5th August 2011: Drove the 4 hours to Napa in one hit. Napa looks a bit Disney. We stayed at The Inn on First which is a very swanky B&B on 1st Street. We arrived befor check-in so went for a wander. Mainly full of (no surprise) wine tasting places, antique shops and places to eat.

Checked in at 1530, complimentary bubbly in the room, very nice.
Off o Neela's Indian tonight which should be interesting and then off on a 5 hour wine tasting tomorrow.

6th August 2011: Off wine tasting with Platypus tours. Our guide was called Karl, an ex-San Francisci cop, who was superb. We had 10 in our party and all quite subdued when we set out. We went to small intimate wineries and the quality was really good.

3rd August 2011: This was the park I was expecting the least from but actually enjoyed the most. The recovering volcanic park is stunning. The last eruption of Mt Lassen was only in 1915 so you can see both old volcanic landscapes and newly created ones. There are hot springs whilst around you is still some patches of really thick snow. Very strange to be in a teeshirt wandering down a narrow path with snow either side higher than your waist.

1st August 2011: Left to go over the pass to Tahoe. Extraordinary landscapes on the way. The meadows were stunning and then the rich farmland below Tahoe. Lake Mono is vast and weirdly out of place.
Stayed at the Black Bear Inn which is very nice. After our complimentary wine and cheese we adventured to the laundrette. We were guilty of the ultimate laundrette crime of over sudsing, I blame Kath. Some fairly odd people there, no great surprise. So after slumming it we went next door to a rather nice wine bar and drank rather nice expensive American wines. Stayed until closing due to, yet again, chatting to a local.