The sail just needs to open

and the world is full of beauty.

Today is such a day.  ~Rumi

Be sure to check out Texas Fine Art Photographer Sharon Gartrell on this wonderful Friday!

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.”

-John Muir

The Eastern Sierra region of California is one of my favorite places in the entire world.  Mono Lake is in the backyard of John Muir’s stomping old grounds, Yosemite.  Her ancient tufas rise out of the water, reflecting on the surface like an electrocardiogram, seemingly measuring the electrical activity of the very heart of the Sierras.  It’s a beautiful, serene, magical place that truly does give strength to the soul.

Fine Art Friday is a continuing project with a collective of amazing photographers.  The last Friday of each month, we post a fine art image and link to one from our group.  Click over to see  Albuquerque Professional Photographer Laura Meek’s image for January.

We decided to drive from Los Angeles and we left early enough that we arrived in the town of Napa about 1:00 p.m.  We stopped near the revitalized Riverfront and stretched our legs on a short walk, stopping in the Napa Visitor’s Center to pick up some maps and guidebooks.  The super friendly volunteers clued us into some good stops and even had coupons for tastings at some of the wineries we planned to visit.

We didn’t linger in Napa long, as we had a 2:00 p.m. appointment for a tasting at Vine Cliff Winery, a short and lovely drive up the Silverado Trail.  Napa Valley has hundreds of wineries.  Each has their own personality and tasting experience.  Some require appointments, others are open for walk-ins.  Just because an appointment is required, though, doesn’t mean it’s stuffy or formal.  You can often make an appointment the same day you want to visit, sometimes even calling from the entrance to see if there is any availability right when you arrive.

From the instant we pulled into Vine Cliff, I felt like our vacation started!  We walked toward the tasting room and Maryann greeted us with a glass of wine and invited us to relax at an outdoor table, enjoying the views of golden grape vines curving down to the valley.

We strolled through the vineyards, tasting some of the product of the that amazing fruit. . .

. . . and then we headed to our next destination, a few miles north on the Silverado Trail, Mumm Napa.  Mumm makes sparkling wines and is open to the public, with no reservation necessary.  Rather than sit down and stroll through the vineyards with the winemakers, however, you get to enjoy a taste of bubbly on a beautiful patio.  They offer several tours daily, but we were too late in the afternoon to catch one.  We were not too late, though, for a stroll through the Fine Art Photography gallery they have on site, featuring works of Ansel Adams and rotating local artists.

As the afternoon was getting later, we continued up the Silverado Trail to find a great vantage point for sunset.  Maryann at Vine Cliff recommended Auberge du Soleil.  We had a dinner reservation for later that evening there, but since it would be dark, we decided to stop early for some appetizers and a view!

After nature’s show was over, we checked into our accommodations and got ready for dinner, heading back for a late dinner at Auberge.  Before our trip, I spent hours researching the best wineries, best restaurants, best activities and more.  With so much to offer, and only 48 hours to spend in Napa, I felt huge pressure to plan the perfect itinerary.  Auberge du Soleil is a Michelin-starred restaurant, but not quite as high-brow (or as tough to get into) as French Laundry.

After we were seated, the waiter came out with not only one delicious teaser, courtesy of the chef, but two!  I’m a bit of a foodie and after watching several seasons of Top Chef, I knew an amuse bouche when I saw it!  And just after taking that delectable bite, I looked up from our table and notice that Tom Collichio, who just happens to be a celebrity chef and judge on Top Chef, was sitting two tables over.  That’s when I realized that my research had paid off and I had picked a good place for dinner!

We retired for the night in our room in St. Helena at The Wine Country Inn.  Waking up the next morning, we were greeted with the most amazing scene off the balcony of our room. . .

Nestled right between two vineyards, the Inn was the perfect place to spend the weekend!  We had a lovely breakfast there each morning and complimentary car service to our dinner restaurants each night.  Perfect!   Before breakfast, though, my husband and I headed out for a run, soaking in the gorgeous scenery that surrounded us and burning off some of the calories we consumed at dinner the night before!

Our first appointment of the day was at Viader Winery, on Howell Mountain, which was just up the hill from our Inn and is renowned for producing some of the best Cabernet Sauvignons in the world.  I feel like I must confess that I am a foodie and I do LOVE wine, but I’m in no way an expert.  I can appreciate a good wine, but I’ll also say that I’ve rarely met a wine I didn’t like.  My palate is far from refined!  That being said, Delia Viader makes some phenomenal wines!  We took a personal tour of the vineyard and cellar, sipping wine as walked and talked.

And we enjoyed a quiet, beautiful morning view (possibly one of the best!) of the northern end of the Napa Valley.

