#we went to a winery after this and i got (roughly) a bottle of wine to myself and oh boy 🥴

[ambrwolf]

My Father Paul cosplay at galaxycon columbus! The person i bought the print from (@raphae11e / raphdoods on insta) was the only one who recognized the character lol

[childofcoffee]

my life has been chaos with birthdad back in my life... i mean, there's no way that i could've predicted the things that have happened over the past roughly two months.

he's married - to one of his exes, who's technically a lesbian. he has a one year old son. he doesn't live in chicago, he lives in richmond. he owns a townhouse. his marriage is on the rocks, but i'm not stepping in to be any kind of fix for that.

i told myself that wasn't going to fall back into old habits with him if he ever came back. yet here we are, essentially right back in our old habits...

i saw him for the first time last weekend in over two and a half years. met him at the dealership where his car was being serviced, and we went to the winery to pick up my quarterly bottles and just have some time together.

he gave me such an awkward hug when he got in the car at the dealer. at the winery, he didn't give me a hug until we were about to get in the car and leave. after I put my wine bottles in the trunk he just wrapped me in his arms and wouldn't let go lol.

after not seeing him for over two and a half years and silence from him for nineteen plus months, i wasn't sure how i was going to feel being back in his arms. when he gave me my first proper hug i was rather relieved to feel comfortable with it. it also reminded me what "safe" felt like, which i wasn't sure was possible again.

now that we're a week later, i'm craving that feeling again. i want to feel his arms around me, and his lips on mine again...

[queenbirbs]

find you in the night | Mal x MC

Pairing: Mal Volari x h!MC (Elwyn)

Word count: 2600+

Summary: A little conversation at sixty-three feet in the air. Or: Mal invites Elwyn to see the abandoned wonder of Westavia Woods.   Title taken from Andrew Belle’s “In My Veins.”

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“This is a lot less fun than you said it would be.”

“I dunno. I’ve got a pretty spectacular view from where I’m standing,” Mal counters from where he leans over the edge, no doubt getting an eyeful.

Though she can’t see the smirk on his face, given that she’s too busy climbing up the side of a castle, Elwyn knows it’s there. The handhold she chose gives way under her palm, tearing her attention away from the man above. She digs through the vines and finds another, her nails scratching at the stone in a way that sends a shiver up her spine – and not in a good way, either.

“A little help down here?” she calls up.

In the span of a second, Mal straddles the turret’s wall and waggles his fingers for her to take. Elwyn frowns up at him, even as her boots slip across the protruding stone blocks. “There’s no way that’s safe. Throw me a rope or something.”

“It’s perfectly safe!” he defends. His confidence dims when he eyes the distance between them again. “Safe-ish. C’mon, kit, we haven’t got all day. Sun’s gonna set before you manage to inch your way up here–”

“Fine. Give me your damn hand, then.” She huffs, grinning all the while – he answers in kind with his own as he leans down and grips her hand. His skin is warm from the sun-baked stones, his palm rough from spending a lifetime scaling such structures for treasure.

“That’s it,” he coaxes. “Up and over.”

She climbs the rest of the way up and throws a leg over the wall, drawing in a breath to calm her nerves. She sucks in another when she takes in their view.

“Oh, wow.”  

“I know.”

The castle they sit atop, formerly owned by some pompous asshole (Mal’s words, not hers, though she tends to agree with his sentiments regarding the upper class), sprawls across several acres.

Or, at least, it once had. Now, some hundred or so years since its abandonment, much of it has fallen into disrepair. The gatehouse and several of the towers are nothing more than moss-coated rubble. Dense sheets of vines crawl their way up and over the remaining towers and keep. The courtyard is now an extension of the forest, trees and shrubs filling the neat square where people once bustled about.  

What’s left of the castle towers high above Westavia Woods. The name is a bit of a misnomer, considering the massive spread of forest between Undermount and Whitetower. After leaving the elven city and winding down through the Salus Mountains (while battling a few trolls along the way), they’d stopped here to rest. Tyril had called the area Tel’ eath, which roughly translated to ‘the endless.’ Elwyn didn’t need him to expand on that one.

The view before them is an ocean of green, the forest stretching as far as the eye can see. Already low in the sky, the sun traces the line of the horizon a brilliant gold. Birds soar across the landscape, their forms thrown into sharp relief.  

“I thought it’d be nice to get away.” Mal glances her way and lets out a sigh of content. “Glad to see I was right.”

“Like an adventure from our adventure?”

“Exactly.” He reaches down into his bag and produces a small bottle. The golden liquid inside almost shimmers in the waning sunlight. “Swiped this from the winery while you were grabbing the mangy cat-bat his own bottle.”

Popping out the cork with the tip of his dagger, Mal hands it off to her for the first sip. The taste is sweet, almost to the degree of too much, before the mellow hint of herbs emerges to soothe the dulcified liquid. If the Celestial icewine was sunshine-and-snow, the honey-wine is a gentle wind through a willow tree, or the first bite of autumn. Elwyn thinks of the field of meadowsweet on the eastern edge of Riverbend. How she would spend afternoons hidden in the dense thicket, her nose in a book of fantastical places like Cordonia, or La Huerta, or Lykos, or Brooklyn.    

“I can see why Threep likes it,” she says, taking another sip before passing it back to Mal.

Rolling her shoulders to ease the muscles now sore from her ascent, she indulges in the scenery. From this height, she can easily spot camp, where the steady stream of smoke from their fire snakes up through the tree cover. Their friends’ voices are nothing more than a distant thrum, indecipherable on the wind.

“I’ve never climbed something so tall. There was an old fortress south of Riverbend that I went to the top of, but it was only three stories high. And the view was nothing like this.”

“All by yourself?” he teases, making a show of licking his lips clean of the wine. “And here I thought you hadn’t taken part in a single adventure until I came along.”

“It wasn’t much of an adventure. And I went with the town blacksmith.”

“Ah. What’s his name, then?”

“Her name is Simona.”

Mal hums a tone of interest, one eyebrow peaked. “You’re just full of surprises, aren’t ya?”

She levels a look of her own at him. “You did see me make out with that mermaid, didn’t you?”

“It’s not like I was ogling you two,” he points out with a scoff. “Not that you’ll ever hear me admit it again, but I was jealous.”

“Oh, I know. You’re not exactly subtle about it.”

“I’d try to hide it, but you seem to see right through me.” He’s grinning as he says it, but there’s a softness in his gaze that wasn’t there weeks ago.

It’s his only tell that she’s been able to spot. Maybe because he lets her, she considers, and the thought warms her, oddly enough.

Turning from her companion, Elwyn scans the farthest edge of the forest as best she can, looking for the age-old sign of civilization: right angles. Even far beyond her sight, she knows that the great city of Whitetower is still many, many miles away. The thought of visiting the capital city has her torn in two.

On one hand, it’s somewhere she’s always wanted to go, after seeing a painting of the sparkling, white castles rising high into the sky, the cobblestone streets below filled with the smudged outlines of its citizens. After living most of her life in a tiny, backwater town, she longed to experience a real, bustling city filled to the brim with people.

On the other hand, she knows that it’s the last stop on their adventure through Morella. Elwyn has no doubt that they’ll find the last shard; has no qualms about fighting the Shadow Court; has no objection to doing whatever it takes to get her brother back.

She can only hope that her friends make it out alive.

A quick tug on her braid brings her out of her woolgathering.

“Penny for your thoughts.”

“Wondering what awaits us in the city,” she answers, trying her best to hide the anxiety she feels.

Mal rolls his shoulders in a lazy shrug, exuding a carefree appearance. It’s a good act, she’ll give him that.

