The tour weekend we went to Napa Valley (Napa Valley), one of the most famous wine regions world. An ideal stay to stay overnight, the car leaves the parking lot (between the vineyards, you can move bikes) and carouse soul there is no hell, you can taste the bitter end. We had one day at a tasting, but fortunately we had a driver - the volunteer.
Vineyards chose on the basis of 'one of us was already there' or 'someone knows and loves wine, the producer'. What we did not know, in some vineyards have to arrange for tasting in advance, sometimes even several days, but luckily someone just did not show up for tasting at the selected Our vineyard and vacant space. A guide showed me around the vineyard telling us about the processes in wine production. At the beginning I did not know why, despite the heat outside ladies are wearing fur (sic), but how we arrived at the cold store where the wines mature, and where the tasting took place, quickly understood:) In accordance with the art of small quantities of wine we tasted, from the lightest the heaviest, the remnants of pouring a bucket, possibly snacking biscuits dry and tasteless niesolonymi crackers. In the case of my favorite Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc skipped the second part, which is pouring debris into the bucket, my modest attire (T-shirt) require special support in these extreme temperatures:)
Napa Valley is a popular destination for romantic excursions and tours in the two anniversaries. Hires a limo, guests packed into the center and goes from vineyard to vineyard. Guests must be 21 or older, of course. By the way, generally in the U.S., where age verification, there is an unwritten rule that if you look at less than 30 years, I always check the ID with birth date. In this simple way to find out how many years you judge others:) Returning to the Vineyard, I most liked the simple, avoided wineries that sell wine in addition to other products in excess. One of them looked like a small supermarket attached to the restaurant, the noise and bustle in the back door we refund. Then it turned out that wine is not their strong point:)
spent Thanksgiving weekend in the desert in Death Valley. Thanksgiving Day according to tradition celebrated in Canada, so I decided that this long weekend I can spend in a more avant-garde way.
Death Valley is in the eastern California border with Nevada .*
takes its name from the white settlers, gold seekers who passed through the valley of wandering in the direction of the Sierra Nevada area. Many died from exhaustion, high temperatures and water shortages.
We left San Francisco on Wednesday, late in the evening (St. Thanksgiving was on Thursday) and it was a hit, because we avoided thanks to long hours of traffic jams. Part of eight-lane highway routes overcame, but most of the way that resembled our Katowice, two lanes in each direction, in the middle of green belt, variable surface, once a super brand new asphalt, and for a while driving on a grater, just holes somehow less:)
spent the night in a motel like American movies, ate breakfast at a roadside dinerze, far, fat, and a waitress pouring a cup of coffee:)
The total journey took us about 10h. The group consisted of 14 persons, 8 persons were not native Americans. For Americans, Thanksgiving is the equivalent of our Christmas Eve dinner, so not everyone wants to spend this holiday camping in the desert away from loved ones. Part People had to fight a battle with the family prior to arrival:)
Those who came brought so much festive food for 3 days that we have not given advice to overeat:)
Camping looked like an oasis, a lot of palm trees and greenery. Rather modest, there was no shower, but at a nearby ranch and were showers and a swimming pool, from which we could use for a fee.
During the day temperatures reaching up to 85F (30C) at night was different. The first night was cold and no wind, the other night was very cold and windy (wind chill), the third night was warm and windy (warm wind).
We lived in tents, and every evening (it was getting dark around 17) rozpalaliśmy fireplace. The sky so beautiful that it was difficult to break up sight. At night we went for walks, we placed on the warm tarmac, and we counted shooting stars. Incredible silence, heard only coyotes howling in the distance ... not live to die, is one of those moments that would last forever ... Camping was not lighted, of course, we had flashlights, but it was easier to move around in the dark, when the eyes have become accustomed to the darkness. In addition to coyotes may encounter rattlesnakes, scorpions, poisonous spiders (black widow), etc.. My friend did not close the tent during the day and evening, he was greeted by a spider the size of your hand.
