Today we drove to Sacramento to pick up the turkey that Lori ordered for tomorrow's dinner so it's iced in a cooler and ready for tomorrow morning's preparations. We had hoped to visit two of Lodi's most impressive new wineries but both were closed and only open on weekends so we ended up having a relaxing afternoon.
Lenis and John treated us to wine, appetizers and dinner so we had a great time catching up on what's happening in all of our lives.
Tomorrow the day starts early when we get to Mike and Teresa's and prepare the turkey for the oven. We're really looking forward to a special day with family.
Today we enjoyed visiting with special friends, the Petruccis and the Reagors.
This morning we left Oakland and we arrived in Lodi before noon. When we checked into the Wine & Roses Inn we were upgraded to a special spa room so we're enjoying an elegant huge room for two nights.
This afternoon we visited Barbara at Bora Winery and did some wine tasting. Then this evening we were guests for cocktails at the Reagors followed by dinner at Wine & Roses.
Now it's time to be lazy and enjoy the beautiful California weather.
Today was a work day for me so we started out at Bonhams and Butterfields this morning to pick up and pack my auction purchases from the October and November auctions. I had forgotten which items I purchased so it was exciting to see the beautiful things that were waiting for me.
Then it was time to introduce Roger to my favorite cafe in S.F., Perry's. Unbelievably, we found a parking place directly in front of the cafe and we had a perfect table for two in the front of the restaurant. Afterward Bella had an opportunity to go for a walk and get attention from everyone on the street.
Our second stop was Harvey Clars in Oakland to pick up more sterling and then we headed for 4th Street in Berkeley. The weather today was perfect in the high 60s with bright sunshine so we enjoyed walking and doing some window shopping.
Tomorrow we are looking forward to the drive to Lodi and visiting more friends.
Alma Friedli was a special lady - this is the day she was born 97 years ago. She was a kind and loving woman and there are so many happy memories. SO - here's a toast to you, Mom Friedli for raising two special sons and being a wonderful Grandma and friend.
We're staying in the Oakland Hills so tonight we have a view from the San Mateo Bridge all the way to Berkeley. I tried to get some good photos but I wasn't pleased with their quaility so I'll try again tomorrow. We broke the trip into two days but it's still surprising how tiring the drive can be. But - it's worth it all to reconnect with long-time friends and seeing family for Thanksgiving.
Today the drive was beautiful with just a sprinkling of snow between Ashland and Shasta. The road was wet but clear so we were able to make good time.
Today was sunny the entire trip and it's nice to see sunshine again.
We're in Ashland for the night. It has steadily rained all day but so far we haven't seen snow. The forecast is snow at 3,000 feet so we may encounter some between here and Shasta. We've allowed extra travel time just in case. Even with the rain it was a beautiful drive so we're looking forward to the second lap of the trip.
We opted for a budget hotel tonight since we're here to just rest and move on early in the morning. We hit the jackpot - $82 for the night and no extra charge for Bella. We're at a La Quinta Inn so it's not fancy but it appears to be fairly new and the room is darling with state of the art heating and computer access. Definitely a good bargain - so we plan to stay here again on the way back to Portland.
