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Anniversary and 40th Birthday Celebration in Sonoma with The Wine Road, Day 2

September 6, 2013 by Laura Lohr Leave a Comment

Quivira Grapes

I posted about the anniversary and 40th birthday celebration we had in Sonoma on The Wine Road back on this post HERE. Today, I want to continue sharing our adventure on day two. We had such a great time and one blog post just wasn’t enough to cover all the fun we had!

On day two, we woke up and had breakfast at the Hilton, where we stayed. After searching for the best online deals, we used the hotel shuttle to take us back to the airport to rent a car. We picked up a Ford Focus and headed to our first winery of the day—The Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Geyserville. The winery was over-the-top awesome! The grounds are beautiful. We felt like we had arrived on a Las Vegas casino property playing boom town bingo, with the beautiful grounds, the resort-style pool and all its grandeur.

Francis Ford Coppola Entrance
Entrance to Francis Ford Coppola Winery. We decided to call our Ford Focus rental car, Francis Ford, after seeing the winery. From there out, our little rental was Francis Ford. (We’re nerds!)

Francis Ford Coppola Pool

The beautiful Francis Ford Coppola Pool, which you purchase a day pass to swim in

When we arrived at Francis Ford Coppola Winery, we went to the concierge to find out where we should go to redeem our three day pass to The Wine Road, which entitled us to complimentary tastings at over 80 different wineries. We were directed to the inside of the main building, where we found a friendly wine host that was more than happy to share the lovely wines that FFCW had to offer. We fell in love with several wines and had a lovely chat with our lovely host, who was a Southern California transplant to the area. She was informative about the area, attractions we should not miss and we had a great conversation.

Mr Bear Coppola Concierge

Mr. Bear standing in front of the concierge at FFCW

Coppola Painting Wine

This was one of the prettiest bottles! I loved the bottle and the wine!

Coppola Directors Cut Wine

This was the bottle we settled on. There were so many great wines, but this was the one we liked the taste of best.

After our tasting, we walked around the grounds and got to see some awesome memorabilia from several of Francis Ford Coppola’s movies, including:

Mr Godfather Bear

The desk from the movie, “The Godfather”

Tucker Car

The car from the movie, “Tucker”

Francis Ford Coppola Platoon

Memorabilia from the movie, “Apocalypse Now”

It was a great day and we were so impressed by the grandiosity of the winery. It’s definitely a “must-see” for anyone visiting Sonoma. It was our first winery we visited in Sonoma and it left quite an impression. LOVED IT! I think we could have spent all day at Francis Ford Coppola, enjoying all they have to offer, nevertheless there was much more wine tasting ahead of us!

Next, we visited Quivira Vineyards and Winery in the Dry Creek River Valley of Healdsburg (Pronounced heels-berg. It would take 4 days for us to master the pronunciation!). The location was recommended to us by Mr. Bear’s step-brother and it was a fabulous recommendation, indeed!

We spent some time sampling the amazing wines and learned about the various varietals that Quivira has to offer. The Dry Creek River Valley is beautiful—as is all of Sonoma.

 

Quivira VineyardsThe breathtaking vineyards of Quivira

Mr Bear at QuiviraMr. Bear at Quivira

 

Quivira Mr Mrs BearSelfie of Mr. Bear and I at Quivira

Quivira Grapes

The grapes were very close to harvest everywhere we went. We would have loved to be there for the Sonoma Valley Crush Festival that is happening at the end of this month.

Unfortunately, it was getting late, as the wineries usually close at 5:00 p.m. daily. We cut our visit much too short at Quivira to squeeze just one more wine tasting in. We found our way to the Raymond Burr Vineyards. It was equally beautiful, driving around the Dry Creek River Valley. The vineyards were especially gorgeous, with the grapes so ripe on the vines. The weather was perfect!

