THE Trip - Day 33 (Surprises)

As we left Corning, CA on Interstate 5, I knew the day would be warm again…forecast for over 100 degrees with the temperature already starting out at 88 degrees by 10 a.m.  As noted before, Interstate 5 is efficient.  So off we went very efficiently heading down the Sacramento Valley filled with flat, rich agricultural land.   It was the second of our short driving days in order to meet up with Dennis’ daughter, Kim and her boyfriend, Will, in Sunnyvale.    

As I looked at the map, I noticed Lake Berryessa off to the side of the Interstate.  This looked to be a cool spot to find lunch so I looked for a revised route.  The miles passed faster than the lunch time arrived making it too early for dining.  Okay -- revision #2 was to follow the turnoff over to Napa for lunch and then take a slightly longer journey to Sunnyvale.  This was a most acceptable alternative…food and wine.

Dam curving across the end of Lake Berryessa

Neither Dennis nor I had ever approached Napa from this direction so we were covering new ground.  And, what a  nice trip across Rt. 128 passed Lake Berryessa and over some lovely hills with a stop at the dam between the lake and the Putah Creek. 

 

Vineyards as far as we could see down the hillside.

The next surprise occurred when we shifted slightly south-west onto Rt. 121 and continued up some steeper elevations before dropping down toward the Napa Valley where vineyards along the tree-lined road alerted us the wine valley’s presence.

Yes, the temperature as we drove stayed pretty much at the 100+ degree indicator.  However, we didn’t focus on that while we were enjoying our views along the way…a surprisingly pleasant trip.