“Destruction, devastation… death. But that’s the usual for Whitetower.”

“I know you don’t want to return, but I’m glad you’re coming.”

“It’s not that,” he says with a shake of his head. “I’d always planned to go back, of course, what with my sister still living there. But that sort of visit would be a quick in-and-out, do a bit of business, and be off before anyone who cared to know even suspected.”

Squinting out at the horizon, he sighs before flashing her a wry grin. “I have a feeling we’ll be making quite the entrance for ourselves this time.”

She watches the grin fade away as his brown eyes search hers.

“I have few memories of my village,” she tells him, “but not all of them are good. And I’m not only talking about the night it was destroyed. So, I understand about wanting to leave the past where it lies.”

“I’d be lying if I hadn’t thought about it burning down to ash. Parts of it, at least,” he amends. “I don’t wish any harm on the citizens.”

“I’m guessing those parts would be the castle.”

“Yeah,” he murmurs, something dark flashing in his eyes. “Just those.”

Before them, the sun has disappeared. It throws its last light out across the treetops, a vain attempt to keep its hold on the day. The night arrives like a deep, blue blanket thrown over the sky. High above them, stars twinkle into existence, materializing in droves. It’s as if someone has flicked a white paintbrush across the heavens. A cool wind rushes past; Elwyn shudders along with the vines.

She thinks of Kade and the realm he’s trapped in. Can he see the night sky from wherever he is? Can he keep himself sane by listing off the constellations, something that used to annoy the piss out of her growing up? Can he even still be alive?

She thinks of Kaya, frozen in death, her fear sculpted across her glass form, all alone at what seemed like the bottom of the world. Of all the terrible thoughts that bubble up, Elwyn thinks the worst might be her hands. How they were raised to shield herself from the attack, how that same instinct of survival runs deep in everything, no matter the species. Had she known what was coming? Or was there surprise hidden somewhere behind all that fear?

“Should we have… done something for Kaya?” she asks, hating how small her voice sounds.

“She was beyond our help.”

“I know that. But it still feels like we abandoned her. We left her down there.” Elwyn scrubs at her eyes, wishing she could banish away the immediate well of tears. “I keep thinking about the last time I saw Kade. He had that same expression. What if he thinks there’s no rescue coming? What if he does, though, and we can’t? What if–”

“Hey, hey,” Mal cuts off her worried rambling. He cups her face and drops a kiss to her forehead, and then another just under her eye. Something squeezes tight in her chest at the gesture. “You’ll worry yourself in circles like that.”

“I know,” she whispers, her hand covering his. “But I can’t–”

“Help it. I understand. And I wouldn’t lie to you, not about this. Kade… he–”

“May be lost forever,” Elwyn finishes for him.

He winces, but gives her a quick nod.

“I know that,” she tells him. “After all we’ve seen of what the Shadow Court can do, I can only run on blind faith at this point that I’ll get him back.”

“Hey, now. It’s not only faith. You’ve got the four of us.” He pauses and frowns. “Well, five if you count the cat, but he’s at most a glorified stomach with wings. But that doesn’t mean that we won’t fight like hell for your brother.”

His thumb sweeps across her cheek, steadying her. She turns her head and presses her lips to his palm, wishing she could express the gratitude she feels that they’ve all stuck beside her this long. Instead, she shifts to take another long look at the world as the night closes in on them.  

“I feel like I could see Riverbend from here.”

“If it weren’t for the curve of the world, and if your eyes were as good as mine, you probably could.”

She gives his thigh a light smack.

“My eyes are just fine, thank you.”

“Very fine indeed,” he agrees, that familiar smirk of his firmly in place.

She realizes that she would like to wipe it right off. Sliding her hand down along his arm, she wraps it around his bicep and hauls him down for a kiss.

He’s quick on the uptake, his arms coming around to circle her waist and drag her closer. His tongue runs across her bottom lip, asking for entry; she acquiesces with a tilt of her head and deepens the kiss. The taste of him is a concoction of aged leather, a rain-soaked forest, and a spice she can’t seem to put a name to, something that seems to be uniquely Mal.

His touch dances across her back and up along her ribs, one hand around her waist to keep her steady while the other sinks into her hair. She hooks a leg up and around his hip, drawing him flush against her. Her move is met with a satisfied hum. Pleasure travels through her veins, slow and steady like treacle. It’s dizzying, the effect of him. If he asks, she’ll blame it on the dangerous, sixty-foot drop mere inches away, but they both know a lie when they hear one.

He breaks their kiss to trail his mouth down her neck and across her chest.

“If you wanted to get me all alone so you could have your way with me,” he pauses, his tongue tracing the lines of her collarbone in a way that makes her breath hitch, “you could’ve just said so.”

“I thought our resident rogue and self-proclaimed ‘king of stealth’ would enjoy my attempt at subtlety.”

He laughs, his beard tickling at the sensitive skin of her throat. Some deep, tucked-away part of her would like to hear the sound every day of her life.

“Elwyn, I’ve seen you flirt with every living thing we’ve come across. You wouldn’t know subtle if it was branded across your forehead.”

Dragging her hand down his front, she treats him to a hint of her nails, pleased when he sucks in a breath as she continues lower.

“The way I see it,” she murmurs, “why waste all that precious time and energy when I can be as brazen as I’d like and get there even faster?”

Sliding her touch back up his body, she fits two fingers under his chin and urges him to meet her for another kiss. Her toes curl inside her boots at the heady slide of his lips against hers.

“Would you like to know my next idea?” he asks, nipping a path along her jaw to below her ear.

“Mmm-hmm.”

“Once we can get away from our merry band of misfits for more than two minutes, I plan on taking you to bed.” He bites down at the soft skin below her ear, a breathy chuckle escaping him when she bites her lip on the end of a groan. “Once there, I plan on coaxing out all these lovely noises you’re keeping bottled up.”

Shivers dance up her spine, but in a good way this time.

“What a coincidence.” She grins up at him when he pulls back to return to her mouth. “Because that’s exactly what I plan on doing with you.”

He gazes down at her with something akin to wonder. “Great minds think alike, then.”

At the horizon, the sunlight empties out the last of its parting glass. The dark blue of twilight seeps across the canvas before them. “We should probably get going,” he sighs, the disappointment ringing through his words. “Especially if we want to eat something before Threep hoards it all for himself.”

Elwyn concedes his point and casts a wary glance down the side of the castle.

“Um, how are we going to get back down?”

“Like any normal person would. By the stairs.”

She would wipe the shit-eating grin off his face if she wasn’t worried she’d knock him straight off the turret.

“There are stairs? You told me the only way up was to climb!”

“The only interesting way up. C’mon, El, what’s life without a little adventure, hmm?”

“Don’t call me El.”

“I think it suits you, but all right, fine. How about Wynnie?”

“I will throw you from this castle, I swear.”

“Ah, but you’re laughing. Admit it, you like it.”

“You’re absurd.”

“You know what, you’re right. But it’s a shame you can’t come up with a nickname for me, what with my name being so short.”

“I’m sure I can find something that suits you.”

“Oh, surely you must know by now, Elwyn. It’s you – you suit me right down to the ground.”

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AN: Me, ending a story with lines of dialogue instead of giving it a proper send-off? Truly unprecedented.

References: a line from Syfy’s Alice and the Roman goddess Salus that I named the mountains after.

Was I inspired to write this by the fact that Mal Volari is essentially the whatever-century-this-book-exists-in version of Nathan Drake? Yes, thanks. Was there ever any doubt I would love him the moment he opened his smart mouth? Nope!

