Days 28, 29 & 30

After four weeks, my hubby and I made it to California and carved our way down the coastline, stopping now and then to feel the salty sea breeze on our faces and once to giggle over a few sea lions basking on the rocks below.

We stopped overnight at a little seaside hotel, then wandered through the giant redwoods in pursuit of Napa. Somewhere along the way, the golden sun began to shine and the temperature warmed. This was the California of dreams.

For two nights we camped beside two different lakes, gasping over the stars and making s'mores. We drove around mountain curves and cliffs until I felt queasy, and passed grapevine after grapevine until I felt thirsty. Joseph Phelps was our one and only winetasting, though. The heat and sun combined with wine dazzled us into a stupor, and that was enough for us.

We paid a visit to Cakebread Cellars at 9 a.m. so I could interview the winemaker for an article and Jun could take some photos. He gave us the grand tour, and my favorite part by far was the bottling assembly line, straight out of Laverne & Shirley.

Napa Valley was left in the rearview mirror in favor of the ocean and in particular Stinson Beach, which can only be reached by curving your way carefully around some of the scariest cliff-hanging roads in the world. If you make it to your destination, the reward is a gorgeous stretch of sand and big, icy waves. Talk about heaven on a hot July day.

After a quick dip, we skipped staying in San Francisco and ventured on a whim to Half Moon Bay. I liked the sound of it. It did not disappoint. Every storefront was quaint and charming, and we stayed at this sweet little hotel above a bar. It was like living for 12 hours inside an episode of "Cheers." We found it hard to leave.

Ooh la la