HIDDEN GEMS IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA'S SONOMA COUNTY: HEALDSBURG PLAZA & SCHERRER WINERY ADVENTURE WINE TASTING

Hidden Gems In Northern California’s Sonoma County: Healdsburg Plaza & Scherrer Winery Adventure Wine Tasting

In front of a hideous looking power station off of River Road, Spencer sat waiting for me roadside with his luggage.  Despite a few communication hiccups, he only had to wait for a few minutes before I pulled up in my car to start a 24 hour adventura with my friend visiting from Los Angeles. 

The aesthetically offensive power plant gave off a middle-of-nowhere vibe, but just across the street is John Ash & Co., one of the best restaurants in Sonoma County.

SINGLE INGREDIENT "ADVENTURAS"

Single Ingredient “Adventuras”

I am not a calorie counter and have no future plans of becoming one.  I count on my brain using a ¼ of my caloric intake.  I will wait until my stomach feels uncomfortably full for 2-6 weeks straight with daily prospects of wearing a Brazilian bikini before I start saying things like, “I don’t feel so good and look like I am 4 months along.  I think I need to stop eating so much.”  This is called a “perpetual food coma” and the feeling is categorized as being “no bueno”.

MALTA ARTICLE ON WE SAID GO TRAVEL

MALTA – FREEDOM FAIRY TALES

 

Thank you to We Said Go Travel for publishing my article “Freedom Fairy Tales – Malta” on their website!

By Naomi Fino

I visited Malta back around 2003 as part of a 2 week family trip in honor of my grandma Violet who had recently passed away.  Even if you love and have fun with them the majority of the time, travelling with family can be highly annoying and you can reach points of exasperation where you say things like, “I am never travelling with my entire family again!”  There is another more beautiful side to this; one where memories are created that couldn’t have existed if it weren’t for these exasperating loved ones.  There is also the beauty of experiencing a place not only rich in ancient history, but rich in personal history.  Seeing firsthand with your mother, sisters and brother the site of what was once just a family story told around a dinner table has a profound impact: it will not only last a lifetime but it may even make you weep.

“In the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, slightly below Sicily, rests Malta, the largest island in the Maltese archipelago. Valletta, the capital of Malta, is a fortified city built on Mount Sceberras between two harbors with defense in mind during the architectural planning.

Walking through the entrance is like being magically transported back in time and the steady flow of people through the gates is reminiscent of the Renaissance. An enchanted feeling descends as if you are in a fairy tale. A myriad of shops, vendors, and restaurants can be found by wandering the uneven streets or traversing the famous steps of Valletta, built for the Knights walking with heavy armor as these were pre-spandex times; the very steps bemoaned by Lord Byron for their non-conformity.”

To read the full article, please click here: WE SAID GO TRAVEL

UPSTATE NEW YORK

UPSTATE NEW YORK - GROTON, “ITHICKA”, AURORA & SKANEATELES

July 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROLE PLAYING AT THE WILLY WONKA FACTORY OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE BENN CONGER INN

There is nothing quite like driving at 3 a.m. in a late rush to catch an early morning flight out of SFO and seeing those flashing police lights come out of nowhere behind you, the only car on that stretch of the dark freeway, to ruin all of that “good time” you were making. 

AN INTERMISSION OF DISCLAIMERS

The day after returning from New York I fell sick with a bad flu/cold which was likely due to being in so many airports and had me out of commission for several days.  I have been delayed on my blog postings for a whole host of reasons and this is just another to add to the growing list. However, as you can see, I am trying *really* hard to get caught up.  Please bear with me, but also be on the lookout for my New York blog which I am working on finalizing as I write this.

Article Published On We Said Go Travel Website

This was an article I entered in a writing contest back in February to We Said Go Travel.  You can view it by clicking on the following link http://www.wesaidgotravel.com/to-costa-rica-with-love or by reading it below.

Photograph by Dolores Fino (used with permission)

To Costa Rica With Love

15 years ago, I fell passionately in love, not with a person, but with a place.  On my last night in Costa Rica, while sitting on the balcony of a hostel in San Jose surrounded by my sister and friends, my heart surged with the resistance one feels when parting with a loved one and I broke down in tears and cried.  There have been many return visits since that first trip, sometimes with family members, sometimes with friends, and often as of late, by myself.   This is the last week of a 6 week visit to Costa Rica, and the familiar feel of heartbreak has descended, like the first spattering of rain that falls, gathering force until it becomes a torrential downpour, so deafening and fierce, that it is impossible to hold a conversation without shouting.  

FRESNO TO FRESYES

FRESNO to FRESYES

July 2013

IMPROMPTU ROAD TRIP

It is Saturday morning and I have been chatting on the phone with my friend Wendel for two hours when it suddenly hits me that this may actually be a good weekend to visit her in Fresno. 

Fresno is not a choice destination for many people and has been referred to by some as “the armpit of California”.  I am not exactly thrilled at the prospect of driving for 4 or 5 hours to a place known for its record temperatures and where the people generally have more provincial perspectives than those of say, San Francisco.

The impromptu road trip got a later start than I wanted, which I blame on Mercury in Retrograde. Wendel more accurately predicted my departure time than I was able to, despite Mercury’s movement.  Score: Wendel 1; Naomi nada. 

The long drive I was so worried about ended up being great.