Trip Overview:

2 nights in Vegas, staying at The Flamingo

4 nights in Sonoma, staying in an Air B and B within Sonoma County

Introduction:

You must make girls trips happen.  This sage wisdom has been imparted on me by many a female elder.  On a girls trip, women don’t necessarily divorce themselves from their  identities as wives, girlfriends, or mothers, but rather, blissfully revel in a brief suspension of sometimes reckless, often times therapeutic, responsibility-free weekends full of laughter, nostalgia, and shamelessness.  My two best friends and I have made a westward girls trip every summer for the last five years, and it is a highlight of our summers. We always start our trip off in Vegas and then make our way into whichever reach of California happens to be our flavor-of-the-year. As I reflect on how our itinerary came to be decided for year 5, I can’t help but giggle at how our trip objectives have  evolved over the years.  In fact, the cross-section of our trip objectives and our ages could be very well suited to a human life and development textbook to illustrate the progression of the female mind.

For example…

Year 1 Vegas: stay up all night to watch a Vegas sunrise, not pay for a single drink, live off lime or lemon wedges, dine at Denny’s as a last resort

Year 5 Vegas: get craft cocktails at a unique and fancy bar, wine and dine at up-and-coming restaurants, find a fun but semi-tame pool party and only party during the day

Though many goals for our year 5 trip evolved, a few transcended time…

Year 1 Vegas: spot a famous person, win big playing craps

Year 5 Vegas: spot a famous person, win big playing craps

Some hopes never die.  Nevertheless, we decided Vegas had to remain a constant entry-point to the wild west, and that Sonoma and Napa would be a California destination most congruent with our almost-30-year-old desires. Below I’ll recap highlights and where-to’s that might help you build an ultimate girls trip yourself.

Vegas Highlights and Where-to’s:

Herald a “healthy” buzz at Squeeze in the Linq Promenade: On a mid-July day, the merciless Nevada sun begs for immediate thirst quenching.  What better to quench one’s thirst, or to replenish one’s vitamin C store, than a fresh squeezed juice over ice?  Even better yet, how about throwing some vodka or Prosecco into the mix?  I visited Squeeze approximately four times within our short stint in Vegas to get my berry and bubbles fix daily!  I am a huge fan of Prosecco and fresh berries, so the marriage of the two in a to-go container, fully equipped with a straw, made for one very happy Vegas tourista.  Squeeze has excellent happy hour deals and specials on select days of the week. If you plan to do some day-drinking poolside or gambling, I recommend hitting Squeeze after breakfast or brunch but before heading to your destination so you can cleanse your pallet and enjoy a sip on the strip.  

Gamble at Vegas’ glam, yet inviting, boutique hotel, The Cromwell. The Cromwell replaced Buffalo Bill’s Gambling Saloon back in 2014, and it has rapidly become my go-to on the strip for gambling and pool partying.  Consistently rocking $5-10 minimums at the table games, a younger, but not too young, crowd, and a rooftop pool club that overlooks the Bellagio fountains, The Cromwell is an ideal gem smack dab in the middle of the strip for you and your girlfriends to stake claim. Our highlight of this year’s Vegas trip was tripling our money at the craps table thanks to my step mother’s one hour long dice roll!  She is an energy healer/eastern medicine guru who takes channeling positive energy seriously, especially when gambling.

Grab cocktails at the Cosmopolitan’s Chandelier bar and The Venetian’s The Dorsey. Though a tad pricey, these two cocktail lounges make for a lavishly appropriate ambiance for girl talk. Cara, Jackie, and I were sure to order different cocktails than one another so we could delightfully sip and sample.  Both lounges offer unique, craft cocktails that have both made it to my “best cocktails I’ve ever had” list.

Try Daylight at Mandalay Bay: I thought I had experienced every Vegas pool club the strip has to offer at this point in my seasoned Vegas-going career, however, I was remiss, I had never waded in the waters of Daylight, over at Mandalay Bay. Mandalay Bay, in my opinion, has maintained itself as a timeless, gimmick-free, iconic strip staple. Though a bit further down from the epicenter of the strip, past Wynn and Encore, the girls and I felt like we had been transported to an exotic resort.  With white-washed, stucco cabana structures and desert-oasis flora and fauna lining the outer edges of the pool, Daylight provided us a definitively out-of-office afternoon.