Honey-wine is actually another name for mead, though there is a chance they could be different drinks depending on the region (thanks wikipedia). No matter what, though, I imagine the drink tastes a lot better in the Blades universe than my only taste of it at a pub in Pitlochry.

[ginnyzero]

Completely Harmless Ch. 21

Completely Harmless An SSO SilverGlade Re-imagining Story (Or Fix it Fan Salt fic) By Ginny O.

When Lily and her friends wanted to buy horses and were directed to the Silverglade Manor and its myriad of problems, they didn’t expect to start a revolution. They were just a bunch a stable girls. Completely harmless. Right?

A/N: Things are only canon if I say they’re canon. Pre-Saving the Moorland Stables compliant for the most part. Posted in its entirety on my website. Posted in 2000 to 4000 word bits here. Rated T for Swearing Word Count 177,577

Chapter Twenty-One Did Someone Say Ice Cream?

The email Lily received from Aaron Silverglade was next to incoherent. Oh, there were legible words, but they didn’t string together to make any sense. He sounded quite upset, as much as written words could sound upset.

Lily hopped a bus to Jorvik City and met him at Leonardo’s.

“Sir Aaron, whatever is the matter,” she asked as soon as she was certain that he had a fortifying sundae and stiff coffee in front of him. They sat under one of the umbrella tables outside of Leonardo’s.

“I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m going to fail miserably and make my mother more disappointed in me. I don’t know why I ever thought this was a good idea. Anastasia is doing so much better at this than I am and I can feel mother’s icy disapproval from here. Why can’t I be more like mother?”

Lily’s eyes widened. “Slow down! Your mother loves you. You just helped her achieve a huge victory against G.E.D. by getting rid of those oil rigs. Not that you need to do things like that for her to love you. She loves you no matter what. Now, exactly what is the problem?”

“I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“What, what?” Lily waved her spoon. “The oil rigs are gone. We’re revitalizing the paddock. The race track can now move forward.”

“With the ice cream bar,” Aaron waved his hands and then slumped.

Lily blinked rapidly. “You know everything about ice cream.”

“But, what to call it? How to decorate it? I don’t know anything about that!”

Lily reached out and grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “You don’t have to.”

“But, but,” Aaron sputtered.

“That is what professionals are for. There are professional decorators. And professional marketers.” Lily sniffed. “Really, Dame Anastasia copped out by naming the restaurant the Silver Glade. That’s an easy go to stand by.”

Aaron bit his lip hard. He dug into his ice cream and took a few bites.

“Now,” Lily took out her phone and did a search for the decorator. She found the phone number and slid her phone over to Aaron. “Here is the decorator your sister hired for the restaurant.”

Aaron stared at it.

“Call him,” Lily urged.

Aaron reached for his phone and slowly dialed the number. He explained who he was and what he was trying to do. He took the phone away from his ear and looked at it with a frown on his face, brow furrowed. “He’s on his way. Since, we’re having ice cream.”

“We must have been photographed on social media.”

“Oh dear. I hope they aren’t saying anything salacious.”

Lily did a quick search. “Not really? They don’t know who I am and I’m wearing Silverglade Clan colors.”

“Hmm,” Aaron said.

“Random employee pep talk,” Lily shrugged and put it away.

“We should be more careful,” Aaron mumbled.

“That could make things worse,” Lily told him. She ate her ice cream. “I confess I don’t know a lot about wine or ice cream. Other than it is tasty and I like eating it.”

Aaron fidgeted. “Well, the winery is a very lucrative business and it could be more so. You see, the price of wine really depends on its scarcity. A good bottle of wine can sell for at least 500 Jorvik shillings.”

Lily got out her phone and did a currency conversion. “So, 20 American dollars?” It appeared that 1 dollar equaled 25 Jorvik Shillings. And 100 Jorvik shillings equaled 1 star coin. (Lily made a note to never use star coins on the transport.) So, 100 Jorvik shillings was roughly 4 American dollars in market value.

“I suppose,” Aaron blinked. He stirred his ice cream. “Of course, the price of an individual bottle goes down as you order more volume. But depending on the amount of wine made and sold in a year, a winery as big as mothers can make 50 billion shillings a year.”

Lily did the conversion on her phone. “2 billion dollars a year?”

“Not every year and, between you and I, we aren’t currently making nearly that much as we don’t have the proper marketing or demand.” Aaron flushed. “I probably shouldn’t be telling you this.”

“Probably not,” Lily said. “But that is really interesting!”

“Wine output is determined by how many hectares of grapes you have planted. And of course, everything depends on soil salinity and the weather. We have cooler weather here in Jorvik. That all effects the taste of the wine. And if your wine doesn’t taste good and pass certain standards, you can’t price it higher. We aren’t as fussy as France,” Aaron sniffed. “But we still have standards.”

Lily grinned around a spoonful of ice cream.

The decorator literally flounced up to the table. “I hope you haven’t started talking about anything juicy without me!” He struck a pose.

“Just about wine profits,” Lily said.

“Well, say no more until I have ice cream,” the decorator sat and ordered from one of the servers. She returned quickly with his bowl of ice cream and left them.

“All right, darlings, explain everything about this wine and ice cream bar?”

Lily raised a brow at Aaron.

He floundered.

Lily decided it was probably better if she took over. “The wine cave has a room that is meant to be a tasting room,” she said. “I haven’t been in it.” Her brow furrowed and she picked up the phone and sent a text. She set the phone down. “Sir Silverglade knows a lot about ice cream and the concept is to pair ice cream dishes with wine to attract tourists with something a little different? Sir Silverglade was telling me about how our cooler weather makes the wine taste different than if we had warmer weather.”

The decorator tilted his head. “Is it even possible to pair wine and ice cream without it ending badly?”

“Small cups! Small!” Lily widened her eyes.

The decorator grinned. “The whole point of a wine tour is to get gloriously drunk and buy lots of wine you don’t need.”

Lily sighed.

Her phone buzzed. She picked it up, checked the messages and passed it to the decorator. “The tasting room.”

“Another very empty box,” the decorator sniffed. “How distressing.”

Lily rolled her eyes. “If you remember, the outside of the wine cave looks like the Parthenon or another long rectangular greek temple.”

“It’s based on the Valley of the Temples in Sicily,” Aaron said stiffly.

Lily gestured. See?

“Romantic get away for a Silverglade ancestor, I’m assuming. Sounds like a story,” the decorator smirked.

Aaron mumbled something and fiddled with his shirt sleeves.

“Continue please, a big empty room is a blank canvas, I want to hear more about your ideas.” The decorator passed the phone back to Lily.

Aaron cleared his throat. “Outside of France, many wineries maximize their profits by having different types of grapes and they grow these grapes in different areas of their property called cotes that has the best weather suited for them and we have to be very particular about soil salinity. Our Pinot Noir grapes are in the area of the winery that has the best weather due to their rather finicky and delicate nature. All of the vines at the Silverglade winery are different types of red grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Melbec, Merlot, Zinfandel, and Syrah.”

“Is there a reason for that?” The decorator asked. “I know that Riesling is a very popular wine to have with local foods. That is if anyone ever recommends a wine at all. But Riesling is a German white grape.”

Aaron shrugged. “I don’t know. Those are the varietals we have. We also have a Rose blended wine and a Red blend fortified wine in the style of Port for sale. We use the skin contact method to make the wine pink and take the skins out before the wine becomes deep red. It’s traditional.”

Lily bit the inside of her cheek. The Silverglades could be so stuffy.

“But the good thing about red wine is that it pairs well with our local fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, and lingonberries. You can even pair it with apples and cheese,” Aaron brightened. “For white wine, you pair it with things like peaches, orange, and melons. We don’t have those around Silverglade so, it’s all fortuitous you see.”

