Napa, California

January 23-27. 2020

It's always a win-win situation when we get to combine work with please and a long weekend in Napa was certainly that.  It was a nice break from the Iowa cold and snow.  Don had been traveling (six cities in eight days) while I stayed back in Iowa.  I shoveled the drive and packed to join Don at the Denver airport and then on to Sacramento.  An hour drive later we checked in to the Archer Napa Hotel in downtown Napa.  Our beautiful king suite was a bonus complete with a fireplace on the big balcony. 

Friday we headed north on the Silverado Trail to visit some wineries.  The Black Stallion was our first stop, then Silverado Vineyards and Mumm Napa Winery.

Breakfast first at our hotel

Black Stallion Winery

Silverado Vineyards

Mumm Napa Winery

Saturday we were off to a few more wineries before Don needed to be in the gym.  We had a 90 tour and tasting at Robert Mondavi Winery and then a tasting at Cakebread Cellars.  Robert Mondavi was the one who started the whole wine movement in the Napa area.  The tour was very informative and the wine tasting was a formal, sit down affair. 

World famous Robert Mondavi Winery

Beautiful vineyards

Cakebread Cellars

 A visit to a downtown tasting room compliments of someone at the tourney.

Sunday we enjoyed another breakfast before Don headed to the gym.  I enjoyed walked around the downtown area of Napa.  A big steak was on the agenda for our evening meal at Charlie Palmer's Steakhouse in our hotel.  Great ending to our Napa stay.

 Monday - back to Iowa.  We enjoyed the sunny and mid 60 degree weather in Napa!

Helping in Indiana

Wed, Jan 8 - Sun, Jan 12
We drove to Brownsburg, IN on Wednesday January 8 to help "boysit" while April is away for her Norwex business.  Cade has been sick so it's a good thing we had lined this up.  Example #1 of why we want to be based in Iowa - now Don could come with me and work from the couch of the Showalters in Indiana. 

Wednesday evening Don had Pacer basketball tickets so Don and Kasen (poor Cade stayed home) met Brent in Indy to attend the Pacers v Heat game.  Cade stayed home all week until Friday.

All three boys played basketball on Saturday!

West Virginia

Friday, Jan 3 - Sunday, Jan 5:  Wheeling, West Virginia
Don is attending a big high school tournament to evaluate players.  We stayed at Oglebay Resort where the Christmas lights and decorations are famous.

Moving Back to Iowa!

On Monday, December 30 we packed up the Ford Edge and drove to Iowa.  We are moving back!  Don's work with USAB will stay the same but he's considered "part time" now so that we can base ourselves from Iowa rather than Colorado Springs.  We are keeping our lovely loft in COS so that we can have a place to go when Don does need/want to be at work there.  We will plan to spend time there just for fun also.  We do love living in Colorado, but feel the need to be closer to our families.  We had hoped to make this transition by the fall of 2020, but this opportunity came up quickly and we took it.