After our perfectly enjoyable morning, we drove back down to our Inn and hopped on our bikes for the 2 1/2 mile ride into downtown St. Helena.  It was time for lunch and I had seen Gott’s Roadside Market mentioned on just about every website and in just about every pamphlet I grabbed on Napa.  We had to see what the hype was all about… and it proved worthy!

After filling our bellies, we biked a mile further down the road for a stop at Prager Port Works, unlike any other tasting room in the Napa Valley.  Down-to-earth, friendly guys serve up tastes of the only port made in this region, from a room that has walls covered in dollar bills and window full of cobwebs.

After a taste of the sweet, we hopped back on our bikes and headed back toward the Inn.  Our final stop for the day was at Duckhorn Winery, which was right next to the Wine Country Inn.

Duckhorn has a beautiful tasting room, which looks like a modern farmhouse, surrounded by grapevines.  We had an appointment, but they also accepted walk-ins, and the atmosphere was casual, friendly, and social while we tasted some fabulous wines.  Duckhorn distributes around the country and the world, so it’s not unlikely that you may find a bottle anywhere in the country.  But at the winery, you get the chance to taste (and purchase) private release wines, made in smaller batches than what is widely distributed.  After tasting, we couldn’t resist a stroll through the vineyards on such a perfect November afternoon.

We had a 2-minute bike ride back to our lodging and got ready for dinner, this night taking the hotel car service into St. Helena for an authentic Italian feast at Tra Vigne, the restaurant where Michael Chiarello got his start.  The highlight of the meal was the freshly made (like, seconds before it came out to the table) mozzarella cheese, warm and gooey, spread on the perfect crostini.  I’m still having dreams about it!

We awoke on our last morning and had an extra hour due to the switch the Daylight Savings Time.  We headed out on a run again (I did mention that mozzarella, right?!) and saw some of the most amazing scenery along the way.  It reminded us of Montana in a lot of ways.

After another delicious breakfast (with an egg dish called, “Death by Cheese” — maybe we should have run even further!), we checked out and drove toward downtown St. Helena to explore the adorable shopping district and pick up a few gifts to take home (and maybe nibble on ourselves!).

Our last stop was at V. Sattui Winery, recommended as a great picnic spot by just about everyone who has been to Napa Valley.  It’s kind of like Disneyland for adults. . . very beautiful and manicured grounds, signs showing what types of grapes are what, where to go for tasting, where to go to picnic (but only with food purchased at Sattui), even down to parking lot directors and tour buses.  They had an enormous, bustling and busy tasting room with a menu of dozens of wines to choose from.  Napa is known for its Cabs, and some of the smaller wineries we visited only produce Cabs.  Sattui is large enough to grown dozens of types of grapes (even getting some Sangiovese grapes from a sister property in Italy).  We found several we liked well enough to take home and headed out for a picnic lunch before the drive back to L.A. almost exactly 48 hours after we arrived.

Looking back on our trip, I wouldn’t change one single thing.  It was quite possibly the most perfect 48 hours I’ve spent. . . great companion, fabulous food and wine, gorgeous scenery and a perfect little taste of what the Napa Valley is all about.

*Disclaimer:  this was more than 10 pictures, but I think it fit with my general “10 on 10″ themes, so please don’t hold it against me!  Also, the images in this post were 100% taken with my iPhone.  I did take my DSLR, but only took it out for a few choice “fine art” moments. The iPhone is my go-to for documenting most of my everyday happenings.

“I’m in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection. But with Montana it is love. And it’s difficult to analyze love when you’re in it.”

― John Steinbeck

After soaking in the glory that is Montana in Autumn, head over to see the bit of Texas that Texas Fine Art Photographer Sharon Gartrell is sharing this month!

It was incredibly hot here in L.A. on Sunday (the thermometer reached 90 degrees here at the beach).  Since we don’t have A/C at home, we decided to get out and make it an afternoon at the beach.  So, we loaded up the bikes and headed for the sand.  Boy were we in for a treat!  We got down to the beach at ultra low tide. . . lowest we’ve ever seen it.  So we enjoyed frolicking on the wide, glassy shores and the viewing magnificent sea stars that were clinging to the beach rocks typically hidden under water.

As sunset drew near, we hopped back on our bikes and headed a little ways north to the fire pits at Dockweiler State Beach.  We had packed provisions for smores and it was time to check “roasting marshmallows on the beach” off of our bucket list!

The real treat, however, was the sunset.  My 4-year-old looked up and said, “it’s like lava in the sky!”

The sky just kept getting more and more spectacular and we left the beach just as the crescent moon started shining brightly in the west.  A perfect end to a perfect family adventure!

