Playboy Bunnies and Fast Cars

I think the guy in the middle was from Playboy

It's not just guys who want to attend a Playboy party.  It's been on my bucket list for years.  The problem is these things always seem to be reserved for celebrities and VIPs.  But it turns out, getting on the VIP list can happen for every day people -- like me.

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The invite arrived in my email and I almost deleted it without opening as I didn't recognize the name of the sender, but I'm glad I kept it -- because it was my opportunity to attend the  Jaguar and Playboy party at Pebble Beach.

It only took me 30 seconds to rearrange my schedule and call them up with my "Yes, yes, yes, yes!!! I'll be there. What do I wear?" response.

So how did I score this amazing invite? By fluke really (and maybe good karma).

Earlier this year, I had bought an expensive luxury car tour through World Class Drivers that I didn't get to go on as the person I bought it for decided to go with someone else.  But because I spent so much money on this gift, I'm on the World Class Drivers VIP list.  Bonus.

I admit, that while I would have loved to drive a Bentley and Lamborghini for a day, hanging out at a Playboy party is a one-of-kind experience that I would never be able to duplicate.  So totally worth it.

HANGING WITH THE BUNNIES

As mentioned, the party wasn't at the Playboy mansion.  Instead, it was at this gorgeous house overlooking the water at Pebble Beach, and it was incredible.

Imagine 500 well-dressed people, amazing cars, celebrities like Adrien Brody, Christina Hendericks and Wyclef Jean, and a bunch of Playboy bunnies dressed up in scrimpy black bunny costumes and white tails.

Me with the Playboy Bunnies at the Jaguar VIP party

I pulled up to the mansion in my car behind a couple Mercedes and Porsches and handed my keys to valet. I bet my car was the only Honda Fit they parked that night - LOL!

As I walked up the steps to the outside patio, I was handed a glass of champagne and from there the night was magic. The food was great, the music was wonderful and the people were friendly and fun to talk to.  I even made a couple new girlfriends who will be me calling the next time they are in Phoenix.

Naturally, I had to get my photo taken with the Playboy girls....and with the star attraction: the Jaguar XJL

THE JAGUAR XJL ULTIMATE




That's my champagne on the tray - LOL

If a Ferrari is sex on wheels, then this car is the g-spot of luxury vehicles.

The XJL Ultimate is a special edition Jaguar. Only 30 will be sold in the US, all finished in Black Amethyst.  

No, I didn't sign up and buy one, but I did get up close and personal.  I sat in it and touched everything. My fingerprints are on the steering wheel, the radio controls, the sunroof, and the champagne chiller in the back seat -- yes, there really was one.

And here's a tip...if you ever want to be mistaken for someone famous, come to a party dressed to kill, sit in an expensive car and have someone take your photo.  Apparently, people thought I was some Hollywood actress because I had done this.  In fact, a bunch of other people also took my photo. Too funny.

The party was fantastic, but just like Cinderella's coach turning into a pumpkin, my night ended with my jaguar turning back into a Honda.  

PS: I do love my Honda. It's suffered through cross country trips, extreme heat, icy snow storms while going over the mountains  and accidental off-roading experiences. It's the little car that could, but the jag was nice.  Really nice.

Sommelier picks for Sierra Vista Winery

After visiting Miraflores, my sommelier and I were off to winery number 3: Seirra Vista.  I didn't get to speak to the own of this one because as soon as we got there, we learned the power had gone out and he was busy trying to get the generator to start. 

Of course, while he was doing that, we tested out his wines.  They also had some yummy shrimp appetizers so I had try those as well.

Owned by John and Barbara MacCready, the winery crushed their first grapes in 1977 and were the first to plant Syrah in 1979 followed by Grenache, Mourvedre, Cinsault and Viognier.

“John started the Rhone movement in the El Dorado County area,” said Diana, one of the pourers.

But it’s not just the wines that keep people coming back to visit the winery again and again. It’s John’s humble personality and his integrity to keep his wines honest.