They were getting ready to close, so we didn’t have as much time as we liked to visit, however we got to see a lot of Perry Mason memorabilia. Like this:

Raymond Burr’s awards for the television series, “Perry Mason.”

Raymond Burr Mr Bear

Mr. Bear, holding one of the many awards Mr. Burr won for his role as Perry Mason. It was extraordinarily heavy!

Before we left, I caught one last view:

Raymond Burr Vineyards

Beautiful!

We went back to our hotel to get changed for dinner and came home to:

Hilton milk and cookies

Milk and cookies from the Hilton!

…and lastly, we enjoyed a fantastic dinner at Monti’s Rotisserie and Bar, courtesy of The Wine Road.

Monti’s is one of five Stark Restaurants in the Santa Rosa area. There food is delicious. The atmosphere is amazing. The service is phenomenal. Did I mention the food? Because, nom, nom, nom, nom:

 

Montis DinnerMr. Bear ordered this delicious dish.

Montis Mussels and FriesWhile I, on the other hand, opted for the mussels and fries. The food. Oh, the food!

We finished the day with a dip in the pool and jacuzzi, then a nightcap (or two) at the hotel bar. It was a long, wonderful, amazing day. I couldn’t be more relaxed if I tried.

This is Part Two of our Sonoma Wine Trip. Click below read about other parts of our trip:

Anniversary and 40th Birthday Celebration in Sonoma with The Wine Road, Day One

Disclaimer: The Wine Road generously provided us with complimentary three day wine tasting passes and gift certificates to the Stark Restaurants, including Monti’s Rotisserie and Bar. Regardless, I was truly pleased with all the products and services we received and only recommend those that I can honestly recommend to my readers.

Filed Under: Vacation Tagged With: Anniversary, Birthday, Celebration, Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Healdsburg, Marriage, Monti's Rotisserie and Bar, Quivira Winery, Raymond Burr Vineyards, Reviews, Santa Rosa, Sonoma, Stark Restaurants, The Wine Road, Wine Tasting

A Black Tie Affair That Nearly Wasn’t—Adventures at the Magic Castle

September 18, 2012 by Laura Lohr Leave a Comment

Mr. Bear and I have become completely addicted to the show Tanked on Animal Planet. The last episode we watched brought back so many memories of our own experiences at the Magic Castle. Wayde and Brett meet up with Neil Patrick Harris at the Magic Castle to discuss a “magical” fish tank to be built on the lower level of the Magic Castle, near the W.C. Fields bar—a fixture of the Magic Castle that I immediately recognized. Wayde and Brett arrive at the front steps of the Magic Castle in shorts, tennis shoes, and t-shirts. Neil Patrick Harris explains that there is a dress code and what they are wearing is unacceptable. He gives them an hour to get their attire in order before he will let them in.

An hour later, Wayde and Brett return to the Castle in their tailored suits and dark sunglasses, looking sharp.

Here are some clips from the episode:

There are some particular rules of the Magic Castle that must be strictly adhered to. One such rule is the dress code of the Magic Castle From their website:

Dress code strictly enforced. Coats and ties for men, evening wear for ladies, no casual wear (jeans, tennis shoes, etc.).

For Men:

No zippered jackets, outdoor jackets, polo shirts, t-shirts, denim (or colored denim), shorts, sandals, flip flops, sneakers or sneaker-like shoes are allowed.
No casual attire will be allowed. Think business attire!

…
My dad became a member of the world famous Magic Castle in Hollywood, California in the mid-1990’s after a mandatory audition. Over the years, we have relished countless nights of entertainment in the Hollywood Hills with friends and family. We have made untold celebrity sightings while watching magic and wearing our Sunday best.

Mr. Bear and I had our engagement party at the Magic Castle ten years ago, with 30 of our closest friends and family. Yes, we have made many memories at the Magic Castle—many unforgettable memories have been made. There have been boundless birthday celebrations. There have been laughs until tears stream down our faces. All of this fun and excitement, year after year has also brought some outtakes and moments we wish we could forget.