“Or Fruituitous,” Lily wrinkled her nose.

Aaron grimaced at the pun.

The decorator laughed. “I like you, darling,” he waved a spoon at her.

“So my ideas for ice cream feature the local produce and of course we want to use local cream products and import chocolate, everyone loves chocolate.” Aaron fiddled with his utensils. “I have a list of items. I just can’t narrow it down.”

“Why bother narrowing it down?” Lily furrowed her brow. “I think it is more important that they taste good and pair well with the wines at the winery.”

“Yes, you must have a taste test,” the decorator nodded emphatically.

“I think they go well.”

“We trust your judgement,” Lily said quickly. “Having a tasting will provide publicity for the ice cream bar and let you gauge feedback on what the people will like.”

The decorator nodded. “She’s right. Publicity is, well, queen, in this case.”

“I mean, as long as you aren’t doing anything to outre like rose or violet or lavender ice cream,” Lily said.

“We could,” Aaron murmured. “Rose and cardamom go together and you know how much mother loves cardamom. And cardamom and lingonberries go well with red wine. In some recipes you can substitute rose water for red wine.”

Lily felt the need to point out. “You denude Agnetha’s rose bushes she’ll come after you with her chainsaw no matter if you’re the son of the Baroness or not.”

The decorator burst into laughter.

Aaron pursed his lips. “Agnetha is scary. They’re old friends you know, her and my mother. Went to university together.”

“Oh good grief,” Lily groaned. “That explains so much.”

“And Lavender goes with rose wine,” Aaron added.

Lily sighed. “Yes, but they also scream snobby.”

The decorator snorted.

“Wine making is snobby,” Aaron retorted.

“Okay, make them a special at some point.” Lily waved her hand.

Aaron tried to retain what very little dignity he had. “Most of my ideas are things that people will like, vanilla and berries, chocolate and nuts, strawberry cheesecake, sea salt caramel, that sort of thing.”

“Those all sound delicious,” Lily said.

“And something with cardamom for my mother,” Aaron continued stiffly. He slumped again. “I don’t know what to call it or what I want things to look like.”

“This tasting room at least isn’t in a drafty old cellar, even if the walls look like it,” the decorator sniffed.

“Aren’t wine cellars rooms nobles actually have?” Lily tilted her head. “I mean, does the manor have one.”

“Yes, the manor has a wine cellar,” Aaron nodded. “Mother keeps all the special bottles there.”

“Then, why not call it the Wine Cellar and keep it simple, like the restaurant was simple. I mean, no one is going to care that it’s not really in a cellar. Or they shouldn’t.”

“Since the cellar of the wine cave is filled with kegs and kegs of aging wine,” Aaron murmured.

“If we call it the Wine Cellar people are going to expect grapes as décor,” the decorator sniffed.

“I don’t see why we can’t do a bit of that.”

“And too keep the walls rough.”

“Also doable,” Lily said. She raised a finger. “Wait, why not face them with marble slabs. That way they can look “rough” and be fancy at the same time.”

“We don’t want it to have the same exact look at the Silver Glade, but the two should say they belong in the same place, did you just say marble slabs,” the decorator raised a brow.

Lily shrugged. “It’s an idea.”

“It’s going to be cold.”

“It’s summer,” Lily reminded him.

Aaron ducked his head and smiled.

“Let me see what other ice cream parlors are doing,” the decorator picked up his phone. “You never know what you can use for ideas.”

He scrolled. “All right, modern and elegant but with old world flair. I’m seeing two that have ideas that could work. This ice cream parlor in Prague that turns into a bar during the evening, and this other one in Palma, Spain. I’m thinking more the floor and the fact they have the greenery on the ceiling.” He turned the phone around so Aaron could look at the pictures.

“I like the lamps in Prague, they remind me of the lamps Agnetha is putting in,” Aaron said.

Lily craned her head forward trying to see.

Aaron turned the phone around.

“Oh, the one in Prague is very clean. Both have the exposed lighting. But the walls in Prague remind me more of the walls in the restaurant, like they’re clean despite not having the French Paneling.”

“An ice cream parlor and wine bar doesn’t really need French Paneling.” The decorator sniffed. “And the humidity would ruin it.”

“Could we make chairs out of old barrels?” Lily asked.

“Why do you even need me?” The Decorator asked.

“Because you can tell us if our ideas are good or bad,” Lily smirked at him.

The decorator sighed. “That is the sort of old world kitsch that it probably does need. We can use the same type of lamps or similar as to the restaurant and the rest of the winery.”

“We have hanging flower baskets already and urns of flowers,” Lily pointed out.

The decorator looked at the pictures again. “I know this building looks two and a half stories high with the pitch of the roof. All the lighting will have to be brought in it looks like. Let’s give the walls a good polishing. I know a contractor. We’ll install a marble floor with several coats of protection. Everything will have to be hand built. Maybe we can use barrel staves on the front of the bar.”

“We may not be able to use ivy or roses, aren’t those sunny plants. Agnetha talks and talks,” Lily bit her lip. She set her spoon down, ice cream done. “I can’t remember all of it.”

“I was thinking that we could take a nod from Prague and do the logo in lights, whatever it ends up being.”

“We’ll get a marketing team on it,” Aaron said. “I know Anastasia has one for the restaurant. I’ll tack my requests onto hers.”

“Excellent plan,” the decorator smirked. “I’ll get some drawings for these barrel chairs and use the same roman style idea we’ve been using and that should take care of the ‘wine cellar’ vibe we’re going for.”

Lily nodded rapidly.

Aaron looked faint with relief. He sipped his coffee.

“And use Agnetha’s artist for lights,” the decorator sighed. “She has to be charging through the nose to get it done as quickly as she is.”

“Would you say no to Agnetha or Baroness Silverglade?” Lily said.

Aaron smiled again behind his mug.

“No, not at all,” the decorator admitted. “Hmm, doesn’t she have that arch thing near the Riding Arena.”

“Yep,” Lily said. She produced a picture.

“Yes, exactly, we’ll create something to set off the bar area from the lounging area with that type of theme, though you know, one story instead of whatever that is,” he rolled his eyes. “I know, because I’ve been to France, that the top of that arch has square tile motifs. We can use grapes there, probably in a circle with roses in the corners. Then horses on each side of the arch on the walls.”

Lily nodded rapidly.

“That way we won’t have to change the base of the lamps that she already has a mold for and we won’t get bitched at.”

Lily giggled.

“And we can wrap them in something that likes to climb and is shade loving to help bring in more greenery. There, I think I have a plan. Hanging globe lights from the ceiling with more hanging plants. Put shade loving plants in the urns.” The decorator clapped their hands together. They finished their ice cream. “I’ll go get on making a picture for you to approve.” He stood up. “Excellent meeting you again, Ms. Lily. I’ll be in touch, Sir Silverglade.” He smiled and sauntered off shoes clicking on the tiles.

Lily stared at Aaron.

Aaron sipped his coffee. “He seems very good at his job.”

Lily bit her lip.

“Thank you, for, for all this, you do know just what to say.”

“Sir Aaron, we want this to succeed just as much as you do and, well, ice cream.” Lily widened her eyes. “Now, don’t forget to put up a JarlList to get some employees.”

“Of course, and I am going to call Anastasia and tell her I liked that outfit Franzeska came up with that had the blouse with the contrasting collar and cuffs. It was very professional looking.”

“Yeah, I’ll leave you to it,” Lily breathed. She got up. She wanted no part of the fight over what place was going to have what outfit. She retreated across the street and grabbed the trolley as it headed by to take her to the bus station.

