RECHARGED

Ahh, what a nice, relaxing, long weekend that was. What did you do with your extra day off?

We took advantage of the gorgeous weather and drove up to Sonoma. Though we've lived here for a year, this is the first time I've been! What a treat. We decided to stick to the smaller vineyards since we knew the crowds would be heavy with the holiday weekend. It was a wise choice, but the wineries we chose couldn't have been more lovely.

We started in Sonoma at Buena Vista Winery, California's oldest premium winery. Next, we walked around the square in downtown Sonoma for a bit, stopping in the different shops and taking in the Spanish architecture. After that, we made our way a little outside of downtown to Arrowood Vineyards. Then, it was on to Sebastapol, where we ended the day at DeLoach and Iron Horse Vineyards. The last two stops were my favorite. DeLoach had the best wines we tasted all day, with incredibly welcoming and friendly staff. Iron Horse had sparkling tastings, and a nice outdoor bar where you could enjoy the views while taking in your bubbly. The entire team there was laid back and they even had great rock music playing. Who says wine has to be so serious?

Sunday, the Golden Gate Bridge turned 75 years young! The entire city had an incredible energy all weekend long leading up to the celebration. And while we knew it would be crowded, we decided to make our way down there and join in the festivities. Isn't the bridge gorgeous? It's hard to make this city look bad when you've got views like this.

We grabbed a spot along the marina to watch the sunset, and I couldn't help but snap a photo of the color palette. You can take one look at my blog design and tell that I pull my color palette from what's around me in this city. How beautiful is that warm green in the sky?

The fireworks show was incredible. I chose to watch it and enjoy it, versus trying to get photographs. (Though here are some excellent pictures of the show from others.) I've made a conscious effort this year to be present, and sometimes that involves shutting off email, putting down the camera, and just really seeing what's around you. As a result, I've come back really relaxed and recharged from this weekend. I hope you are too.

Thank you for all of your sweet, thoughtful notes on my 100th post on Friday. I plan to thank each of you individually later today, but know that I read them all and it means so much to me to have your support and encouragement.

What did you do this weekend?