It was 1995. Mr. Bear and I had met the summer before. We had been spending a lot of time together, by ourselves and with each other’s family. Mr. Bear gave me my first surfing lesson. We had Easter together with my family. Mr. Bear’s family made me dinner at their house numerous occasions. My dad took us flying in his airplane. I was Mr. Bear’s company Christmas party date and he was my sorority date. We had so much in common and we were inseparable. In fact, my family had already decided they would keep him and his family was asking when we were going to take our relationship to the next level. Naturally, Mr. Bear was invited to the Magic Castle for our next event.

I distinctly remember telling Mr. Bear that the Magic Castle was fancy and he needed a suit and tie. I arrived to pick him at his friend’s house up on a Saturday night and he was waiting patiently outside. He got into the car. No coat. Jeans. Tennis shoes. Apparently, we had distinctly different opinions on what was considered fancy.

I was not pleased, yet there was not much that could be done at that point. All we could do was try to see if they would let us in. We continued up the 5 freeway toward Hollywood, while I rolled my eyes and made a few sarcastic comments about Mr. Bear’s attire.

We entered the lobby of the Magic Castle to check-in.

“Sir, you need a coat, dress shoes, and dress pants to enter,” they decreed. There was no negotiation

The staff was as accommodating as they could be, loaning Mr. Bear a pair of dress pants that were about 3 inches too short and a tattered coat that donned holes in the pockets and sleeves that only came up to the elbows of Mr. Bear’s 6’5 build. The coat and pants had been left behind by a magician, but no shoes were left behind. Great. Now where would we go for shoes?

Fortunately, the Magic Castle is on Franklin Avenue, a block north of Hollywood Boulevard. We walked the streets of Hollywood Boulevard until Mr. Bear was able to find dress shoes that fit his size 16 feet. Size 16 shoes are challenging enough to find, without being picky—even in Hollywood. We came across at three shoe stores that had no shoes over size thirteen, before we came across the only shoe store in Hollywood that carried Mr. Bear’s size. To boot, they had several pairs to choose from!

Mismatched and mis-sized, we were finally ready to watch some magic. We stared at the magic owl’s eyes and declared, “OPEN SAYS ME!” Poof! The door opened and our magical evening finally began. Poor Mr. Bear took a lot of teasing that night. From his attire to his embarrassment, he took a great deal of flack from me, friends, family, and the staff. The evening turned out to be unforgettable. We managed to make the most of the hiccups along the way.

It took many years for Mr. Bear to live down his first evening at the Magic Castle. It was not long after that Mr. Bear was fitted for a brand new, fancy suit that he wore the next time we all went to the Magic Castle. I have to admit that I can remember how handsome he looked when he was fitted properly in his new suit.

Mr. Bear has invited many friends and family to the Magic Castle since that infamous adventure. He has made it his duty to inform all parties how important it is to adhere to the dress code. In hindsight, I wish with my whole being that I would not have been so harsh with Mr. Bear. My unkind behavior was very nearly the end of our friendship. I am grateful that he forgave me for giving him such a difficult time for an honest mistake. We have great memories that have made up for that rocky start. I am grateful we were able to create a fresh start and we have better memories we will never forget. I am thankful that Mr. Bear forgave me for being a great big jerk. Without his forgiveness, I would be lonely without him and I would not have a little Allie Kat.

It was an honest error, but Mr. Bear has never forgotten the dress code again and I have not forgot to be kinder. The Magic Castle does not mess around!

Filed Under: Entertainment, Family, Friends, Marriage, Parenthood Tagged With: Animal Planet, Dating, Dress Code, Entertainment, family, friends, Hollywood, Magic, Magic Castle, Marriage, Neil Patrick Harris, Tanked

About Laura:

Wife, mom, runner, geek, lifestyle blogger, fitness badass, world traveler, social media lover. San Diego transplant, living in Temecula's wine country.

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