At least, the crisis seemed to be averted.

Lily debated on the way back to Fort Pinta if she should pop her head in and tell Baroness Silverglade to remind her children she loved them a bit more often.

Lily shuddered.

No, probably not a good idea.

FOR THE ACCOMPANYING IMAGES PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE MY WATERMARK AND CONTACT INFORMATION. THANK YOU. I get it. Some of you might get excited and want to see this stuff in the game, especially the clothes, tack, and pets. However, the only way I want to see this in the game is if I get paid for it. If I see it in the game and I’m not paid for it, there will be hell to pay. You think I’m salty. I’d be angry. Personally, I’m not going to send this info to SSO. If you do, leave my contact information there! Don’t give them any excuses to steal.

Now, I’ll know you haven’t read this note if you leave me comments about how ‘salty’ I am about the game and if I hate it so much I should do something else. I am doing something else. It’s called Mystic Riders MMORPG Project. Mystic Riders however is a very baby phase game. You can check out our plans on the game dev blog. (Skills, Factions, Professions, Crafting, Mini-Games, 25+ horse breeds!) If you know anyone who would be interested and has money or contacts about game making, direct them to the blog.

[wineftw]

LIFE, THE UNIVERSE FARMS AND EVERYTHING

A story about chairs and Czech Riesling.

The girl walked up, cool as a cucumber, and laid down in front of me.  

Our group had just arrived at Sonberk Winery, an impressive 40-hectare estate in the South Moravian region of the Czech Republic.

We stepped off the bus and spread out across the front lawn, overlooked by a large, architect-designed tasting room. Phones were whipped out of pockets to capture the moment. Indeed, the view from the lawn across the vineyards is so stunning that it made the front cover of Jean-Baptiste Ancelot's book Wine Explorers*.

Hunting around for a different angle (who wants to take the same picture as everyone else?), I spied a large, irregularly-shaped plaque set on the grass. Rambling sentences comprised of esoteric terms adorned it: Universe Farms was the title of the clumsy English translation. I read it and was none the wiser. Was this perhaps a tribute to a leftfield agricultural method practiced at Sonberk?  

“Eames bench of the parallel world” - something had certainly been lost in translation. Was there perhaps a religious significance? Could there be someone - or something - buried beneath the plaque?

As I mused, along came one of our group. She promptly laid down on the plaque and started taking pictures of the vineyards before her. I was taken aback: wasn't this potentianlly - well, disrespectful? Reverie broken and feeling indignant, I stepped away and left her to it, resolved to discover if some inappropriate behaviour had occurred.

That evening, I googled Universe Farms and went straight down a rabbit hole. Click through on the link and you'll see what I mean. It's trippy. For reasons I couldn't begin to fathom, Sonberk Winery had allowed Eames Demetrios (grandson of legendary American husband-and-wife design team Charles and Ray Eames, no less) to uh, create a Universe Farm on their property.

Say what?

To put it simply (sort of), self-styled Geographer-at-Large Eames Demetrios is the creator of Kcymaerxthaere, an alternative, parallel universe coexisting with our world. For the past decade he has been travelling around our linear world installing markers and historic sites that honour events from this parallel world. Eames is “on a journey to add to the imprecision of the world,” and he's been busy conjuring up an alternative universe and creating stories.

“I install markers, forms, shapes and installations to create sites,” he says. According to the official Kcymaerxthaere website, “142.5 installations have been installed in 30 linear countries. The .5 refers to an installation planned for the Moon...”

I've popped the map of Kcymaerxthaere below for your reference.  

Righty-ho, then.

The next day I tasted my way through flights of wine samples submitted for the 2020 Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, held in the city of Brno (as judges, we had been taken to Sonberk - the name means sunny mountain - as part of our programme). A discrete but friendly Czech chap on my tasting panel turned out to be none other than Sonberk co-founder Tibor Nyitray.

How perfect was this? The Universe was obviously speaking to me. I seized my opportunity: when we'd finished tasting I asked him if he'd sit down with me to answer my questions about life, the Universe Farms and everything. Here's what I gleaned.

Back in 2003, Tibor and his partners formed a consortium to create the best Czech winery. They went large, investing €4m in the project which assembled 40 hectares of vineyards from a dozen previous owners to create one single area of vines located 10 km north of the Pálava hills.

Cue 28 ha of new vines planted, a state-of-the-art winery and tasting room designed by leading Czech architect Josef Pleskot, and the hiring of Oldrich Drapal, one of Moravia's most innovative young winemakers.  

Their investment started to pay dividends in 2010 when Sonberk's Rhine Riesling 2008 won a Regional Trophy in the Decanter World Wine Awards. In 2017, not one but two DWWA Platinum medals went to wines from Sonberk (Pálava 2015 and Riesling 2014), and the 2020 results were equally impressive, as you can see:

Sonberk has an annual production of around 130,000 bottles, most of which are sold on the domestic market, and judging by the praise and plaudits, the stated ambition of creating a leading Czech winery has been fulfilled. I asked Tibor about plans for the next five years.

“The goal is to achieve such success regularly. In the Czech market we're well established, we combine wine with culture so we host a lot of cultural events at the estate. We're trying to persuade people to come and visit our winery and create beautiful memories in this way. The big goal is to get into the US market and increase the ratio of our exports - we export only about 5%, but we're looking for more. And of course, we want to keep the quality as high as possible.”

What's the secret of Sonberk's success and your Platinum medal-winning Riesling?

“We have an exceptional terroir for white wines, south/south-west exposure and poor soils,  mainly loess. In the vineyards we work in the most eco-friendly way possible, the harvesting was only done by hand until this year. We strictly reduce the yield per single vine to 1.5 kg of fruit. For the Riesling Noble Rot, about 40% of the grapes were botrytised and picked on the last three days of that year's harvest. We vinified them mainly in stainless steel, with a few weeks in 30 HL oak vats, just to give the wine some air. We made 8,000 bottles, the 2017 vintage was exceptional.”

We chatted about the quotation I had spotted on an oak vat in the barrel cellar -  quod hodie non est, cras erit - which roughly translates as “if not today, then tomorrow” - apparently a saying favoured by winemaker Oldrich Drapal.

And what about the Universe Farm on the front lawn?

Tibor was less forthcoming about this, but after some probing, I got an explanation. The Sonberk tasting room features some fancy furniture, including some DKR wire chairs (Tibor’s leaning on one in the photo above) designed by (yup) Charles and Ray Eames, available through Swiss company Vitra.

While on a visit to the Czech Republic, Eames Demetrios was invited to Sonberk by the Vitra folks. Favourably impressed by what he saw, he decided he'd like to create a Universe Farm there: Sonberk's marketing director approved, the investors gave it the green light... and the rest is history.

Having a Universe Farm on your estate certainly creates a talking point, if nothing else. I was fascinated to have learned about the Kcymaerxthaere project, and if you've got some time to spare and an enquiring mind, you can identify the sites nearest to you (and read the wacky stories woven around them) by consulting this page.

Me? I've resolved to be a bit less judgemental, and to stay curious.  

*If you're keen to try Sonberk wines, you'll have to hunt them down as they don't export to many countries (yet). They can be purchased online in France via Wine Explorers, and in the UK there is a limited selection available through Ellis of Richmond.

[gethealthy18-blog]

Caribou Gold Rush Trail Travel Guide British Columbia

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Caribou Gold Rush Trail Travel Guide British Columbia

As I shared bits and pieces of my trip to British Columbia last week on Instagram, the most common question I got was “where ARE you?”. Great question and to be honest, up until last week I would not have been able to tell you where I was. In fact when I landed in Vancouver I was convinced we were going to Eastern British Columbia (we weren’t) so needless-to-say this trip was certainly off the beaten path.

