Hiking in Colfax, CA

The little town of Colfax has a motto: "Above the fog, below the snow". This quaint town is only a short drive from Auburn, but we're greeted with the sun and plenty of water from the American River on this Winter hike. 

A couple of hiker buddies and I took the Steven's Trail, which is about 7 miles of 1300 ft. elevation and none of us had ever trekked there before. The unknown is part of the fun in the adventure. Lately, my life has been attached to my work, with eyes glued to the screen. While hiking, I find that I had to repeatedly remind myself to look up at the sights and breathe it all in. It's a reminder that in this world, you're really just small being that's a part of something bigger... and it's just what I needed.

One of the most amazing surprises of the day was when we stumbled across the ladybug migration site. They were so small and clustered together, you can easily mistaken them for berries. I'm the kind of person who gets excited about a single ladybug landing on my arm. Seeing them in droves was definitely incredible.

I was so hungry afterwards; one our way back home, we stopped at Auburn Alehouse in Old Town Auburn and had the most amazing burgers and fries, as one would crave after a full day of hiking.

Oxbow Public Market, Napa

I'm not sure why, but I love indoor markets... the Ferry Building Marketplace in SF, Pike Place in Seattle, Grand Central in LA, Chelsea Market in NY, etc. Maybe it's the calming ambiance that you're surrounded by good local foods and shops for that particular city. This time, I found myself in Oxbow Public Market in downtown Napa.

What I got to try is Three Twins Ice Cream. Everything is organic and they come with unique flavors (I had the Milk and Honey).

 After eating our hearts out with amazingly authentic Italian pizza at Ca'Momi , my friends and I wandered around the quaint little streets in downtown, stopping at notable shops like Poor House. 

Wine Tasting in Napa

For my first wine tasting experience, my friends and I visited Costello di Amorosa in Napa Valley. It's a large, Tuscan-style castle with animals roaming in the front lawn. We did the basic general admission, where we can freely roam the halls and sample 5 different wines. Despite my unfamiliarity of wine, I actually enjoyed each one I tasted.

The placement of the castle really makes it seem like we're in a different country... while just a half-hour South, is downtown Napa.