Be sure to check out what Southeastern Wisconsin photographer Melissa Schuett has in store for this month!

Hope that starts your weekend on the right note!  Now, please go check out Texas Fine Art Photographer Sharon Gartrell’s fine art inspiration for September.

Be sure to visit Albuquerque Family Photographer – Laura Meeks Fine Art Friday installment for this month.

It was a true taste of Montana!  And it serves as the subject for this month’s installment of my personal “10 on 10″ project:

Now, please check out what Milwaukee Photographer Melissa Schuett has on tap for this month’s 10 on 10!

I spent the next 20 minutes on the sand, viewing one of nature’s greatest shows, every few seconds a new and slightly different scene emerging.

The only thing that would have made it better was if my husband had been there to enjoy it with me.  But, I’m thankful he took kiddo bed time duty so I could be there.

Fine Art Friday is a collabrative project with some fantastic photographers.  Be sure to check out what Keller, TX Photographer Sharon Gartrell has this month!

The Bird of Paradise really is paradise for a photographer, a perfect subject for my Fine Art Friday project this month.  The bright colors, glowing in the midday sun, and the beautiful lines just pull me in…

For more beauty and inspiration, please visit Laura Meeks, Albuquerque NM Photographer, who surely has a treat in store for this month!

For this month’s Fine Art Friday installment, I’m paying homage to my Montana days, with a snowy scene!  At the beginning of April, my family ventured to the Sierra’s and did some skiing in Mammoth Lakes.  Early April proved perfect for skiing (thankfully!) and my family headed up a cross country ski trail to Minaret Vista.  We enjoyed sweeping views, feeling on top of the world!

Now, go check out Albuquerque Photographer Laura Meeks amazing image from White Sands.  Because of her, I have added this spot to my list of “must visit” places!

We spent a day on the downhill slopes, but our true love is cross-country skiing.  It’s a perfect family activity and something my boys have already grown to love.  Seeing them out there on skis fills me with joy!

California Spring skiing is the best way to do it.  Nearly 50 degrees with gorgeous sunny skies. . . don’t forget the sunglasses!

Our old lady dog, Maggie, is 13 years old and still going as strong as (if a bit slower than) she used to.  In her younger years (when she was our only “kid”), she came along on many ski trips with us, so it was great that she could join us on this one.

Even though this is “10 on 10″ I’m sharing one bonus image for the day, the only family picture we got during our trip.  We skied to Minaret Vista for a picnic lunch and enjoyed the stunning view of the Sierras, feeling like we were literally and figuratively on top of the world!

It’s not a true “10 on 10″ without a little sharing, so head over to see what Spokane Photographer Creatively Yours by Kelly Q has for this month!

This night, instead of turning my lens to the busy runways, I turned it to the west and got the warm glow of the sun just before it slipped beneath the horizon.  I find this image simply mesmerizing. . .

One thing we didn’t count on when we arrived was the wind.  We brought our bicycles and had planned to ride along the beach promenade, but nearly 20 mph winds deterred us. 

Even though we weren’t on bikes, we still easily got to the Santa Barbar Pier, also known as Stearns Wharf, home of the Ty Warner Sea Center.   

My just-turned-6-year-old is an ocean animal lover and has declared he wants to be a marine biologist when he grows up.  When we told our boys we were taking a trip to Santa Barbara for the weekend, the first thing he asked was, “is there an aquarium there?”  When I told him there was, he demanded it be our first stop upon arrival into town!

With his ocean animal quota filled, we walked further along the promenade, just soaking up the sunshine and gorgeous views.

We watched the sun set through the palm trees, had a fantastic dinner, then turned in early, ready for more adventure the next day!

 I love participating in this “10 on 10″ challenge with some other extremely talented photographers.  Go check out Spokane Photographer Kelly of Creatively Yours next for another fun 10 on 10!

For January, I thought I’d post an image from my recent trip to Yosemite National Park.  I went with my family, seeking an escape from Los Angeles, a little time in the snow, and a lot of soul-filling scenery.  Thankfully, we found all of that!

This image was taken at Valley View in Yosemite Valley.  It’s probably one of the most stopped-at vantage points in the park that is visited by millions each year.  But what I love about art, is that even with millions of people aiming a camera from the same pull-out, you never get exactly the same image.  Here’s my version:

Now, head on over to see what Cheree Federico | Fine Art Photography has to inspire you with this morning!

My 10 this month come from my family’s recent trip to Yosemite National Park.  Right after the calendar turned to a new year, we loaded up the winter gear and skis and headed toward the mountains.  We may live in Los Angeles now, but our hearts are still in Montana, more specifically in the snow and mountains.  We can’t always get back to Montana, but thankfully California has some pretty impressive mountains of her own.