So how exactly did I end up spending a week on the Caribou Gold Rush Trail in Central British Columbia? Let’s discuss…

A few months ago I received a text from my friend Jonny asking if I was interested in going on a trip with him in BC. Jonny and I met a few years ago when we worked together on a trip to Banff. We totally hit it off and I went back to Banff a few years later. He now runs his own business (check out Eco Escape Travel) out of Vancouver and has clients that he works with on content creation and social media. One of his clients in the Caribou Chilcotin Coast Travel Association (CCCTA).

They had a content trip planned for June and I figured “hey! why not? I’m always down for adventure”! And adventure we did. I’ll be honest, this trip was both the highest of highs and lowest of lows. The days were exceptionally long but also packed full of activities that were truly once-in-a-lifetime. I learned a lot about this region of British Columbia and my hope is that I can inspire you to get off the beaten path and explore the Caribou Chilcotin Coast yourself.

Courtesy of: CCCTA

Where is Chilcotin BC?

Let’s first discuss where I was. Anyone who is from or has visited Canada knows how big it is. Each province is HUGE with many different landscapes and areas to explore. British Columbia is no exception. From Vancouver to Whistler to Victoria and Kelowna, British Columbia has no shortage of destinations. However, the Chilcotin (as it’s called) is worth adding to the bucket list. The Chilcotin encompasses the central region of the province just on the eastern side of the Coast Mountains (where Whistler is located). The Chilcotin itself has a mountain range full of provincial parks, glaciers and wildlife yet is surprisingly accessible from Vancouver – roughly 5 hours away by car.

What is the Caribou Chilcotin Coast?

The name is kind of confusing, right? The Caribou Chilcotin Coast actually refers to THREE mountainous areas including the Caribou range to the north, the chilcotin range below that and the eastern side of the coast mountains. It isn’t in fact along the coast but instead covers hundreds of miles from southern to northern British Columbia. It is a region of central BC.

What is the Gold Rush Trail BC?

Now just to add to the confusion, this area is also sometimes referred to as The Gold Rush Trail. Why? Because this was the path miners took when searching for gold in BC. Yes, there was a gold rush in British Columbia and many remnants of it remain along the path starting in Lillooet all the way up to Barkerville. The trail actually beings before Lillooet but technically mile zero begins there. You can actually follow the whole path all the way up stopping at many historic inns and locations that still preserve many of the remnants from the 1800s gold rush.

Some stops worth making along the trail: Kilby Historic Site, The Town of Lillooet, Historic Hat Creek and Barkerville.

Why Visit the Caribou Gold Rush Trail?

There are a couple reasons why one might explore the Caribou Gold Rush Trail but I’m going to narrow it down to three: adventure, historical and indigenous travel. If you are an off-the-beaten path adventure junkie, this place is for you. This is especially true for mountain bikers who consider this some of the best mountain biking in the world.

If you’re a history buff who loves learning about the gold rush and historical travel, this area is also for you. As I mentioned above, you can literally follow the path all the way up stopping at important locations along the gold rush trail.

If you love learning about native cultures and experiencing them first hand, you will also love this region. There are so many indigenous first nations in this area to learn from. One of my favorite parts!

Some Highlights…

Most of the time when I write these travel guides I try to give an exact route or itinerary you can follow. However, because we were on a content trip, a lot of the sites we visited either a) aren’t accessible to the public or b) weren’t necessarily places I would have chosen to visit (just being honest!). So instead I’m going to share my highlights from the Chilcotin Gold Rush Trail and places I think are worth visiting. Let’s do this!

REO Yoga + Rafting Resort [Boston Bar, British Columbia]

Go HERE! If I could have spent all week here I would have. I’m biased because I love yoga but even if yoga isn’t your jam, this place is for you. The accommodations are luxury glamping with fully outfitted tents that are cozy, warm yet still feel like you’re in nature. Stay in the river tents and you’ll hear the river rushing all night – it’s the perfect white noise.

Included in your stay are 2-3 yoga classes a day (mixture of hatha, vinyasa and yin), 3 meals, accommodations and a rafting trip down the river. Rafting isn’t my cup of tea but I’m glad I did it and this area of British Columbia is absolutely beautiful. It’s considered the very southern end of the gold rush trail and is only about 3 hours from Vancouver. This place is an absolute steal and perfect for a weekend getaway or yoga retreat.

On your way from Vancouver stop for a hike in the Othello Tunnels and beautiful views at the Alexandra Bridge Provincial Park.

Lillooet, British Columbia

This is technically mile zero of the Gold Rush Trail however this area offers more than meets the eye. It’s also only about 2 hours from Whistler so could definitely be a day excursion from there. Here were some favorites:

Xwisten Experience

This is one of the best indigenous tourism experiences I have had. Stop in at Xwisten Experiences to experience how the Bridge River First Nations have been fishing in this region for 10,000 years as well as a demonstration of their wind dried salmon. They also take you up to where the pit houses are located and I don’t consider it a coincidence a beautiful eagle was flying over us. This experience is so special. Make sure you sign-up for a tour!

Fort Barens Winery

I was not expecting there to be great wine in Lillooet but boy was I wrong. BC is known for their Okanagan wines but Lillooet is soon to be on the map. Stop in for a tasting and go home with a bottle (or three!) of their delicious varieties. The setting is easy on the eyes too.

Split Rock Environmental

I’m a botanical geek so I loved stopping in at Split Rock to learn about the native flora and fauna is the region as well as try out (and buy!) some of their homemade bath and beauty products. You can also hike around their property and check out the man-made salmon run that was built to help preserve the salmon that come through the area.

TBH the accommodations in this area are slim pickins’ so I don’t have a specific place to recommend, however it’s only about 1.5 hours from Gold Bridge and Tyax Lodge (more on this below) so it’s a perfect place to stop in and out of that area.

Gold Bridge, British Columbia

This location is definitely the furthest from Vancouver, however it also offers the quietest and least trafficked area we visited. So if you’re really looking to get away from it all, Gold Bridge is for you.

Tyax Lodge

I highly recommend staying here during your trip. The accommodations are really nice (not super high end but not super rustic either) with beautiful views of the mountains. What I loved most about this place was the list of activities available. You can canoe, paddle board, go on a float plane ride to a local glacier, go to the spa and the list goes on. There are an abundance of activities at your disposal that allow you to explore the area.

Tyax Adventures

Not to be confused with Tyax Lodge, Tyax Adventures is a separate company that offers tours and lodging within the Gold Bridge area. Their tours are definitely more of the rugged variety and designed for people who love adventure. Since this post is all about honesty, I really was not a fan of their camping accommodations. Your girl can camp but this was REALLY rustic. Though I’m sure the rain and freezing temps didn’t help.

If I had planned it I would have just done one of their float plane day trips to hike in the Spruce Lake area but if you’re big into mountain biking or want something really off the beaten path their tent camps are always an option (though don’t believe their website – this isn’t “glamping”).

Chilcotin Holidays

Saved the best for last! If you love horses or have wanted to do a horseback riding adventure, you HAVE to go to Chilcotin Holidays. We did an afternoon ride through the mountains though they offer multi-day and week pack trips in addition to their day rides. We finished up the day with a white harvest meal featuring locally foraged foods like wild onions and potatoes, soopolalie berries and even wild elk and bear! The team here is kind and patient and I truly loved this experience.

