Our real vacation - wine country, day 1

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When we set out for the real vacation portion of our trip, the afternoon was just magnificent (see photo number 1). We took our newly rented auto across the Golden Gate Bridge toward Napa. Where we stayed (photo number 2) was the Napa River Inn, a fabulous B&B, where the breakfast was incredible room service. Anyway, we arrived early enough that we did some sightseeing along the Napa River, and downtown (photos 3 - 6). We ate dinner at an absolutely fabulous restaurant where the wine, the dinner and the dessert, as well as the company, were just spectacular, and we returned to our beds very contented, very full, and very happy. This was really the beginning.

San Francisco, or what I was able to see of it.

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This is another of those horrible slide shows that we all lived through, with uncle Earnest and his slide projector. Well, maybe not that bad. But on our recent trip to California, I was really only able to scratch out a few good photographic opportunities, the first few days, and mainly when we went down to the wharf for dinner. The weather was just perfect, and by and large the wildlife was cooperative (see the second and third pictures). We really did enjoy San Francisco, but what we saw the rest of the trip really made it for us!

Where have I been?

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Where have I been lately? Well, before my wife and I took off for the West Coast, I was exceedingly busy. So, it came as a great relief to leave for California, but for a few hours it looked kind of doubtful that we would even get to leave, as our plane sat on the tarmac at the Oklahoma City Airport, for about two hours, as they deiced our plane, and then deiced again - over and over again. When we finally took off - it was with enormous relief. Then we got into San Francisco, and we stayed at the "Grand Hyatt" hotel, not so aptly named, which had little to recommend it aside from their little bistro restaurant. But it was a pleasant walk to the American College of Physicians annual scientific sessions. The sessions were quite good, but at the end of them, I was more than ready to leave for our vacation segment of the trip - to wine country - Napa and Sonoma. More on that in later posts, but for now, just enjoy these representative photos.