Long Weekend
Aahh... That extra day is just soooo nice, isn't it? And since both E and I worked from home on Friday, the weekend felt even more extended. For anyone who's interested, here's a brief synopsis of Labor Day activities from Sacto:
Saturday
I run my McKinley Park 8 mile-route before our drive to wine country - Russian River Valley (one of our favorite spots) - with a first stop at Foppiano on our way to J Vineyards just down the road. Foppiano was a pleasant surprise, with no crowds, a yummy estate Petite Sirah, and a pleasant self-guided tour through the vines just beyond the tasting room. J Vineyards had an "Aloha" theme for the Labor Day tastings, but most of the snacks contained either garlic and/or onions, so I couldn't enjoy them. From there, we headed into downtown Healdsburg for some lunch at the Center Street Deli, and we also discovered a neat place that hosts several local food artisans (wine, chocolate, cheese, olive oil) where E did an olive oil tasting. A final wine tasting at Rosenblum nearby, and then back home with a quick stop at the Reebok outlet in Vacaville and some errands at JB3 Sports and Best Buy in Sacramento.
Sunday
A bit pressed for time in the morning, but E trekked to the garden and Farmer's Market while I did my cleaning and then we jumped in the car to go to the Rainbow Festival. I really wanted to see the cheer squads from San Francisco and Sac State, but we ended up missing most of their performance. Drat! We did enjoy the Sacramento Men's Chorus, however, and the variety of vendors at the street fair. Also ran into our neighbors, M & J, as well as Her Honor the Mayor, Heather Fargo. From there, we headed to Safeway for grocery shopping and then home for more chores and family phone calls. We did some minor food prep for the evening party hosted by D and J, and E made a modified Caprese salad that included fresh tomatoes, basil, and cucumbers (all from our garden). All we need now is a goat so we can make our own cheese... Good food, good company, and a good time at the party, and I think I sort of earned the unofficial title of "Ping-Pong Champion!"
Monday
Nothing major planned... just enjoy the extra time. But we decided to take advantage of some other Sacto weekend offerings, so we borrowed the bike pump from neighbors E & M to finally get our tires back in working order and pedaled to Fremont Park for the annual Chalk It Up! festival. We both agreed that last year's offerings seemed more striking, but we still enjoyed seeing which businesses or local VIPs had sponsored squares to raise money for kids' arts programs. From there, we biked down Capitol Ave to Old Sacramento for Gold Rush Days. The historic area was modified to simulate life in the 1850s, with folks in costume, wagon trains, and lots of horses and hay bales. Of course, a visit to Old Sac wouldn't be complete without a stop at Candy Heaven! Then back home to relax for the evening with a yummy roast chicken (slow cooked in the grill) and a bottle of Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel.
All in all, a lovely weekend, with great weather and activities.
Saturday
I run my McKinley Park 8 mile-route before our drive to wine country - Russian River Valley (one of our favorite spots) - with a first stop at Foppiano on our way to J Vineyards just down the road. Foppiano was a pleasant surprise, with no crowds, a yummy estate Petite Sirah, and a pleasant self-guided tour through the vines just beyond the tasting room. J Vineyards had an "Aloha" theme for the Labor Day tastings, but most of the snacks contained either garlic and/or onions, so I couldn't enjoy them. From there, we headed into downtown Healdsburg for some lunch at the Center Street Deli, and we also discovered a neat place that hosts several local food artisans (wine, chocolate, cheese, olive oil) where E did an olive oil tasting. A final wine tasting at Rosenblum nearby, and then back home with a quick stop at the Reebok outlet in Vacaville and some errands at JB3 Sports and Best Buy in Sacramento.
Sunday
A bit pressed for time in the morning, but E trekked to the garden and Farmer's Market while I did my cleaning and then we jumped in the car to go to the Rainbow Festival. I really wanted to see the cheer squads from San Francisco and Sac State, but we ended up missing most of their performance. Drat! We did enjoy the Sacramento Men's Chorus, however, and the variety of vendors at the street fair. Also ran into our neighbors, M & J, as well as Her Honor the Mayor, Heather Fargo. From there, we headed to Safeway for grocery shopping and then home for more chores and family phone calls. We did some minor food prep for the evening party hosted by D and J, and E made a modified Caprese salad that included fresh tomatoes, basil, and cucumbers (all from our garden). All we need now is a goat so we can make our own cheese... Good food, good company, and a good time at the party, and I think I sort of earned the unofficial title of "Ping-Pong Champion!"
Monday
Nothing major planned... just enjoy the extra time. But we decided to take advantage of some other Sacto weekend offerings, so we borrowed the bike pump from neighbors E & M to finally get our tires back in working order and pedaled to Fremont Park for the annual Chalk It Up! festival. We both agreed that last year's offerings seemed more striking, but we still enjoyed seeing which businesses or local VIPs had sponsored squares to raise money for kids' arts programs. From there, we biked down Capitol Ave to Old Sacramento for Gold Rush Days. The historic area was modified to simulate life in the 1850s, with folks in costume, wagon trains, and lots of horses and hay bales. Of course, a visit to Old Sac wouldn't be complete without a stop at Candy Heaven! Then back home to relax for the evening with a yummy roast chicken (slow cooked in the grill) and a bottle of Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel.
All in all, a lovely weekend, with great weather and activities.
posted by jms | 11:40 AM
2 Comments:
Oh and things we can't discuss.... ;) Only a headless deer would understand.
LNJ wows-
That sounds like a great weekend. In fact, I am jealous because I wish it was my weekend. OK, that's it... next time a long weekend is happening, you and I need to trade weekends. :)
Post a Comment
<< Home