“John is very salt of the earth. He leaves his wines alone for the most part, but what I’ve always liked about him is that even in these times of high alcohol and high extraction wines, he’s always made wine for the dinner table,” said Sandford Wragg, sommelier.

Wragg, who has worked in the wine industry for over a decade says it doesn’t matter if is his award winning vintages or a table wine, it always comes from the same philosophy – good wine, with good integrity.
But with this being said, there are few vintages that rise above the others.

“I think John’s signature wine is his Fleur de Montagne,” said Diana.

The Fleur de Montagne is a Rhone blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault. It’s a luxurious wine with great harmony that is a crowd pleaser. Wragg agrees that it is good and should be tasted when visiting the winery, but it's not his Sierra Vista favorite.

“What I liked the best at Sierra Vista is their reserve Syrah. I think he is famous for Syrah for a reason and that particular Syrah had more focus, acidic intensity and the ability to serve as a wine on the dinner table than any of the other wines including the Fleur de Montagne,” Wragg said.

But the Syrah isn’t the only wine on Wragg’s “must try” list. He was also impressed with John’s wines made from Bordeaux grapes.

“You shouldn’t pass on his Merlot and his Cabernet. Probably because he leaves them natural in this colder climate, his Bordeaux grapes have some structure and some tannin in them making these wines worth checking out,” Wragg said.

A taste of the French Riviera in…Malibu?

If you haven’t figured it out yet, I love the ocean. So while in California, I’ve been checking out the coast in different areas – starting in the north and slowly working my way down to the southern beaches where you can actually wear a bikini and not a fleece-lined jacket like you do in San Francisco.

I swear I get fooled every time. I mean, who would have thought you could be sweating buckets at 104 degrees in Sacramento and then drive 90 minutes to the coast to discover it is only 70 degrees there? It’s completely deceiving -- not to mention freezing!

Anyway, this time I wanted to go to “real” beach so I headed to Malibu.

I had never been to Malibu, but I have always wanted to go. Not just because it’s the supposedly where the mega-rich Los Angeles people live, but because of that sitcom “Two and a Half Men” and of course, the Malibu Barbie commercials from the 80s. Yeah…not exactly the best reasons to go, but whatever, I was going.

The drive to Malibu from Sacramento isn’t that bad. It takes about 5 and a half hours, but it goes by quickly. But that could just be me as I have no problem driving the 9 hours to Vegas from here. I’m sure there are some of you who are thinking that’s a little too long to drive just to check out where Charlie and Barbie live.

LUNCH ANYONE?

So was the beach worth it? Not really. It was nice and much warmer than Half Moon Bay and San Francisco, but it’s not like the beaches in Clearwater or Hawaii. The sand wasn’t as soft and you had to kick the seaweed away to make room for your towel. Still, the waves were nice to watch and you could wear shorts without shivering.

While the beach was just okay, what was worth the trip was the lunch.

If you’ve been to any beach then you know what kind of food you can usually find in the nearby places. It’s usually burgers, deep fried fish sandwiches, maybe some cheesy tropical hut place that serves breaded shrimp, beer and watered down margueritas.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t have a problem with those places and have eaten at them a number of times. There were even a few by the beach in Malibu where I was.

But…when given a choice between a deep fried fish sandwich and a cute little French Bistro, you know which one I’m going to choose. Yup…that’s right. The one that has clean restrooms.

MEET DANIEL FORGE OF BEAU RIVAGE RESTAURANT

You’ll find Beau Rivage off the Pacific Coast Highway and it’s totally unexpected – or at least I didn’t expect it.

You’re walking, feeling hungry, passing the fried joints, when suddenly you see it.  The European style building surrounded by flowers.

Just one look at the little bistro tables and real linen table cloths and I knew this place would have a 4-star wine list.  Suddenly the sand in my flip flops and in my hair didn't matter anymore and neither did my wet shorts.  I was going to eat...and I was going to eat well.