We stayed at Tenaya Lodge, just outside the south side of Yosemite.  Besides being a nice resort (we had a cottage room!), it’s situated on beautiful grounds with miles of snowy trails for hiking, sleigh rides and sledding.  And that’s just what my boys wanted to do as soon as we unpacked!

Another family discovered the same sledding hill as us, and at first I wasn’t too excited about sharing it.  But he offered to take a family picture of us and, well, I think you’ll see why I quickly forgave him and was more than happy to share. . .

It’s not often that the photographer actually gets to be in the picture with her family!

A horse-drawn sleigh passed right by our hill. . .

And the glow of the sun setting through the trees was the perfect metaphor for our trip.

The next morning, we awoke and headed to Badger Pass Ski Area.  It’s the “original Northern California Ski Resort” and is the perfect low-key spot for families to come ski.  Another unique thing about it is that it is located within Yosemite National Park.  So, needless to say, the scenery is beautiful.  This is the first time my 3-year-old got to try out alpine skiing.  My 5-year-old was able to take a lesson and we just worked with my little guy on his own.

Both boys had a fantastic time on the snow!  They also had a fantastic time in Play Care for a couple of hours in the afternoon so my husband and I could do a little fantastic skiing of our own!

The next 2 days we returned to Badger Pass, but this time with our cross-country skis.  To the Shertzer Family, when you say, “ski” we think “nordic”!  This is the 4th season my oldest son has been on skis.  While he’s still getting the hang of the alpine gear, he’s a natural on the nordic skis!

This is the third winter my littlest guy has been on nordic skis.  It’s such a wonderful feeling to pass on our love for the sport to our kids!  He was so proud of himself when he started shushing along. . . he kept yelling, “Hey, Hayden!  Look at ME!  I’m SKIING!”

We had such an amazing little trip, doing some of our favorite things. . . I can’t recommend a winter trip to Yosemite more!  Badger Pass gets 2 big thumbs up as a great place to ski with beginners and young kids — affordable, low-key, no-stress and FUN!  And with alpine skiing, nordic skiing and snowshoeing right on site, there’s something for everyone!

Now, go check out Spokane Childrens Photographer- Creatively Yours Photography for her take on 10 on 10!  Just a warning: it’s not the 10th and I have no guarantee about the number of images she’ll have to share

A few days ago, my husband and I took our kids and my visiting parents down to the beach.  While the kids played with their grandparents in the sand, my husband and I went for a run.  It was pretty brisk, so when we finished the run, everyone was ready to head back home and warm up.  But as we drove up the hill toward our house (we live a little over 1 mile from the beach), I noticed the sky was getting this gorgeous glow.  We pulled in our driveway, the family unloaded and I pulled right back out, camera in tow to race back down for sunset.  And am I ever glad I did!

A perfect end to 2012!

Now head on over to see Pensacola Florida Photographer, Tracy Tisdale and her final piece of Fine Art for 2012.

I must have been quite a sight, because the animals couldn’t get enough of me. . . eye contact from almost every single one of them (except for my own two little monkeys, of course, they wouldn’t even glance my way!)!

First stop was the meerkats, where one stoic pup stood sentinel and my two boys hoped to catch some meerkat silliness.  

The flamingos were housed right next door.  A large flock was huddles on one side but this particular bird, who kept diving for a snack, really stood out against the dark green foliage.

The orangutans are so soulful. . .

And Mr. Giraffe was curious about me, but not so much to stop eating.  He just kept chewing and chewing and chewing.

I’ve always loved the elephants, who seem to possess a certain grace, despite their size.

The chimpanzees were a bit feisty on the day of our visit.  We’d hear a loud ruckus with hoots and hollers from quite a distance away.  When we were close enough to see them, they had worked out their differences, but I bet they’d make quite the reality show!

My youngest and his grandfather sure thought so. . .

The baby tigers aren’t quite so “baby” as a year ago, but impressive none the less.

Mr. Bear was having a relaxing little siesta.  Since it’s hibernation season, that didn’t surprise me too much.

The California Condor’s size is as impressive as his facial coloring.  He was nearly 3 feet tall!

And this little guy gives me the shivers just looking at the picture again!  Green mamba has such beautiful coloring, but I would not like to run across him anywhere other than safely behind this 1″ thick glass!

My youngest son took a spin on the carousel, which gives riders their choice of transportation.  Benjamin chose a dolphin, but he could have picked a peacock, cheetah, bear, butterfly, tapir, okapi or one of 40 other animals!

Now, go check out that last 10 on 10 for 2012 of Spokane Childrens Photographer, Creatively Yours!