Dooley Noted Style: For the Love of the Weekend Getaway

My husband and I are notorious for taking Mondays & Fridays off to travel for our beloved weekend getaways. Spreading out our time off from work throughout the year instead of one or two big vacations. Whether we are heading to Shelter Island for a long weekend or doing one of our favorite New England destinations we are rarely take an entire week off. However, with one of my dearest friends getting married on the West coast we decided to splurge on ourselves and bask in a full glorious week away from the daily grind. It was an amazing week of weather and relaxation {despite a few hiccups} and most importantly my beautiful friend had the most amazing wedding day!!! {If you follow on Instagram, my apologies on already seeing some of these photos}. Check out below for all the details of where we slept, what we ate, wore and what we saw while in sunny California...get comfortable - it's a long one folks!

Landed in SFO, picked up our adorable rental car {I named her Bitzy for the week} and spent the day in San Francisco eating at the Slanted Door, dessert and appetizers in the Ferry Buildings Cafe/Market {Boccalone & Cowgirl Creamery were our favorites} followed with a trip to the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay for our first two nights stay.

Half Moon Bay sunset from our room

a misty morning view

Fireplaces outside & a faux fire on the good ole television via turndown service

A drive down the coast provided amazing views & lots of berry farms. I was in HEAVEN!

looking down - scarryyyyy

Berry Stands - yes please

adored this vintage scale - exactly how we should all look at those pesky little numbers staring back at us!

Lunch break in Santa Cruz at a great seaside resto named Aquarius.

On your way to Napa driving over the foggy Golden Gate Bridge

The Girl & The Fig

First order of business - a flight of white wines. Loved the different glasses they gave them in along with the coordinating list so you knew what you were drinking. Lunch was incredible and Sonoma has an adorable town to stroll around for a break from the vineyards {but seriously who would want a break from the vineyards???}

loved the lavatories cheeky men & women door signs

Checked into our adorable Harvest Bungalow at The Carneros Inn.

a sweet note from the bride & fabulous bubbly to enjoy - love her!

the hubs already on work calls

after the work call

Gorgeous views of rolling hills from the resorts pool area.

First night in Napa - a casual dinner at the fabulous Mustards Grill was our plan. It was one of my favorite meals! While waiting for our table we enjoyed his & hers flights of wines and great chats with the friendly staff and patrons. Why don't more places outside of wine country do this is beyond me, it was so fun to try a few different samples of different varieties and learn something about the wine we consume.

Day One Wineries

Caymus Vineyards - loved their decorative packaging, this bottle of red was inspired by Makers Mark wax topped bottles.

Had to visit my best friends favorite vineyard Honig. This family owned & operated winery was so great to us and I can't wait to get to NY to drink all the wine we shipped home, they had a delicious dessert wine which they said was perfect for pouring over ice cream like a syrup and also offered discounts on their rose for breast cancer awareness month.

Cakebread was our final vineyard for the day. While I definitely prefer whites we did the red wine tasting and I am so glad because I loved them all. Not good for the bank account.

All that drinking left us hungry which led us to an amazing meal and view at the beautiful Auberge Du Soleil.

I was only able to photograph our appetizers as my husband was about to throw my phone down the ravine if I photographed one more thing before he could dig in.

Napa - night number two -Dinner at our hotels restaurant The Farm .

The tuna was seriously some of the best I have ever had and I almost always order this when it's on a menu. YUM!

Onion Soup with an Egg

Roasted Suckling Pig

Roasted Chicken with sliced Truffles

Wedding Wine Tour - So excited for the wedding festivities to start. I was a bit skeptical starting the day at 8:30AM {anyone who knows John & I know we are not morning people} but everything was amazing from our ginormous bus to the company, to the elegant "lunch boxes" and all the amazing vineyards we visited with friends old and new.

A gondola ride up to Sterling Vineyards

Loved Sterling for it's views and unique set up. Not only do you take a gondola up the property but the tastings of all their amazing wines are spaced throughout the winery and at your own pace to enjoy the spectacular views.

Some of my Bentley beauties at Chateau Montelena. Amazing private room and tasting for our rowdy bunch, since this was our first stop we were on our very best behavior.

Tour through the barrel room at Grgich Hills.

Chimney Rock was our last stop on the tour where we had an incredible late afternoon tasting of premium wines in a beautiful barrel room. I was obsessed with the chandeliers below.

The Rehearsal Dinner was held at the delicious Bottega Restaurant in a private dining area where we ate under twinkle lights, were serve family style favorites and cried our eyes out to the most heartfelt toasts.

The beautiful bride and me

John & I enjoying ourselves

The Big Day! The wedding ceremony and reception was held in one of the most romantic and beautiful venues that I have ever been privileged to step foot in. V.Sattui Winery not only made delicious wine they tended to every last detail for my beautiful friend and treated us like royalty. Amanda {Mandy as her college friends know her} got married under a draping of twinkle lights just as the sun was setting. It was emotional and beautiful and I am pretty sure there wasn't a dry eye in the house.