Eating at Beau Rivage is like eating in Provence. The food is fresh and enhanced with fresh herbs and olives. This is because the owners are the real deal. 

Owner Daniel Forge is from France and owned a hotel in Nice with his brother before moving to California 25 years ago and opening the restaurant.  His wife Luciana is from Italy and was a professional opera singer from Rome. And there is no mistaking that they know food and have brought back some of the good stuff from the Riviera.

There is also a Sunday brunch where they have a classical guitarist, but because I was having lunch at 3 p.m. I didn't get to see that.

Still, my late lunch was incredible.  Even though I was not dressed for eating in a fancy restaurant and had absolutely no make up on (I did just come off the beach), Daniel was a gracious host and treated me like I was a millionaire. 

He recommended a pan-seared sea bass with a light sauce -- which was incredible.  It melted in my mouth and was the perfect way to end my Malibu beach trip.

Sadly, I didn't get any wine as I still had a 5 hour drive ahead of me. But next time, I'm going here first and will just watch the waves from their big bay windows.

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The cutest little wedding in the heart of wine country

Sometimes the best events are those where you don’t know anyone at all – at least that was the case this weekend when I attended a wedding in the heart of wine country.

As the emergency back-up date for my friend, I got the chance to attend Gloria and Jack’s wedding. Did I know Gloria or Jack? Well, no…but after spending an evening with 40 of their closest friends I now feel like I do.

I swear everything about this wedding was cute. Really cute.

It started with the location. It was held in a farmer’s market in Occidental, CA. So now I know what you are thinking because I was thinking the same. A farmer’s market for a wedding? How’s that going to work?

Believe me, it worked. The ceremony really was in the middle of the farmer’s market. Their wedding helpers (the guests that had arrived early) transformed a parking lot/alleyway into this romantic spot filled with checkered table cloths, wild flowers and food.

“We had our first vacation together in Occidental and we loved the farmer’s market,” said Gloria. “We decided the perfect place for our wedding would be in a place where we had great memories.”

If you haven’t been to Occidental, let me fill in. This place is darling. It’s about 2 hours from Sacramento (on a day when there is no traffic, but it's much longer in reality as there is ALWAYS traffic) and located in Sonoma County on the Bohemian Highway which is rated as one of the most scenic highways in North America. I’m not just saying that because it’s curvy and is lined with vineyards, trees and little town. There are sites on Google that agree with me.

“The coastline is also nice,” said Jack. “You just turn at the corner and drive about 10 minutes to the water.”

I never got around to doing that as the fog rolls in around 9 p.m. and while those winding roads are fun to drive during the day, they are a little scary to drive at night. I don’t know about you, but fog, winding roads and darkness always bring back memories of “American Werewolf in London.” I’m sure at any moment some giant black wolf is going to leap onto my car, smash through my windshield and rip out my neck - which would totally not be a good thing.

So while I’ll be saving the beach trip for another weekend when the sun is out, the wedding was worth the 2-hour trip. Not only was it cute, but the food was to die for. This did not come as a surprise to any of the guests, but little did I know I know Gloria was an award winning cook and is known for her food.

So what did they have? Well, keeping in with the whole farmer’s market theme they started off with fresh loaves of mushroom bread at the table. This bread was so fresh, it was still warm when we broke it open – and remember, we were in the middle of a parking lot. There were no microwaves to warm it up No, this bread was fresh from an Occidental bakery - and again, just like the farmer's market, the bread had meaning for the couple.

"Jack loves this bread. When he says he's craving some fresh bread, I know he's not talking about going to the bakery down the street in San Francisco. He's talking about this bread," said Gloria.

Next on the menu was this Spanish cheese with quince jelly. It sounds so simple, but that was the beauty of it. Again, it was fabulous and I had to hold back from totally pigging out on it, because a) that’s a little rude and b) because there was more food to come and I needed to save some space in my tummy.

