From Carla & Sean. Our pack broke into two units today as Jane and Ike (LRT) and Phil and Diane (BRT) took it easy with plans for a few leisurely days as they continue slowly north. For Carla and I, getting a taste of San Francisco so close by was too good to pass on so we headed there with plans to rejoin the other RTs later this week.

Well, today was again sunny and warm and we thought we saw a cloud for the first time since leaving New Brunswick a month ago but it turned out to be a jet contrail, sorry! A month already, wow. The other two RTs have been at it a few weeks longer but still we have no idea how the time has literally flown by.

But before leaving Napa there was one more winery to visit and Mumm was the word. Mumm offers a complete tour as opposed to only tasting and of course Mumm is famous for their sparkling wines (not supposed to call them champagne although their sister company in France can), a Carla favorite.

Champagne, yum!

Most of the process for the champagne method has been automated since we last spent time at a champagne producer so it was worthwhile touring. Bottles are now auto-rotated several times a day and the yeast plug is removed automatically. In their great hall, there was a display of 27 original Ansel Adams photographs from Yosemite and other areas. The grandson of Ansel is close friends with the Mumm management. The estate was very nice and we sat on the terrace after the tour overlooking the fields of grapes. The deck area was so hot, even with the umbrellas, that they had the water misters spraying all of the areas to help keep people cool. Hard to imagine what it is like in August!

A little cool relief

We picked up a sparkling Pinot Noir, an Estate Rose and a DVX (named after the owner Deveaux – all vowels removed, clever what). A very nice place, unhurried and peaceful. But much talk of wine and food pairings and with great restaurant options so close by we headed for lunch and arrived at Gotts in St. Helena (just north of Napa). Picture the Chicken Burger but bigger and shinier. Carla had a Mary‘s Chicken Sandwich and I had fish tacos with Mahi Mahi and cilantro infused veggies, yum (OK, maybe that was too girlie). Not quite the Mic Mac tavern but very good and decidedly healthier.

Gotts to have food

We then blasted down very decent roads and right into San Francisco. A slight fog and and slightly cooler temperatures greeted us but the drive across the Golden Gate was an experience unto itself. The Bay area is huge. And we couldn’t believe how close San Francisco is to Sonoma and Napa, just about 75 minutes drive. No wonder it is a popular San Francisco brunch option on weekends.

Not the A.L. MacDonald Bridge

We visited the America‘s Cup headquarters on the waterfront but they are a month away from ramping up for the Luis Vuitton Series so no option to get a better hat than Diane‘s… just yet and tomorrow is another day. We then spent time on the Pier 39 complex near Fisherman’s Market and had a nice meal of clams linguine and shrimp primevara with crab cakes to start. Next to the restaurant we watched the huge sea lions fight for dock space pushing one another off the floats with much noise and splashing. Reminds me of a Squadron dock party 🙂

Sea Lions

We then paid our parking fee, a mere 21$ and headed for our hotel for a non-RV night.

First impressions of San Francisco are all positive and the waterfront crowd is very colorful. Tattooing is extremely popular as were piercings a-plenty. A piercing will grow over but a tattoo removal apparently hurts worse that getting the tattoo itself. Ah, the choices of youth!

And some might say segments of the waterfront have gone to the dogs but…

4 of the 101 dalmatians

Back to the waterfront tomorrow me thinks as the AC 72s are supposed to be out sailing along with the 45s.

Missing the other RTs already but we will re-group soon enough…