Drinkcation Part II

Elle August 1, 2013

I caved and paid for in-air wifi and so this post is brought to you from somewhere over Missouri. Here I am on the second leg of my journey to Louisville, Kentucky - a city I've never been to before and I can't contain my excitement despite the fact that the overall reaction by friends and family has been puzzled bewilderment at going someplace so seemingly random. It actually isn't random at all - I have a sorority sister who lives in Louisville and Kentucky is home to the Bourbon Trail - a fitting stop on my drinkcation.

It's amazing how quickly the first week flew by, as I'm sure this second half will as well. Nevertheless, I intend to enjoy every moment, especially since I'll be in an entirely foreign town and the northernmost bastion of the South. Bring on the bourbon and the southern comfort food!

A career I never considered before was travel blogging, but it really does fit my inquisitive nature and thirst for knowledge, captured not only in photos but in words. But, as I absolutely abhor packing and have the distinct habit of bringing many accoutrements with me, I'm not sure that I'm cut out for the jet set life. That and the realization that east of the Rockies is practically a different world with Blue Laws and dry counties - not sure I would do well in such places for an extended period of time!

Ready for adventure!!

On Sundays, We Have Brunch

Elle July 29, 2013

I miss Sunday brunches in San Francisco... and more specifically, Sunday brunches in the Castro, the veritable gay Mecca of the world. There are so many fantastic and amazingly delicious little bistros and cafes, all replete with eggs benedict, bacon, mimosas, and bloody marys - the latter two generally having some kind of bottomless form. Sure, there are Sunday brunches elsewhere, but they just aren't the same. And it's always one of those game on brunches when one is specifically told to take BART into the city so no one has to drive.

Aside from the amazing food, there's always something to see and someone to meet in the Castro, whether it be the random guerrilla artwork that pops up or some bedazzled festival-goer. And among all of the characters, I've met some genuinely hilarious, accepting, and fun people there - it's a refreshing thing to be in a place where people can have a good time without passing judgment or ridicule. In fact, we saw some of the attendees of Dore Alley later in the afternoon. An offshoot of the Folsom Street Festival, Dore Alley is also a leather and BDSM festival and the attendees definitely get all decked out with leashes, harnesses, and assless chaps. To date, I still haven't managed a trip to the Castro without seeing at least a few naked butts at some point during the day, but more power to them... I definitely would not be shaking my cheeks to the wind.

Don't worry, I kept all the photos G rated.

Above-ground power lines

No mistaking which neighborhood we're in

Bear crossing? Pretty sure that's not a city-sanctioned sign!

Aptly-named "millionaire's bacon" - so good. And I inhaled the rest of my brunch before getting pictures :(.

Found hanging off the side of a building - a gay mobile with kissing Ken dolls. I really wish I had my zoom lens on, but had to settle for the 35mm since we were migrating to the next stop.

Hours to Date: 36

Drinkcation: Tour of Napa

Elle July 28, 2013

Napa is an interesting place and even though I used to live only an hour away, it always took forever to get to the wineries, which are tucked away along back roads and spanning the little towns of St. Helena, Yountville, and Calistoga. It's especially problematic when tourists want to take in the view but don't want to hire a car service, so they slowpoke along on a 2-laned road while all the rest of us are dying slowly and miserably behind them at well below the speed limit.
Even though Napa is perhaps the first place that comes to mind when one thinks about American wine regions, it's actually one of the smallest by area and only 4% of the wine produced in California comes from the Napa Valley. I still argue that it's quality over quantity in this case. There are 15 sub-regions within the Napa Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA) and they span all different elevations and soils. I find myself partial to volcanic, loamy, mountain soils of Atlas Peak, Stag's Leap, Howell Mountain, and Spring Mountain... consistently, I'll taste and pick out wines from these areas because they're so bold and tannin heavy.

We started off our morning with wine blending at Conn Creek, this awesome activity of trying 15 different varietals of Cabernet and mixing them along with 4 other wines (Merlot, Cab Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot) to create a red blend. Since I was still recovering from the raucous night before and having done wine blending at Conn before, I just went straight to my favorite regions and tried a blend. First time ended up being the charm and I ended up bottling that one. Despite being in pain all morning, I still got some great pictures and had a blast - probably a function of the company I kept.

The rest of the day was actually not as fun - it was an exercise in trying not to tell off everyone - from the pretentious asshole that we kept running into or the crap service we received during lunch and at a later tasting. Even though I may look young, I have no problem dropping major dollars on wine and I have absolutely done just that before on pretty much every excursion to Napa without batting an eye. But since the service was so awful, I passed this time. Oh well, at least we'll always have the pictures.