Then came the shrimp and garlic. A little messy to eat, but by now we were all family and what’s a little shrimp juice among friends?

After the shrimp, it was time for the good stuff. The stuff I had been watching simmer since I arrive. The stuff that was making my mouth water just from the smell.

The stuff known as paella.

I’m just going to say, this was the best paella I had ever had. They had a seafood and chicken one for people like me and then a chicken and sausage one for the meat eaters. My friend tried both versions.

“We loved the paella from the farmer’s market, so we had to share it with everyone,” said Gloria.

I'm glad they did. I may have to make a trip up there just to get some more.
 

So now that I told you about the food, let me tell you about the ceremony, which was just as amazing.

Gloria and Jack wrote everything themselves -- from the readings to the vows. They told the group how they met, how they made each other feel when they were together and their hopes and dreams for the future. Gloria even told everyone that Jack was the most amazing kisser --which I must say is a good trait in the man you will be kissing for the rest of your life.

Needless to say, there were many tears shed and the cloth handkerchiefs they handed out came in handy.

I may not have known Gloria and Jack when I drove into Occidental, but I'm now proud to be one of their friends.

To the newlyweds...wishing you all the happiness in the world - today and for always!

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No more Texas chick. I'm a Cali girl now

It’s always a little sad whenever it’s time for me to change my license plates over to a new state. Don’t get me wrong: I LOVE living in California. The weather is great and I’m loving the scenery (and the vineyards). I’ve even embraced the whole California lifestyle by buying a road bike and riding through the countryside.

Of course, it's not like I'm leisurely biking and smelling the flowers along the way. I cycle like I'm in some imaginery race and I have Lance Armstrong behind me, but whatever. I'm having fun.

Yup, life in Sacramento is good. But I admit taking off my Texas plates is like saying a goodbye to an old friend - or like finally throwing out an ex-lover's toothbrush.

It's over. I’m no longer Texan, but officially a California Girl.

I'VE LEFT MY HEART - EVERYWHERE

Everywhere I go, I leave a little piece of my heart behind -- and believe me, I've lived in a lot of places. In fact, in the last four years I’ve lived in three very distinctive cities and I have a soft spot for each of them.

In Memphis, I miss the vibe of the city. If you haven’t been, you need to check it out. The whole place has this gritty charm you won't find anywhere else, and once you embrace it, you love it.

And how can you not? The blues on Beale Street are always incredible and so is running along the Mississippi River on Mud Island (which must be  followed up with a treat from Miss Cordelia’s) .

Then there’s Gus’s Fried Chicken which comes complete with the slice of white bread to soak up the oil. I know, it doesn’t sound yummy, but this hole in wall dive really does serve the best fried chicken in the US –maybe all of North America.

Yeah, Memphis is the south at its best, but I’m warning you -- between the fried chicken, the sweet potato pancakes from Arcade Restaurant and the award-winning BBQ, you better come hungry and leave your diet at home. Because, just like they told me when I asked if they had anything not fried, “you’s in the south now, Sugar” and that’s the way it is.

Tampa was my next destination, and it too had its own charm. But instead of feeling like you're living in city filled with history, it’s all about the beach, flip flops and eating light. I mean, there is no way a sushi/pool hall like The Rack off Howard would ever survive in a fried-food haven like Memphis. But in Tampa, this was one of THE places to hang.

But the little piece of my heart that is still there is with the palm trees and blue water. There was nothing like running along Bayshore Blvd. early in the morning and seeing dolphins jump in the gulf beside you. Pure heaven.

And yes, that pastel yellow building in the photo above was my home during my stay in Tampa. I admit I was lucky girl to find this place. Believe me, no matter what they say, you never get tired of watching the boats sail by.


THEN THERE WAS TEXAS

I confess I wasn’t sure if I was going to like Houston, but there is something to be said about Texas-pride. That whole “don’t mess with Texas” motto kind of grows on you, and the longer you live there, the more you’re proud to be a part of the state – especially after you live through Hurricane Ike hell and see what troopers these people are .

