2016 May. Vallejo. Napa. Sonoma. Russian River.

En route to Napa Valley from Yosemite, I decided to squeeze in a visit and spend a day at the nearby Six Flag Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo. I am a sucker for hardcore roller coaster rides. I used to love Six Flags but unfortunately Discovery Kingdom was a disappointment due to poor maintenance and management.

Wasted my precious first 2 hours queuing for Medusa ride which broke down when it was finally my turn. Arrgh! Took another so-so ride named Kong before returning to queue another hour for Medusa, and it broke down again and closed for the day. NB ah, sibeh suay! Oh oh, and I also really wanted to slap those irritating american teenagers who had all kind of excuses to cut queues. Luckily Superman ride redeemed the day and brought back the awesome sensation I was hoping to relive on a REAL roller coaster ride. I don’t scream, just laughed and go ooohhh yeah as it plunged down. Haha, super shiok!

I had been pampered with really good Tex-Mex for years in Houston, the Mexican restaurants in Singapore just cannot match up. After missing authentic Mexican food for more than a decade, my cravings for a hearty and delicious Mexican meal, with the right happy ambience and alcohol, was fully satisfied at Chevys, near the Comfort Inn we stayed in. Went back there two nights in a row. Everything was awesome, especially the super addictive chips with salsa, and of course, the tequila-loaded margaritas! Happy.

The next day, we arrived early in Napa and started the day with a visit to the Oxbow Public Market. I was getting excited about the fine wine and dining options available in Napa and Sonoma in the days to come. No more camping, fast food, or mediocre diner food, oh yeah. 🙂

With the help of Yelp App, I found this highly recommended restaurant called Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch in St Helena, the heart of Napa Valley. Love the casual ambience sitting outdoors of the former nursery barn. Nice compound.

Our wineries hopping starts right after lunch. My Napa wine experience can be best summarised in these ten words “Designated driver. Yawn. Cannot drink. Never mind. I take pictures.” 🙂

Hall Winery. Modern tasting room

Duckhorn Winery. Closed by the time we arrived.

Mumm Napa. I love sparkling bubblies. This is the one winery I am kicking myself for not being able to drink. All bubblies looked so good and yummy. Stole a sip from each glass nevertheless, to satisfy myself. Staff was really nice and served me a complimentary non-alcoholic one.

Robert Mondavi. Continued the next morning. Very nice vineyard compound.

Opus One. Exclusive and understated opulence. Premium wine from Robert Mondavi.

Had a wonderful and memorable lunch at The French Laundry, which deserves a special full blog with details, on its own. Food was exquisite and deserving of all the accolades and rave reviews. Excellent dining experience! You can click HERE for a detailed blog on my dining experience at The French Laundry.

Visited Sonoma Plaza after lunch and had a leisure stroll. The plaza is surrounded by historical buildings, and is a focal point of the town that draws visitors.

After the extravagant lunch, it’s back to nature and the basics. Stale bread with canned food for dinner at Guerneville, along Russian River. Had the entire campground all to ourselves as it was a Sunday night, how nice!