Yardbird at The Venetian: Though the southern comfort food craze has become a tad cliche, there is good reason chefs and restaurateurs have popularized the down-home, salty, sweet, buttery cuisine: it’s finger-lickin’ good (in the words of the Colonel).  This was my second time visiting Yardbird, and my sequel proved this new piece of Venetian real-estate’s superior consistency.  The girls and I happily shared a variety of southern delights, from skillet cornbread to cheesy mashed potatoes.  Our plan to gamble after dinner rapidly changed to throwing on anything with an elastic waistband and crashing into a food coma back at the hotel room after our second cocktails and third dish of shared southern indulgence.

Beauty and Essex at The Cosmopolitan: I went out to Vegas earlier than the girls to spend a couple nights gambling and wining and dining with my dad and stepmom, a family tradition we’ve come to cherish and honor whenever it’s possible and someone’s birthday or someone’s feeling the Vegas itch. Though my dad and I like to frequent our tried and true Vegas spots, we always also try to test out at least one new restaurant, bar, or casino on our Vegas trips.  We were heading to the Cosmopolitan to check out the restaurant my cousin had booked for his wedding in August. The restaurant we planned to scope for my cousin wasn’t open yet, so we explored the restaurant level and set our sights on Beauty and Essex.  Beauty and Essex’s “lobby” is intriguingly, and somewhat confusingly, a guitar shop full of vintage guitars and vinyl records, some in glass cases.  This shop is entirely walled off and sound proof.  When they luckily announced they had room for two, the hostess opened the door from the back of the shop to a dimly lit dining room lined with dark velvet curtains and booths, glittering chandeliers, and candle-lit tables.  Pops and I ordered adventurously, beginning with “grilled cheese wantons” which were served in individual wanton soup ladles of rich tomato soup… is your mouth watering yet? Though my dad and I had a wonderful time together, laughing and indulging, Beauty and Essex’s glam meets goth setting is a sexy and romantic spot, perfect for date night.  I shall be returning next time with my husband.

Sonoma, Napa, & Livermore: The Grape Escape

Ready to abandon the bright lights and ceaseless noise, the girls and I flew from Vegas to San Francisco where we stopped for lunch at a good friend of our’s who, in typical Barefoot Contessa fashion, spoiled us rotten with a three course meal topped off with artisan chocolates.  We got to meet and greet her Instagram famed  laboradoodle, Bacon, which was equally an indulgent experience.

After Bacon kisses and thanking our ever gracious host and chef, we hit the road with our rental car for Sonoma, an easy 45 minute drive out of the city and across the iconic Golden Gate Bridge.  We always look forward to checking in to a new Air B and B, especially one we know is going to be charming, funky, or bohemian.  We reserved in Sonoma, largely due to price, but also after researching the town of Sonoma and deciding its quaint, Mexican-infused Western town plaza was most enticing.  Our Air B and B was tucked away in a wooded suburb amidst the rolling hills of Sonoma County.  Our cottage shared the property with the host’s home, but yet still afforded us enough privacy… save the wild turkeys who perhaps caught a glimpse of us doing a Tabata workout from the living room one morning.  The property was a paradisaical sprawl of pruned pear trees, spritely Succulent beds, and untamed forest.  At the center of it all was our very own patio, equipped with a fire pit, grill, and outdoor dining table. It was the idyllic setting for three best girlfriends seeking uninterrupted, wine drinking, cheese nibbling bliss.

Once we got settled into our cottage and freshened up, we decided to hit the town of Sonoma to get a lay of the land and a bite to eat.  Ubers are alive and well in the Napa/Sonoma area, so we were covered in the way of transportation.  Perhaps because it was a Sunday night, we were lucky enough to get seated at The Girl and the Fig, one of Sonoma’s most reputable restaurants.  They sat us outside on the bistro lit back patio, where we nestled in to a cushion benched table and wrapped ourselves in blankets they provided.  It felt like dining from the comfort of my own couch.  The food was divine and so was the wine.  Our first brush with Sonoma food and wine was undoubtedly a success that set the bar high.

Knowing we had a robust itinerary of biking, eating, and drinking, none of us had trouble awakening on our first full day in Sonoma.  We took another Uber to the Napa Valley Bike Tours, where we had reserved three cruiser bikes for a full day.  The rental shop provided excellent maps and suggestions.  We saddled up and merrily embraced the Vine Trail, a newly constructed path that takes biking wine-o’s on a more sheltered journey to and fro Napa, Yountville, and the surrounding wineries.  Blissfully feeling like the crew of Now and Then, we biked and sang a leisurely 6.5 miles from the Napa shop to the lavishly charming town of Yountville.  Yountville, though slightly pretentious, is a classy, gourmet restaurant studded, well manicured town bustling with young families and couples.  We felt slightly out of place arriving in our fitness apparel, most Yountville folk were pristinely dressed head to toe. We had reservations for brunch at Redd, and arrived right on time.  Sadly, Redd made us wait for close to 20 minutes or more before seating us and then took an additional 15-20 minutes to take our drink orders.  This was disappointing and we wondered if our apparel had anything to do with the lack of attentive service we were receiving.  Regardless, the food was tasty… once it finally got to us.

