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US 2009 Vacation Highlights - Sacramento and Napa Valley

The day after the wedding, I met up with my cousins Prince and Abe. They drove from Stockton to pick us up in Vallejo. I didn't want this to be another day of shopping since we've been doing that for quite some time already. Besides, we don't have space in our luggage. We decided to go to Sacramento instead.

We toured the University and the Capitol.



It is a small city, with an old-world charm. Near the Capitol are lovely old style Victorian homes and small boutiques. This place shows depth and history that is lacking in LA or Vegas.

Feeling guilty for not bringing them something from Manila, Vic and I agreed to treat them out to dinner at Cheesecake Factory. It was all worth the calories and the long drive.

The next day, we met up with the parents of the groom. We went to CIA Greystone.


There, I had the most delicious White Corn Soup. It was the best part of the meal, even better than the steaks and desserts.


Here are some other shots of the wonderful lunch we had at Greystone.







On top of the restaurant, one will find the Culinary Institute, the Vintner's Hall of Fame, and a historic display of cork screws.

I didn't know that the vineyards lined the main street of Napa. I thought we had to drive into the country just to see the vineyards.





It was a pity that we didn't have time to taste the wines. We just drove past Mondavi, the Dean and Deluca Grocery and V. Sattui's Vineyard. I'd love to sample the wines and cheeses. The next time we go to the Bay Area, we'd definitely make it a point to visit the CIA and the vineyards. Hopefully, next year for another cousin's wedding.

A major part of our day was wasted at some Tita's cousin's house in Napa. We spent at least six hours waiting for them to prepare dinner. It would've been tolerable had the host been very humble about his several acres in Napa. Honestly, I'd rather go back to the wineries and spend some time at the gourmet groceries.

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