Not Another LA Blonde

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  • Temecula Wineries – Day Trip

    Temecula Wineries – Day Trip

    It’s TRAVEL TUESDAY!! Today I want to share a day trip we took in July 2019 for my 27th birthday. We had already done a day trip to San Diego for hubby’s birthday. We decided that we wanted to do something a little different, so we picked Temecula for the day to hit three wineries.

    Stop #1 – Europa Village

    This was our first stop of the day; it wasn’t too crowded when we got there, but it definitely was by the time we left. We choose to do the Prelude Passport Tasting option. This $25 per person and includes 6 tastes of any C’est la Vie or Vienza wines from their regular menu. This was pretty cool because we had our own personal sommelier who helped us pick the wines based off of our preferences. There are three different wineries on the Europa Village property! There is a restaurant and hotel on the property. I also just learned that they offer olive oil tastings! OMG I wish I had known this because I so would have enjoyed this!

    Stop #2 – Wilson Creek

    This place was probably my favorite, but it was the most crowded! We wanted to eat when we got here, so we had to wait and find a table on the lawn area. We ate a quick lunch and had a wine slushie! (You can not bring your own food or drink)

    There is a restaurant, but you have to make reservations, so I recommend planning ahead if you want to eat there! After lunch, we went into the tasting room; it was soo crowded inside, it was very difficult to find a spot at the bar. Our tasting was $25 per person and included 6 tastings, a logo wine glass, and a $5 coupon toward wine bottle purchase of $30 or more. I tasted the almond sparkling, watermelon, white cab, peach bellini, and rose. I wish that we could have spent more time here because it was just so beautiful, but like I said, it was really crowded. *There website has all of their up to date offerings and you can find all the info here*

    We got to bring the glass home with us

    Stop #3 – Ponte Winery

    This was our third and final stop of the day. Ponte Winery also has a restaurant, but we did not eat here. We only did the wine tasting since it was getting close to their closing time. Wine tastings are $25 per person and include 6 tastings.

    Here is the menu that we got to choose from, it may be different now

    There is also a hotel on the property and I think that this would have been such a cool place to stay the night! *They are open for wine tastings outside, but you do have to make a reservation ahead of time. All of their info on COVID protocol can be found on their website. The restaurant and tasting is currently open for reservations, but they are not doing any winery tours!

    I can’t wait to be able to do these types of day trips again once things go back to normal and I feel comfortable being around so many people. All three of these places are open and have a COVID protocol in place. I recommend checking out each of their websites before planning to visit so that you can make sure you’ve made the proper reservations and have everything you need.

    As always, if you have any questions, let me know and I’ll do my best to get the best answer for you! If you have any recommendations on other wineries to go to while in Temecula, drop them in the comment section.

    XOXO

  • Mammoth Trip

    Mammoth Trip

    Since today is hubby’s birthday, I thought it would be the perfect time to talk about one of his favorite places! MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN! Last year for his 30th, I asked him what he wanted to do and his pick was to go snowboarding in Mammoth. My hubby loves snowboarding and I am not the best at it (the last time I went was before I had knee surgery, so before 2015). We left early March 1 (Mammoth is about a 5 hour drive from where we are in Los Angeles) and drove straight, only stopping for gas/bathroom break.

    Of course I had to take a pic of my outfit before we left the house! Outfit linked here

    Once we got up the mountain, we stopped at a restaurant called The Stove. The food was good and I would definitely go back!

    After eating, we stopped to pick up my rental board and then went to the hotel to check in. We stayed at the Westin Resorts – Mammoth Lakes. The hotel was in the perfect location because it was right across from the Village which is where the lifts are to go snowboarding/skiing.

    Here are some pictures of our room! I wish we had been able to stay longer, the room was nice and had a fireplace! They also had a little kitchenette area.

    After getting settled at the hotel, we decided to go walk around and check out the Village. I’m not going to lie, it was pretty cold and had started snowing at that point. This SoCal girl was not prepared for actual snow fall!