After Redd, we biked the short distance down the main drag to Stewart vineyards for a reserved tasting.  Though it lacks a scenic backdrop, the tasting room boasts vaulted ceilings with exposed wooden beams and modern ensconced chandeliers. Our pourer was incredibly knowledgeable and more than happy to answer our endless questions.  The wine was superb, I considered becoming a member.  After a glass at Redd and this initial tasting, I was feeling groovy to say the least, albeit, wary of my ability to wine taste all the livelong day.

Our first stop on our tour de Yountville was Cliff Lede, pronounced “Cliff Lady.”  My brother recommended this winery to me because of its wine, ambiance, and rock and roll touches.  He and his wife were able to visit on a slower day, so his wine pourer took them downstairs to their unique “basement” lounge that houses one-of-a-kind rock and roll memorabilia.  Unfortunately, a private party had booked the Backstage Tasting Lounge on the day the girls and I visited, so we weren’t as lucky.  However, Art, our comical, exuberant, seasoned wine pourer, taught us all about the history of the vineyard and how rock and roll makes its way into every aspect of the wine making and tasting process, beginning with the grapes. In fact, the vineyard owner, Cliff Lede, has paid homage to some of the rock greats by naming each block of the vineyard after his favorite rock songs.  We salute you Mr. Lede. This ended up being one of our favorite stops of the whole trip; the wine was excellent, the tasting room was cheerful, and Art was both a riot and a generous pourer.

Buzzing with a case of the giggles, we mounted our cruisers for a return into Yountville.  As leisurely wine sippers and semi light-weight’s, we rapidly amended our itinerary that previously outlined visiting 3-4 wineries in a day to two.  We were planning to visit Chandon as our final winery for the day, but they would be closing by the time we biked to them, so we instead opted for biking through Yountville in search of an outdoor patio where we could order some appetizers to share.  My brother had recommended R + D Kitchen as a must for dining, so we happily embraced a high top table on their back patio and ordered a bevy of state-of-the-art appetizers: deviled eggs and sushi, which truly hit the spot.  They also served one of the best buttery chardonnays I had on the whole trip, which is saying a lot for THE land of butter bomb chardonnays. Soon our buzzes turned to drunk and it was time to return the bikes and grocery shop for a dinner in on our private estate back in Sonoma County.  We then took an Uber from Yountville to the Oxbow Market in Napa to purchase some groceries for our at-home dinner.  Oxbow Market is a must visit when in Napa.  It’s an indoor space teeming with fragrant shops and stalls for both the gourmand and health nut alike. We spent a great deal of time wandering Oxbow, and lingered a bit too long at the cheese and wine shop. After Ubering back to Sonoma and exchanging our workout clothes for yoga pants and sweatshirts, we were ready to prepare a romantic, candlelit charcuterie board and grilled salmon dinner. One of our favorite moments was sitting under the stars, listening to some 90’s alternative, laughing, wine sipping, and enjoying a simply prepared meal ourselves.

The next morning heralded our glamorous Napa Wine Train adventure.  The wine train instructions said to dress in your finest, an invitation Cara, Jackie, and I warmly welcome.  After dolling ourselves up, we took an Uber to Napa where we first returned to the ever fragrant, sensory overload of Oxbow Market for a quick on-the-go breakfast before heading back to the train station where we decided to purchase our own bottles of wine instead of buying wine by the glass on the train.  We rapidly discovered that we were the only ones who heeded the dress code, and felt a bit overdressed, nonetheless, it added a sense of glam to our day and it made us feel the part when we sat down to our four course gourmet lunch in the dining car.  Though a bit touristy, the wine train is a unique way to immerse yourself amidst the vines and travel back in time to 1915 when the railcars were used for lavish rail travel from Denver to Winter Park.  The Napa Valley Wine Train company purchased the railcars in 1987 and spent a great deal of time restoring the cars to achieve the authentic cars they have today with rich Mahogany paneling  and plush velvet armchairs. The girls and I took the gourmet express trip, which doesn’t stop at any wineries, but instead takes passengers on a scenic 3 hour ride through wine country, provides a multi-course gourmet meal in the dining car, and a complimentary welcome taste of wine.  The girls and I boarded the train in the Cabernet Sauvignon car, and spent our first hour shamelessly staging photo after photo, trying to capture our level of unabashed glam we were experiencing. We ventured out to the caboose to watch the track move beneath us like a conveyor belt and the meticulously poised rows of vines pass us on either side like spokes on a bike wheel. When it was our turn to mosey into the dining car, we sat down in a cushioned booth and had our waitress pop our bottle of champagne.  We took our sweet time savoring every bite of the surprisingly decadent and delicious meal, and sipping our bubbles and then chardonnay to follow. I say surprisingly with regard to the meal because as I mentioned earlier, with such a touristy venue as this, I half expected the food to be average or just okay, but it truly lived up to its “gourmet” title as advertised.

