Rewind: Yountville and Russian River Valley

I thought I was out of sequence somewhere. After our balloon ride, on the recommendation of our pilot, we took a road trip northeast to the Russian River Valley. Before we left Yountville we walked to the famed French Laundry to take photos. We weren't able to get - or afford - a table for 2, so we just admired from the sidewalk. I bet a $500 meal tastes great, but save it for your 50th anniversary.

We enjoyed the scenery along the way, stopping for fresh cherries sold on the roadside and the Petrified Forest in the cool trees. Clos de Bois is one of our favorites back home, so we stopped to see where it comes from and tasted their reserve stock. The staffer in the tasting room recommended Diavola for lunch, and it did not disappoint. I had a butter leaf, blue cheese, and date salad while Wally picked lightly grilled romaine hearts with a vinaigrette. Perfect for light lunch on the go. From there we were off to Ferrari-Caranos, a pretentious estate with gorgeous gardens (we went just for scenery, no wine!) and a stop at Quivira, a small family winery that was the most down to earth place we visited. We loved each of the 8 wines they poured us, and managed to bring home only 2. We moseyed back to Sonoma and tried Rinn's Thai just off the square for dinner. What a find! The BEST Thai we've ever had and the most reasonable prices for the entire trip. Highly recommended for when you can't do wine/cheese/bread anymore.