    We had dinner at one of the restaurants there in the village. I honestly can’t remember the name, but the food was just ok and they were setting up for a live band (we aren’t huge fans of being right next to that). I would recommend looking for other places to eat, but this was convenient for us since we just walked across the street.

    The Village lit up at night reminded me of Christmas time. It was so beautiful!

    The following day, March 2 (hubby’s birthday) was snowboarding day! I took a lesson so that hubby could go and do all the hard runs he wanted to while I was in class and learning how to snowboard. I will say that the class was 110% worth it. By the time class was over, hubby was done with the big lifts and we did a couple “not so hard” runs so that I could keep practicing. Since we knew we had to drive home that same day, we didn’t want to stay too long and get tired. We snowboarded for a couple more hours and then called it a day. I wish we could have stayed one more day since I was doing really well.

    This was my first time in Mammoth, but it’s one of my husband’s favorite places to snowboard. We can’t wait to come back (hopefully next winter) with our baby boy! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out! Please keep in mind that with Covid, I don’t know what the protocol is for dining or staying so that is something to keep in mind before going.

    XOXO

  • Las Vegas – Weekend Trip

    Good Morning!! For many Californians Vegas is a staple weekend trip. Planning a quick getaway? Go to Vegas. Turning a special age? Go to Vegas. Planning a Bachelor/Bachelorette trip? Go to Vegas. We were supposed to go to Las Vegas last March for hubby’s 30th Birthday but then COVID hit the US and we got a little nervous and ended up cancelling the trip. So I’ll fill you in on the details of our March 2019 trip when we took my brother to Vegas for his 21st Birthday.

    Friday:

    We took Southwest Airlines out of the Long Beach Airport (talk about an easy airport!) on a Friday morning. We grabbed some breakfast and a drink in the airport before getting on the plane.

    We almost always stay at the MGM as hubby and I are both rewards members there. We like to stay in the Stay Well rooms (a little pricier but we feel that they are cleaner). We had to wait a while for my brother and his girlfriend to get in (they were flying in from Idaho) so hubby and I hit the pool for a while and grabbed lunch.

    For dinner, we grabbed food from one of the hotel restaurants (TAP Sports Bar). They have classic American staples and it’s the perfect place to watch games on TV. According to the MGM website, it looks like they are currently only open Saturday & Sunday’s.

    After eating, we went over to Top Golf where we had made a reservation for a bay. They have a lot of great options for booking and it’s fun for everyone! *They are currently open and taking reservations*

    Saturday:

    We rented a day bed (perfect for 4 people) on the edge of the lazy river pool. We spent the WHOLE day at the pool! (Cabanas/daybeds can be booked starting March 1, but be sure to read up on their Covid protocol when going to the pool)

    We hit the Mexican restaurant (Hecho En Vegas Mexican Grill & Cantina) in the hotel for dinner and then decided that we were not going to join my brother and his girlfriend at the club. *Unfortunately, it looks like this restaurant is temporarily closed due to Covid regulations*

    Hubby and I decided to go gamble a little bit and then enjoy the country bar, Losers Lounge (which is open!). Losers Lounge is a country themed bar (hubby and I love country music and have been to stagecoach multiple times).

    My brother and his girlfriend went to Hakkasan Night Club located in the MGM and said they had a really fun time. *They are temporarily closed during Covid*

    Sunday:

    We all had an early flight out of Vegas on Sunday morning so we really didn’t do anything! We packed our bags and off to the airport we went.

    Another fun thing to do if you’re up for it is the Wet Republic Ultra Pool Party. They are set to reopen for the 2021 season on March 5.

    While there is sooo much to see and do in Vegas, I recommend only traveling if it is essential and done safely! Please be sure to check out the local Covid protocol to wherever you are traveling because it might be different than where you live. Stay safe and healthy everyone!

    If you do plan on going to Vegas now or in the future make sure you save this post for your trip!

    XOXO