House of Hydrangeas

We started out our last full day with breakfast at the Boon Fly Cafe at the Carneros Inn.  This was actually our second time to eat breakfast there (we also ate there the second day of our stay).  It was an easy walk from our cottage to the cafe and a great way to take in the cool morning air.  Aside from the cafe's laid back atmosphere, I also loved the presentation of their water, butter and mini jellies.  Presentation is big with this girl, and I left wanting to go home and make my own signature water bottle. After breakfast we walked over to the market, which is right by FARM  (where we dined the first night), and the bocce ball courts. Another shot of FARM.  The open area porch has fire pits and couches under it that you can sit around and enjoy at night while you sip on a cocktail. We made our stop into the Market at the Carneros to see what they had to offer and to purchase a t-shirt to remember our travels.  I loved the tin ceiling...

After our  prior day of relaxation at the pool, we woke up the next morning feeling energized and ready to see a few wineries!  Lucky for us, or me (I'm not sure that Jon was as stoked :) ), the Carneros Inn has awesome complimentary bikes for their guests to use.  I'm talking tomato red and mint green cruisers...with baskets!  And since we were located close (riding distance) to a few wineries, this was our mode of transportation.  It was so incredibly fun--I felt like a kid again! Look how excited he looks. It's written all over his face :) Riding past rows and rows of grapes on our way to our first stop, the Michael Mondavi Family Winery.  We had a fabulous lady named Joe do our tasting, and we enjoyed it all for free since we were staying at the Carneros Inn...the perks just kept coming! The Michael Mondavi Family Estate. My view for most of the day :) I'm telling you, riding a bike around the vineyards is the best way to see it a...

On our first morning at The Carneros Inn, we had breakfast at the Hilltop Dining Room, which is only open to guests staying on the premises.  It's at the top of the property with sweeping views of the Napa hills and vineyards.  It was so romantic and majestic...the perfect way to start our day.  Here was our view from the table. And once again, the food did not disappoint.  We received complimentary homemade donuts (the Inn is known for these) and pastries to start our meal.  Jon ordered the Dungeness Crab Eggs Benedict, and I ordered the quiche with a side of potatoes.  Mmm mmm good. Us at breakfast :) We decided to have a very low-key first day and just lounge and relax by the pool until dinner.  The Hilltop Pool was only open to people ages 16 and above (there's another larger lap pool on the property for families with children) and the pool allowed no cell phone conversations--needless to say, it was so peaceful.  They h...

Due to Hurricane Isaac, Jon and I took an impromptu week-long trip out of town last week.  We arrived back home this past Monday night, and aside from a knocked over bench on our front porch and a saturated Better Homes and Gardens magazine left in the mailbox, we escaped pretty much unscathed.  The longer than anticipated vacay was a great treat but also left me lacking in the blog post department.  However, today I am finally following up with Part 2 of our California trip (you can view Part 1  here ). After we left San Fran, we headed to the lovely Carneros Inn in Napa.  It was the perfect choice for a nice, relaxing getaway, and we honestly could not have loved it more.  From the well-kept grounds to the amazing service and amenities, we were just wowed every single day.  We stayed in one of their harvest cottages (Crane 6) complete with its own private backyard/patio area. The row of cottages in the Crane section. Our "backyard" for...