From flying over a glacier in a float plane to crawling into a grizzly bear den, this trip wasn’t short on adventure. I’m somewhat biased but I really do think the Chilcotin Gold Rush Trail is a worthwhile visit if you’re coming through British Columbia or are looking to explore more of your province. This trip really gave me a lot of perspective on how much Western Canada truly has to offer and how little of it I have actually seen. I need a solid nap after 17-18 hour days but I’m already scheming ways to get back.

So tell me: Have you heard of the Caribou Chilcotin Coast + Gold Rush Trail? I’m excited for more of you to discover it!

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[alifeenrouteblog]

my trip to maui, hawaii

In early March, I went to Hawaii, specifically the island of Maui. My aunt has lived there for over twenty years and I've wanted to visit her but could never ever afford a thousand dollar ticket there. But then I had a genius idea: as a consultant, I would travel to San Francisco three or four times a year, I could buy the ticket to Hawaii from SF, cutting the ticket by more than half. Yes, I am a genius. So I went to Maui! Here are the highlights.

 March is prime whale watching in Maui

Humpback whales migrate from Alaska to Hawaii every year from November to April roughly. They head there to mate and birth their babies in the warm waters! Ah. Isn't evolution so cool? We went on a whale watching tour on a boat. The first fifteen minutes were a bit slow as the boat captain tried to find the whales. But once we started spotting whales, we couldn't stop. We met one whale who was a bit of a show boat; (s)he kept jumping out of the water and breaching, which was breathtaking. Then we found a group of whales and eventually were surrounded by five or six humpback whales. Oh, is that not amazing enough? EFFING DOLPHINS JOINED THEM!!! I saw dolphins and whales play. I have made terms with my impermanence now because I saw the most amazing thing in the world.

 Bike Down a Volcano

My aunt has lived in Maui for 20+ years and knows all the cool local stuff to do. She even knows the cool things to do at the tourist sites. She has two bikes, which we drove up to the top of the dormant Haleakalā Volcano. Her mom drove us up and we were able to get out and explore the top, the Haleakala National Park, a bit. This site is known for people getting on long waiting lists and purchasing tickets to camp overnight to watch the sunrise here. But we weren't there for that. We cruised down the 10,000 feet on our bikes. It got scary at points, when cars were on the road or it got really windy. But it was really beautiful and fun. It's not something you can many other places in the world.

 Stand Up Paddle Board

I also went stand up paddle boarding in Ukumehame Park with my aunt. This is a small public beach, and there didn't seem to be any rentals around there. I was very lucky because again, my aunt had two SUP boards. In March, its still a bit choppy out there and while I've been SUP before, I am only good at it on very calm water (i.e. I could not get up in Lake Michigan). I was barely able to get up here and didn't stay for long. Probably speaks more to my weak core though.

 Farmer's Market

There's a small farmer's market in Pukalini on Saturdays. I heard there's a bigger one somewhere else in the island, but this one had everything I really needed. Most of the vendors were food; I ate some coconut milk panna cotta (very yum). I also bought a real, whole coconut, which the dude had to chop with a machate in front of me, and then drank out of it with a straw.

 Big Beach in Wailea

Are you asking yourself, Stephanie did you go to the fucking beach at all? Yes, I did! I went to the Big Beach in Waileia, but not until my second to last day. And until then, I was kind of feeling like my trip was missing something and I was right. Wailea is where it's at. There's definitely a reason why it's where all of the luxury hotels are. The Big Beach (McKenna) is public, but I did not find it to be busy at all. It was very beautiful and peaceful; I sat there and read for hours. I went two days in a row. Tip: there's lots of free parking there and the beach is very long. But get there early for parking and before it gets too hot around 1/2pm.

 Sneak into a Fancy Hotel

The first day I was at the beach, my aunt called and said when I was done I should meet them at this fancy hotel pool. She knew which hotels to sneak in. It was way easier than I thought. I just valeted my car. I told them my aunt was staying there, but he didn't care. He said valet was $20 or I could order something at the bar/restaurant and get it validated. Easy. So we soaked up the sun at this gorgeous hotel with multiple infinity pools and a view of the Ocean. With the exception of my aunt, I think I was the only person not on a honeymoon there. I felt lavish and loved every minute.

 After I left the Big Beach for the second time, on my last day (I was leaving at 11:30pm), I went to the restaurant, Monkey Pod. I heard good things about the cocktails, which I did not have. I needed to try poke before I left the island. I ate poke tacos, which were pretty delicious.

 Road to Hana

By far, the highlight of my trip was the Road to Hana. It's a well known drive around almost the entire island of Maui. The whole trip is about eight hours; its filled with winding roads, one lane bridges, and hundreds of spots to stop and see, i.e. waterfalls, rivers, beaches, markets. The trip is designed to take all day and for a lot of stops to explore. You don't need a map because its literally one road you can take the whole time, going in a loop. But I needed a guide to tell me what I was looking at and where to stop. I downloaded the app, Gypsy Guide: Road to Hana. It was about $6 and well worth it. The app is run by satellite, not cell service, which was helpful because I didn't have service about 25% of the time. The app had a voice guide, who would tell me what sight was about to come up so I could make a decision to pull over or not. And when we approached it would give me more historical/cultural information about the site. It would also provide random tid bits throughout the trip. Sometimes it was interesting, sometimes it wasn't. But it was easy to skip the dude if I knew I didn't want to stop there (you can only stop at so many waterfalls) or if I didn't find the information interesting. 

I did the drive alone, started in Paia, and set out to finish at the Maui Winery. The entire trip was beautiful. Its miles of rainforests, followed by coast lines, followed by miles of driving on cliffs, all of which are breathtaking views. I stopped off at a couple waterfalls. I also stopped in the town of Haiku, which involved driving down a dirt road, parking, and then walking for 15 min to see the ocean. It took a bit of time but it was really secluded and unexpectedly beautiful. I stopped at few secluded rocky beaches on the side of the road. Just for 20-30 min to read and look at the scenery. That's the beauty of the Road to Hana - you can stop whenever the eff you please. 

The most beautiful stop off was Wai’anapanapa State Park. There's a black sand beach. Its huge. I found myself taking hundreds of photos here because I was trying so hard to feel the beauty I was seeing. Sometimes when I see something overwhelmingly beautiful and I'm happy/excited/nervous, I want to embrace the beauty, I want to truly embody the earth that I'm seeing. I want to be truly connected to the beauty and earth. My only solution so far is to take a lot of photographs in hopes that I will get a few good ones that I can look at when I get home.

Of course, the last stop is Hana. It's an underwhelming town. And a lot of locals will tell you that before you go or you will read it in guides, "Oh Hana is not that great." But it's all about the drive.

I found the whole trip, which I believe took me about eight hours, cathartic. Not just the beauty. Because I'm sure you're sick of me saying how beautiful Hawaii is by now. But it's a peaceful drive. There's no traffic. Yes, the one lane bridges can be intimidating, but everyone was really polite about the whole thing and I never ran into any issues. And the winding roads require a lot of attention, but the island has such diverse terrain and scenery, you're never bored. And it's just calm enough to think to yourself and come to some really positive epiphanies. I said this on my Instagram, but the trip was almost a spiritual experience. But not quite because I listened to podcasts about serial killers the whole time.

All of my pics of the road to Hana are below.

 Tips for the Road to Hana: 

Start early because you do not want to drive at all when it's dark. The latest you should start is 11am.

Don't bring kids.

Try to do it solo.

Drive an SUV. Even a small one is fine.

I strongly suggest finishing at Maui Winery. It's a long day and it feels very good to finish with a glass of wine.

In Hana, seek out the Thai food truck. It's bomb.

