How to Plan the Perfect Trip to Napa: (Day 3: Morning)

We started the third day off with a breakfast taco bar in our "Orchard Home" at The Carneros Inn.    The houses here are perfect for entertaining small groups which was yet another plus when we were deciding on accommodations for everyone.     There are a lot of small details that are included such as a Bose stereo and docking station that pipes music throughout the home, gas grille and a full kitchen.  The sliding french doors in the back of the cottages fold back completely opening the living area up to the covered patio where guests can sit at the outdoor table or relax on the couch by the wood burning fireplace.  

Melanie and Paul enjoy the breakfast tacos

Michelle fired up for another day in Napa

The design is a kind of California / Modern & Farm all melted together into a super cool place.   Plenty of couches and seating options and a large dining table made for a perfect serving station.   As our guests moved to the patio, they found a dark stained teak deck leading onto a flagstone lined garden, a hot tub for relaxing after a long day on the wine trail and various seating areas that seem to invite an afternoon nap.   As you can see by the pictures, our two bedroom house provided plenty of room, even for a party of 30.

Laura Craddick and AMy Moore relax by the fire

We kept the breakfast pretty simple...  the point was simply to get the day started in a casual setting and enjoy some time together before another packed day of tastings.    I think everyone liked the in-home setting where they could relax.    We all sat around and told stories and lies of the day and night before.    There were a few foggy heads in the room, but for the most part everyone seemed ready to attack the valley once again.  

Kara Hannon

My brother, Clay, and his wife Betsy ordered in the breakfast tacos complete with chips and salsa from Tres Hermanos, just down the road in downtown Napa.    Clay had been there before and insited that they were some of the best around.   I feel quite certain that everyone agreed.  We provided some juice and fresh berries.   The Carneros Inn also not only provides a 10 cup coffee machine, but a Nespresso Cappuccino/espresso machine, which came in handy.    

This morning was one of my favorite memories from the trip; just hanging out and talking over a morning coffee looking into the Carneros Vineyards.

Mike Peschel and Mike Mikeska

After breakfast we loaded onto a 40 passenger Limo Bus - So Cool!    Upon arrival at the resort, each of our guests received a small monogramed cooler filled with bottled water, fruit and other locally sourced snacks.    Anyone that knows my wife, knows that EVERYTHING must be monogramed, so it seemed a fitting gift for everyone.  Truthfully, this was the perfect accompaniment for todays adventure.   (Thanks to Meredith for coming up with this idea)  It would be a long day of tastings and making sure your guests have some water and other things to snack on between tasting is a good idea.    Even though most tastings are pretty tame activities, after a while most people will need a little something other than wine to fill their stomach.   

Paul Jackson loading the bus for the day

Lee Constantino sporting his monogramed cooler!

Deciding on renting a bus is a tricky thing when planning your Napa trip.    Many wineries will not allow buses so you have to do your homework in advance or you might have some surprises.  We choose to only do the bus one day for our guests.    For most tastings and activities, it made sense to have everyone just try to consolidate and take a few cars, but for this day we had some special events planned and we really just wanted everyone to be comfortable.   Plus, it was hard to deliver some surprises to everyone if they knew in advance where they were going.

- And just like that, we were off to another day of tasting in the wine country...

Paul Jackson and Scott McNeil