I mean, Texans are tough. First you have the headstrong ones that decided they were going down with their house during the storm like the captain of a ship. And then you've got the people that left and came back to nothing. Their entire houses had washed away. Really. All they had left was a couple of posts in the ground.

I had a lot of "firsts" in Houston. I went to my first rodeo, my first country music concert (didn't know one song), rode my first mechanical bull, had my first ride in a lambourghini on a race track (that was fast) and interviewed a lot of celebrities including Beyonce and Gloria Gaynor.

I never could get away with saying “y’all” or “do what” or “hunker”, but I did love showing off my Texas ID in California bars -- because, you know, they just don't mess with you.

Sadly, now I have to take off my Texas plates and put on my Cali ones, and I’m feeling a little nostalgic. So in honor of my last day of being a Texas-chick, I'm going to play some Sugar Land when I get home and do a little two-step.

EMBRACING CALI

But don’t worry. I'm doing a lot of "firsts" here in California, too. I just attended my first Zombie Walk last weekend and am doing my first triathlon on July 17. I've already got plans to climb Mount Whitney in the fall and am trying white water rafting later this month.

I've already bonded with California and am not planning on going anywhere for a little while.

Besides, all this moving around isn't good for my heart. I have to stop leaving it places:-)

All Aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train

Yes, it’s true. There really is a Napa Valley wine train. I should know. I rode it this weekend and it was pretty cool.

The antique train takes passengers on 36 mile round trip through the Napa valley. While it’s chugging along you get to feast on either a gourmet lunch or a dinner AND you get to tour a vineyard. See…I told you it was cool.

Just in case you need more convincing, the train has two engines, three kitchens on board and a collection of early 20th century rail cars that are pure Americana. It offers guests great regional food and fabulous, hard-to-find wines. Plus, for the three hour ride, the price isn’t that bad - just over $100 a person.

What makes this trip different from visiting Napa Valley in your car is that you are seeing the vineyards in an actual piece of history. Yeah, that's right. You aren't riding in some modern day train, but something that authentic from days gone by. The dining cars are circa 1915 to 1917 and the domed viewing cars are from 1952.

During the trip, you’ll pass by five towns: Napa, Yountville, Oakville, Rutherford and St. Helena, and numerous wineries. If you happen to go on the same tour I did, you'll see where Robin Williams had a home and where some of best wine in Napa is grown.

WHERE IS THIS INFAMOUS NAPA VALLEY WINE TRAIN?

The Napa Valley Wine Train begins its journey at the McKinstry Street Station in Napa. The train then travels north to St. Helena, where the locomotive disconnects from the north facing side of the train and reconnects to the south facing side of the train in preparation for the return journey.

Depending on the day of the week, the Napa Valley Wine Train makes two stops. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, guests who have purchased the Domaine Chandon Tour will disembark at Yountville during the southbound leg of the trip. On weekdays (Monday through Friday), guests who have purchased the Grgich Hills Tour will disembark at Grgich Hills Winery on the northbound leg of the trip, and be picked up by the Wine Train as the train travels southbound.

I did the Grgich Hills Tour and loved it. The tour guide on our 1 hour private tour was hilarious and we tasted at least three different wines which were included in our train ticket price. We also got to keep our tasting glasses as souvenirs – which is always a nice touch.

NAPA WINE TRAIN PRICES AND ROMANTIC NIGHTS

The prices for the train ride and wine tour range from $119 to $184.00. The Grgich Hills tour is the cheapest one, but they also do seasonal tours.

They actually have a Moonlight Escape on July 25, 2010 coming up that looks really romantic. It’s on the date of the full moon during the time of year when thunder storms are most frequent. There is nothing better than looking at the moon with a good glass of wine.

But don’t wait too long to book if you’re interested. They only accept 24 couples for this particular trip.