beautiful views, words do not give up, but the pictures will introduce a little bit (photos in the album Fri valley of death)
wandered the canyons around the crater in the dunes, and salt. Wdrapywaliśmy, sometimes wjeżdżaliśmy car on mountain peaks. In Death Valley is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere, Badwater - 86 m below sea level in California is also the highest peak in the U.S. (excluding Alaska), Mount Whitney - 4420 m Every year ultramaraton from Badwater to Mount Whitney (ends at an altitude of 2533 m - Whitney Portal), 217 km in July, when temperatures reach 55C in the valley of the shadow! I think it is hard fan, unless the windows behind the air-conditioned car, let alone run. If anyone wants to see in extreme situations, this ultramaraton, considered the toughest course of the world, is definitely at the top of the list of extreme stunts:)
Straight from the desert deserted and quiet, we went to a crowded and noisy cave, gambling and entertainment capital of Las Vegas.
Our hotel called the Paris Las Vegas, it was difficult do not see, a replica of the Eiffel Tower from afar threw herself into his eyes. American Met wesolutko said that after that go to Europe, since it is Vegas:) Of course, as the Europeans have heard of this type of statement we looked at each other significantly, shaking his head disapprovingly, but ziareneczko truth in it:)
Hotels in New York, New York, Paris, the Venetian (Venetian), Monte Carlo etc. mock-ups are such a big city, or at least their essential characteristics.
After washing off the desert sands of myself and I eat dinner at one of the most popular so-called. cafeterias, a restaurant with a Swedish table, we went for a walk trail hotels and casinos along the Las Vegas Strip or the Las Vegas Boulevard, where you can be the most attractive casinos, hotels, restaurants and amusement parks.
In Las Vegas you can smoke indoors and drink on the streets, a big change after a smoke-free California and San Francisco prohibicyjnym (after hours. 2 in the morning you can not sell alcohol). Lots of loud music, strings of taxis, sea, neon signs, a few Elvisów Presleyów met on the road. Las Vegas Strip reminded me of New York's Times Square, just that there is not a square, a 7km down the street. After five hours of walking We fell. Of course, no visit to the casino could not get around, but unfortunately it was not our lucky day:)
For me it was amazing watching the other players, their determination, before rolling the bones conjure, the next throwing hundreds of dollars on the table and go with nothing.
Interesting was the discovery of another side of Las Vegas. Well, Vegas is a place where people move into retirement because of the climate and attractive property prices.
are elegant villa district for people in retirement or approaching retirement (with no small children). Tata colleagues, with whom we went to Vegas, he moved to such a settlement is because of the climate, prices and a wide range of entertainment. Indeed, in various Vegas show is not lacking, it is a solid choice for touring bands. The next day we spent
9h in the car, drove a total of 5 days about 2250km. Always seemed to me to be a super fun car to travel the U.S. and still feel that way because the views are spectacular and the roads excellent, but bravely into shorter route has its advantages:)
* Death Valley (Death Valley in English) - an area with no outlet depression in the Mojave Desert in southern California. Lowest point is 86 m below sea level, acting in the most depressed in the Western Hemisphere. Depression was formed in Tertiary tectonic ditch. The valley is surrounded by powerful Panamint mountain range's highest peak Telescope Peak and 368 m above sea level Amargosa Mountain Range. Tropical climate, dry, with rainfall not exceeding 50 mm per year (in some years no rain at all). The driest place of America, and one of the hottest places on earth, where 10 July 1913 the temperature reached 56.7 ° C. This is a record heat for North America. Rivers are periodic (Salt Creek, Furnace Creek). Slightly salty lake called Badwater contains a very unusual fauna.
In 1933 he was proclaimed a national monument, the USA, a national park in 1994.
Area 8374 km ²
length of 225 km
width from 8 to 25 km
lowest point 86 m below sea level, Badwater pond bottom
from " http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolina_% C5% 9Amierci_ (California) "
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