 Champagne at Sunset

On the evening of my last day in Maui, my aunt had another local secret adventure for us. We went to Mama's Fish House for a champagne toast. But not in the restaurant. Apparently, it's a very good, very expensive restaurant. Also, the view of the sunset is perfect there. So we grabbed a bottle of champagne. Parked the car. Sat on the grass on top of the hill. And toasted to my inaugural trip to Hawaii.

It's a really magical place. I was surprised at how much I loved it. Before the trip, a significant portion of me thought Hawaii might be slightly overrated. But when I was at the airport about to leave, I felt like I was going to cry. I don't know why. I should have been eager to get home; I hadn't been in Cleveland for 10 days. But I didn't want to leave. I had this yearning to stay. Maybe move there. When I got back to Cleveland, I went into a depression. I explained this to others and anyone that had been to Hawaii before said the same thing happened to them. Someone said, "Hawaii will do that to you." 

[k1reynolds]

If we had to describe our experience at the Livermore Valley Barrel Tasting Weekend in one word, without a doubt, that word would be: Hospitality.

This was our first trip to Livermore Valley Wine Country. We were invited as guests of the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association, and were very eager to attend. In preparation for the event, we did a little studying and learned a great deal about the incredible and influential history of this wine region. You can read about what we learned in our previous post by clicking here.

As the name suggests, the Barrel Tasting Weekend is a two-day event, Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4:30 p.m. each day. There are more than 40 wineries in the Livermore Valley, and roughly 35 of them were participating in the weekend. Clearly, we had a daunting task ahead of us, trying to make it to as many of these as possible. Yes folks, Wine Blogging has its own, unique challenges and stresses. This is not for the faint of heart. Fortunately, we are willing to do it. For you, dear readers.

As luck would have it, to add to the challenge, we got a late start on the nearly two-hour drive to the Valley, and didn’t arrive Saturday until around 2 p.m. Having missed out on two entire hours of tasting, our mission looked dire. Like many events of this type, during registration we selected a winery to start our journey, where we would pick up our glasses and wrist bands. Scoping the lay of the land, we decided to start at one of the furthest locations from Livermore, the city, and work our way in. So it was that we found ourselves at the charming venue that is Cedar Mountain Winery & Port Works. There, General Manager Cindy Burnett greeted us with wine thief in hand. She was offering barrel samples of their 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as tasted of their finished and bottled 2015. Next to her was owner Earl Ault, with barrel tastes of their recent NV Tortuga Royale, a fortified, Port-style wine made from Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, co-fermented with 70% Cocoa Powder. Truly one of the most unique flavor experiences we have had in our years of wine tasting! After sampling the very chocolaty barrel sample, which we thought tasted like adult chocolate milk, we got to try the current release from the bottle. Here, the bold chocolate flavors had softened and melded into the wine, creating a smooth, bold, delicious finished product. Really, folks, if you haven’t been barrel tasting, this would be a great place to start! This wine really showcased the differences between barrel and bottle!

So friendly were Cindy and Earl, and the rest of the staff at Cedar Mountain that they invited us to stay for a complimentary tasting of their entire library at the tasting bar. Never ones to be rude, we agreed. Though we didn’t taste the entire library…they have more than 20 table and dessert wines…we did work through many of them, including our first White Port experiences; a Viognier Port, Chardonnay Port, and an Oak Fermented Chardonnay Port! Long story short…we were there for over an hour. So much for our itinerary!

On to the next stop, we sauntered up the road to Eagle Ridge Vineyard. There we were greeted by Ron, an outgoing Philly transplant with a gruff, East Coast exterior but a great sense of wit and humor. He thieved us tastes of 2014 Petite Sirah and 2015 Zinfandel. Both presented nicely out of the barrel, and will really shine when bottled in a few months. After the barrel tasting, Ron invited us to taste a few more wines from their library. We were beginning to detect a theme here in Livermore Valley! As we tasted, Ron veered off to help some other newcomers, and we were further entertained by another of the amazing Eagle Ridge staff, Bill. Bill continued to pour, describe the wines…many of which are award winners…and generally entertain us with friendly conversation. Finally, it was time to go. There was less than an hour left in Saturday’s event, and we had more wineries to visit.

Down the hill a short distance and we came to what would be our final winery stop of the day, BoaVentura de Caires Winery. Housed in a quaint country barn, adjacent to a century-old farmhouse, BoaVentura specializes in Cabernet Sauvignon. If you clicked on the link at the beginning of this post, and read our preview article, you know that the Napa Cabernet Sauvignon you know and love actually originated in Livermore Valley.  (If you didn’t read our preview, you can do so now. We’ll wait.)  BoaVentura Batista de Caires is the grandfather of proprietor, Brett Caires. BoaVentura emigrated from Portugal in 1915, bringing with him, and passing down, a great love for wine. Brett purchased the vineyard land upon which BoaVentura winery sits in 1999. The influences of the unique micro-climates of this hilltop property produce distinctly different profiles in each vineyard. Many of the Cabernets are single vineyard, and the differences are self-evident with each taste.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Although specializing in Cabernet Sauvignon, the barrel taste of choice this day was the 2016 Petite Sirah; another impressive barrel sample that will shine after bottling. Brett was also pouring samples of their bottled Green Label Cabernet; a luscious and amazing wine! When we mentioned to Brett that we were there for our first visit, as guests of the winegrowers association, he told us to make ourselves at home in the tasting room, and to tell the staff there to “take good care” of us.

Always the obedient types, at least when it comes to wine, we ventured into the eclectic tasting room where we met Daniel. Daniel is Brett’s nephew, and actually works in the town where we live (did we mention it’s about a 2 hour drive?) Even more, he lives in the foothills beyond our town. No, he doesn’t commute to Livermore Valley every day; just once in a while and fore special events. At any rate, we hit it off with Daniel and he was quite generous with the tastings. We tasted the entire flight, up to and including the spectacular Maroon Label. Now, I (Kent) have tasted some cult Napa Cabs before… (remember this amazing day?) I would put the Maroon Label up against a $200+ cult Napa Cab any day, and it’s a fraction of the cost, at just $79!

Clearly we were impressed by the wines at BoaVentura. But what about that Livermore Valley hospitality with which we started this piece? Well, the event officially ended at 4:30 p.m. At 5 p.m. we were still tasting, and making friends with some of the wine club members who had gathered for a post-event event. By 5:15 these same wine club members had started a fire in the fire pit. We left our glasses on the tasting bar and meandered out to warm ourselves by the fire for a few minutes on our way to the car. A couple of minutes later, Brett Caries came out of the barn and walked over. He noticed that we had no wine glasses in our hands. We explained that we left them on the bar on our way out. He said, “well go back in there, grab some glasses, and make sure they pour you whatever you want.” And so it was that we finally left close to 7 p.m., after enjoying wine, laughs, and new friends.

A side note if you get hungry. Everywhere we went, when we asked for dinner recommendations, to a person, the response was “Zephyr Grill & Bar.” So we went. Robyn had the Eggplant Parmesean; ½ thick slabs of eggplant cooked to delicate perfection and served with sinfully delicious garlic mashed potatoes. Kent had the Duck Confit, which was also perfect; not greasy and not dry. Perfect! We’re not food bloggers so we didn’t think to take pictures, (We only managed to snap this shot of the wine glass) but the dishes were definitely worth writing home about. Service was exquisite, local wines aplenty, and we went back to our hotel completely satisfied. Check it out when you visit!

Thus ends day one. Stay tuned for more Livermore Valley Barrel Tasting Weekend Adventures in Part 2: Sunday!

Livermore Valley Barrel Tasting Weekend: Day 1 – Saturday If we had to describe our experience at the Livermore Valley Barrel Tasting Weekend in one word, without a doubt, that word would be: Hospitality.