Full and buzzing, we disembarked the train and hopped in an Uber to make our 3 PM reservation for a winery in Sonoma called Scribe, one that was highly recommended to me by a good friend.  Besides Cliff Lede, Scribe was probably one of our other favorite wineries we visited.  The only downside to Scribe was that we were still so full from our lunch aboard the wine train that we couldn’t truly enjoy the culinary works of art Scribe pairs with their tasting.  Next time, I would absolutely return to Scribe but on an empty stomach! Scribe has an exotic, desert meets French country, meets Italian villa aesthetic.  The drive up to Scribe is lined by skinny, looming palm trees and the patio adjoining the Italian Villa style inn is perched atop the scorched and arid plains of the property.  Fighting our food coma from the wine train, we reclined on the comfortable outdoor furniture and tried our best to continue consuming.  The food at Scribe is very health conscious and farm fresh.  Some of the dishes included vegetable quinoa with fresh mint and endive salad with edible flowers. I think the ultra cool, almost hipster, ambiance trumps their wine varietals, but we all enjoyed their Rose immensely.

Back at the Air B and B we tried to deflate ourselves in preparation for our next consumption.  Shockingly, this only took a few hours before we were ready to head back into the endearing Sonoma Plaza for some Mexican grub at Maya.  Feeling a little bit wined out for the moment, we opted for some Margaritas with our tacos as we debriefed on our exceptionally lavish second day in wine country.  We ended our evening at the cozy bar of the Swiss Hotel in the heart of Sonoma Plaza.  I felt transported to the chalets I visited in Switzerland with my husband as we sniffed, sipped, and swirled our glasses of Cab Sav at our table for three.

The following morning was Jackie’s last day with us, as she was catching an evening plane out of San Francisco for NYC.  After enjoying a perfectly sunny Californian breakfast at Sunflower Caffe (a MUST when in Sonoma), we decided to venture to Livermore, a wine tasting region closer to San Francisco and nearby to a BART train station that would take Jackie straight to the airport.  Cara had visited Livermore before and thought we all might enjoy its scenic, less pretentious vibe with lower tasting fees.  In Livermore, we visited Stony Ridge Winery and Wente.  Stony Ridge’s outdoor space makes up for the tasting room’s modesty.  The girls and I had fun walking under and gazing up at the arbor adorned with intertwining spring green vines laden with heavy bounds of grapes on the front patio.  The tasting fee was considerably cheaper than Yountville and Sonoma, which afforded us some room for purchasing a couple of bottles.  Wente was one of the biggest wineries we visited on the trip, but also one of our absolute favorites.  The tasting room was charming and our wine pourer, a retired high school principal, not only taught us all about volatilizing the esters, but also ended up giving us a double tasting for the price of one basic tasting.  It was at Wente that I tasted my now all time best wine called The Nth Degree; a perfectly balanced Chardonnay, delicately layered with notes of creme brulee, vanilla, and croissants to name a few.  Our pourer had us sip the Nth degree and then sip the regular Wente Chardonnay from the basic tasting to compare and contrast the quality… it was stark.  Sadly, the Nth degree is a cool $75 per bottle… gives me something to aspire to!

We bid Jackie a nearly tearful goodbye and then Cara and I took the scenic route from Livemore to the iconic Napa Valley sign for a sunset photo op.  Cara and I spent the evening in the comfort of our cozy Air B and B with an at-home charcuterie dinner while snuggling in fear to The Keepers on Netflix.  Cara insisted we sleep with the lights on.

On our way to the airport, Cara and I stopped at the scenic overlook for The Golden Gate Bridge and admired the Northern California landscape for a final swan song.

All in all, our Sonoma getaway was the perfect slice of relaxation, imbibing, and foodie-ing for our fifth annual summer girls trip.  We learned volumes about viticulture, drank in the rural landscape (pun intended), and soaked up the most affordable, reliable form of therapy: giggling and gabbing with your forever girlfriends.