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Reminder: we’re not actually that sentimental about our anniversaries, but these dates do provide an excuse to explore another corner of the world!

Back in 2022, we were pretty much sticking to domestic travel (except for Argentina in September, and I still don’t remember how/why that happened!). So for our anniversary, we decided to revisit Napa Valley. Our first trip there was in August 2004, right after I took the Illinois bar exam and before I started my BigLaw career (which did not last long — turned out I’d rather work to live than live to work). Since I wasn’t yet making the big bucks, we had a relatively low budget for that trip (although we did budget one HUGE splurge: dinner at the French Laundry!).

This time around, 18 years later, we decided to keep the dining a little more low key, but our accommodations were top-notch!

Getting there: l know we flew on AA, I know I booked us in economy, but I have no idea if we paid for these tickets or if I used points and I have no record as to whether we got upgraded. Who knows.

Staying there: this part I do remember! Alila Napa Valley, on points! Such a great score. I was Hyatt Globalist at the time, so I also used a suite upgrade award to get us a really nice room. I still remember that deck and our view…

Eating there: I really hope Chris still has notes on our meals, because all I’ve got is a list of where we ate: PRESS Restaurant, Willi’s Seafood and Raw Bar, Acacia House (now closed), and Wood Tavern in Oakland.

Getting back: all I know is that we flew AA, but once again, no record or memory as to any details about that flight.

I do remember wine tasting (getting quite silly at Vinter’s Collective!), walking around the various towns in the region, exploring a bit of Oakland on our last day before taking the red-eye home, and talking to folks about the effect of the wild fires in the region on grape crops. Yes, wine can be fancy and expensive. But the folks whose labor transforms those grapes into that wine are real people doing hard work in an environment that is getting harder and harder to work with.