and go all in on the reds, and right off the bat, the Tempranillo beckons me. Just enough cherry and dark berries on the front to send me to dreamland where the heavenly angels keep refilling my goblet. A soft flowery scent, lavender or hyacinth, follows up as I pull the glass away. wow, that was really good. Nancy, who has wined out at this point, and just wants a few sips of my juice takes one sip and is hooked. She does her own tasting and falls hard for the Petite Sirah. And she swears she's not a PS person, leaning primarily to Pinot, but she loves it and joins the wine club on the spot. Whoa! Baby 's gone all in on this one! We pick up two bottles,  a Tempranillo for me and she gets the Petit. We head back to the car and now we are really in trouble. The travel totes are now full, So the Runquist wines are packed in and now we really have to decide what to do about getting these home. A fun gent at the bar tells us about Amador 360, a local wine collective that also serves as the main, if only, shipper for the valley. great, and by the way, he also recommends Gold Dust Pizza back in Sutter Creek as a stop for lunch.

We grab a tasty looking pizza, pair it up with a Zinfandel, something a little sweet to cut through the oil of the pizza, and have ourselves a tasty little lunch. Now I'm feeling pretty good at this point, so what the hell, one more tasting! Oh come on, we're this close to more tasting rooms, so let’s just walk the town and see what we find. We hit Main Street hang a right and the next block down we see a sign for 1850 Wine Cellars. Its the most intimate of tasting rooms so far. Behind the counter is Guy, pronounce"Gee", a veteran of Amador County wines. He actually retired a few years back, but has since returned to the counters as he misses the interactions with fellow tasters. We taste a couple of wines, and then he does something I’ve never seen before, at any tasting room, ever! He pours a perfect taste of wine, and then lays the glass on the counter and begins rolling it back and forth.

What? Don’t get me wrong I’ve seen people put a glass of wine on its side, usually after making some wild gesturing with their hands and out spills some Cabernet. But what he does is pour the exact amount of wine so that the glass just touches the lip when on its side. The purpose is that a glass on its side has twice the surface area of a glass standing up, and this aerates the wine wonderfully, coaxing all of those lovely fruits and flowers out into a luscious bouquet for tasting. You had me at hello, and we pick up another bottle of Sangiovese. And I wasn't wrong. In doing a little research after the trip, I find 1850 Wine Cellars scoring multiple 91 pt wines with Wine Enthusiast. Nice!

Now it’s getting late we really have to go, and what are we gonna do with all this wind? Guy point us in the right direction, back to Plymouth for the Amador 360 wine shipping service. Oh great, same service the other gent at Runquist informed us about, so I guess that's the go-to service for getting your wines back home. We head back and find that for a nominal fee, around $35, they will ship 12 bottles of wine back to home for us via UPS. I do add this note, if shipping, pay the extra $10 to have it refrigerated. After we got home, our wine apparently had some mix-up in shipping, and spent 2 days in the back of a van during a warm spell. The wine seems ok, my palate probably couldn't tell the difference, but what if...? With 12 bottles packed away, that leaves us with four bottles to take back to cousin Michael, and I’m sure we can find someway to drink four bottles and over the next two nights. Hint, the first night he invites us to BBQ at this funky little neighborhood spot, full of hipsters with their kids. Since we couldn't pack Karmere's Temperance Tarts, it's a 750ml jug, we bring it along, and perfect timing. The jug makes quite an entrance when I bring it in, and it pairs wonderfully with the BBQ. As a blend, the Syrah and Zinfandel give it a sweetness that compliments the BBQ sauce, and the Primitivo goes it a good acid balance to work the meat.

As we leave Amador County on the lovely California Highway 49, we reflect on a wonderful time, some wonderful wines, and the most wonderful people. Of the 12 wineries we visit, we quickly realized we’ve covered less than half of the area. And that’s just Shenandoah Valley, El Dorado was right next door with Wines that are in ranking with Amador, so it looks like we'll have to return sometime soon to break new ground and make new friends.