03-20-22 Sunday Cloverdale/Healdsburg Francis Ford Coppola Winery

-

03-20-22 Sunday 
Cloverdale/Healdsburg KOA, Cloverdale, California
Jeeps in Parking Lot: 2
Drive Time: 0
Miles: 0
Arrived: 0

This morning was cold and breezy in the mid 40’s. Both up and showered. Breakfast and planning our day. We decided to start our day at Francis Ford Coppola’s Winery and see what direction we ended up after that. We didn’t make reservations and since there were only two of us, we decided to take our chances. 



We were able to get into the restaurant and thank goodness because I was STARVING and about to get hangry! Lil’ Debbie’s and tea for breakfast was not cutting it. George was our waiter and he never wrote anything down. Wine was fabulous and he brought us a small bag that contained two bread donuts, deep fried and sprinkled with salt. We did our best not to order more, so yummy. 

I ordered the ½ chicken brick baked with veggies and Barry ordered meatballs + penne in tomato sauce. Both meals were excellent and of course the wine was excellent. I couldn’t eat all my chicken so took a leftover box. Ambiance was excellent. The middle of the restaurant had corks hanging from the ceiling. I love it. Trying to figure out how to do this at home. 


          
We walked the movie exhibits after lunch, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Apocalypse Now, Tucker, Marie Antoinette, and the Godfather movies. Costumes, props, and the Tucker car on a rotating floor that turns in a circle. Fun to see. 

“Well, want to taste some wine?" They were booked solid...but wait...literally a moment before Barry asked, there was a cancellation and we could be seated. Three minutes later we were seated at a great table on the patio with the bitchin’ people!!! Our lucky day. We ordered two flights and the afternoon began. Five wines each, 4 bottles bought + fee waived for one guest (me). Keep in mind our tasting were $35 for one type of flight and $30 for another type of flight. 


Our hostess was from the Italy wine country and very knowledgeable of the Coppola wines. I loved her accent. We had a blast blowing off the afternoon and talking about life. Again, we solved the problems of the world. As we walked to the car we decided to go check out downtown Cloverdale. It was about a 15-minute drive back in the direction of the KOA park. In the blink of an eye, we discovered Cloverdale at 3 pm on a Sunday. As Barry said, “Something out of a Hitchcock movie, dead and deserted." But...wait...I see a brewery AND it’s open. Wolf House Brewing Company so of course we have to stop. 

Inside was great. Nothing fancy but right up our alley. Great logo and bar. I decided to order dessert, grasshopper pie and Barry ordered pretzels with cheese and a Therapy Session IPA. The pie was excellent. Barry said the pretzels were great. I ordered a taste of a local seltzer but didn’t like it so I stuck to water. 

We headed back to the KOA but decided to take a few detours to explore the area and housing. So much to see in these hills. When we arrived back at our campsite the kid next door couldn’t wait to tell Barry he caught “Walter” the big bass in the pond. He showed Barry a photo of Walter and he won some sort of prize when he told the KOA office about it. Such a happy camper. 

We decided to go for a walk around the campground as the sun was setting. Our last night on the road and again it seemed a little sad. Barry made one last s’more, but I couldn’t fit anymore in my stomach. 

Tomorrow we are on our way home and this trip will be a memory. A great twenty-one days on the road. I’m finding I love being on the road and not excited about driving home. 



Copyright © 2021 by Jacqueline Threet Henderson, Jacqueline's Jaunts. All rights reserved.

Comments

Post a Comment

All comments on this blog will be previewed by the author to prevent spammers and unkind visitors to the site. The blog is open to other-than-just family members particularly those interested in family history and genealogy.

Popular posts from this blog

05-02-23 Bakersfield to Needles, California 5+ hours

-
Image
"A good man does not take what belongs to someone else." (Pueblo Proverb) 1 We stopped to get gas in Tehachapi, and I left my phone in the bathroom. I went back to check, and it was gone... Damn'it!!!! Asked everyone in the place if anyone had turned it in, and of course not. So we told the rest of the group to go ahead and we will catch up. Used the MyFind app to turn it off. Called T-Mobile to suspend my account. I reset important passwords just in case. I felt devastated. We took off and talked about whether to replace it or not. I was not a happy camper.  The drive was harrowing. Over San Bernadino mountains, Bristol mountains (2700 ft.), down through Mojave National Monument, over and down the Sacramento Mountains into Needles. We experienced cross winds most of the drive, which made it hard to drive straight.    I called ahead and found a T-Mobile store in Bullhead City. Once we hooked up, we drove to Bullhead City, passing through California, Arizona, California th
Read more

2023-03-25 Saturday Pismo Beach Oceano Campground

-
Image
My Man! Steps today - 14,442 Saturday, and so much for sleeping in. The Reynolds daughter Brook, son-in-law Aaron, granddaughter Kensley, and grandson Arik arrived this morning. Soon we heard Kensley and Arik at our door to say hello. They seemed excited to see us, and they gave big hugs to both of us. Then, they told us about school, and everything they have been doing, as much as an 8 and 10-year-old can say to you. Then back over to abuela and papa's RV.  Soon after, we were off to Pismo Beach. We drove to the left, went as far as we could, then turned around and headed toward the far-end gate. The part of the beach you can drive on was so short compared to before, but it was due to the recent storms. The Reynolds were ahead of us, and as we passed the first gate, a guy flagged us down. His truck was stuck, and he needed a tow to get out of the hole he was in. Barry said sure, and I texted the others to let them know what was happening. They pulled off of the beach highway and w
Read more

June 26 through June 30, 2023 Pismo Beach

-
Image
Pacific Coast Village Site #382 JEEPS - 5 (Tuesday), 22 (Thursday) We left home on Monday, June 26th , for Pismo Beach. We are staying at Pismo Coast Village RV Resort for the first time. They have 400 sites. We made the reservations six months ago. We normally stay at Oceano State Beach RV Park, but we wanted to try this place. We are here with Jan & Ken Reynolds. This place does not let you choose a site; they will only tell you your site number the morning you check-in. This is also a place you can join for $50,000, and you get the first pick of sites...ridiculous. You can store your RV at the resort storage across the street. If you are a member, they will bring your RV to your site for you, one perk for the fifty grand. We checked in around 4:30 PM on Monday. The Reynolds are two sites from us and checked in about thirty minutes before us. Check-in time is 4:00 PM. We hooked up and headed to Old Juan's Cantina in Oceanside. We love this place, especially its huge margarit
Read more