Oddly, this winery is known more favourably for its beautiful grounds and vistas than for its wine. 
We've always found it strange that there are not easier ways to get around wine counties to visit the different wineries. The obvious disconnect between driving to multiple wineries in a day and then doing multiple tastings at each visit just doesn't seem like the safest of strategies. 
To deal with this challenge, we embraced two strategies: first, the election of a DD - which was surprisingly easy given that there were only two names on the rental car agreement and also because the two of us were pretty happy to take a break from the mass number of tastings. The second was to hire a wine expert to drive us around for a day so we could all partake in the experience and learn a few things along the way.
There seems to always be a debate about whether it is better to stay in Sonoma versus Napa, even though Napa makes only 5% of the wines in the region. For us, Sonoma was the clear winner - with numerous wine varietals and a much more relaxed and down-to-earth approach to wine making, restaurants and life. If only Sonoma could implement a public transit system that circles round to each of the wineries, it would be the hands-down winner!
Between the tastings, the four of us went swimming, played tennis, worked out, ate at fantastic restaurants like Glen Ellen Starr, debated the issues of the day and played an incredible amount of euchre, a new card game for the two of us. Perhaps our most unexpectedly enjoyable experience was the Sonoma cab drivers - one of whom successfully played the dual role of taxi driver and taxi dispatcher on a very busy Saturday and another who took on the dual role of tour guide and dj/singer as he encouraged us to participate as he bopped along to the old classic, Patta Patta.
Californians are blessed with a gorgeous coastline so we headed out to Santa Cruz to enjoy the State's natural beauty. Our "two hour" hike along the coast offered not only dramatic rock formations and beautiful vistas but also provided unexpected sightings of seals sunning on the rocks and whales and dolphins diving through the calm waters. 
Hiking with children was a very different experience for us. They stop at the most random times, whether it be to check out an unusual stone on the path, jump on each rail of a railroad or eat a hundred snacks. And they seem to lose a shoe or hat at least once every fifteen minutes! But although walks are slower with kids, their enjoyment in the smaller things is infectious. We may never have played the game, "Hit the Bum", before but Ayden's creative game was hilarious and one we might archive for future hikes. 
Stanford campus is enormous. The buildings and campus stretch far and wide across town, with pristine buildings and attractive landscaping. The University's sports facilities are also world-class, including a massive football stadium where the University's football team play very competitively and often lead in their league (do these scholars really need to be leading athletes too??). 
The campus is certainly different than Oxford campus, which we visited earlier in the summer, feeling much newer, with flatter and wider architecture and a backdrop that feels almost tropical. Much like Oxford, however, the students all live on campus during their tenures which seems a great way to make the most of one's college experience..
Owen and Jorina were fantastic hosts for our three-day visit, showing us all around the area and helping us get a real sense of what daily life is like there. We toured around Stanford campus, where Jorina works, and checked out the tailgating parties before Stanford's big game (being on such a smart campus, we really should have been smarter to try to remember where left our bikes!). We went to the farmer's market to buy local produce, eat expensive chocolate in a hidden away garage and then go for a decadent hot chocolate dessert at a divine chocolate shop. We even headed to Santa Cruz for a hike and lunch on the boardwalk.
Although we learned that Ayden was a bit " suspicious" about "Biff" at first, we appeared to have been able to charm him by reading him bedtime stories "in stereo", giving him "sandwich hugs" and apparently sounding like pigs when we talked.
