Page 6 - AAA Central Penn – AAA Now! – July/August 2019

AAA
California Wine Country
TM
AAA’s Custom Tour of a Vintage Vacation Destination
By Craig Haberle, CTC
When your vacation dreams take you to the California Wine Country, what alluring images appear? Do you dream of gazing across hillside vineyards, tasting fine wines and farm-fresh treats, soaking up warm sunshine on a winery’s patio, and enjoying the good life? If so, AAA Travel has bottled this dream for you to share on a custom guided tour with a unique itinerary that brings those inspiring images to life.
This specially designed and arranged tour begins in the City by the Bay – San Francisco. A guided excursion takes you along the famously hilly streets lined with eclectic examples of architectural styles in addition to iconic Victorian homes. Watch for those beloved classic cable cars crowded with commuters and visitors alike as they steadily clank along, first up, then down, before turning around to do it all again. A bay cruise under the Golden Gate Bridge provides another popular point of view of the city and surrounding scenes. A rich
mix of cultures is revealed in the cosmopolitan neighborhoods where local restaurants reflect both traditional cuisines and fusion foods to tempt your taste buds during a two-night stay here.
Even though you might leave your heart in San Francisco, there are fine wines elsewhere calling your name. Cross the Golden Gate Bridge and head to
the original and classic California Wine Country. Yes, other regions of the state now promote their grape- based beverages, but places you visit on this tour are where wine production began and grew to be a major industry of Northern California. The Napa Valley and its western cousin, the Sonoma Valley, are home to world-renowned wineries that are synonymous with the state’s proud history of viticulture.
This custom tour continues at a relaxed pace as a benefit of your four-night stay at a wine country hotel. Aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train, you
are treated to an elegant lifestyle; this distinctive experience blends both dining and tastings
while you ride the rails in historic passenger cars rolling along a picturesque route surrounded by
vineyards and valley scenes. Your first full day in
the Sonoma Valley features tours and tastings at two vineyards and an olive oil producer; a local specialist demonstrates the craft of blending wines. The town of Sonoma welcomes you to stroll around its convivial central plaza bordered by restaurants (some are open-air), boutiques and galleries.
A second day in the Sonoma Valley enables you to stroll through the “secluded garden of tranquil ponds, gently rolling paths and scenic vistas” of Quarryhill Botanical Gardens, where a vast collection of plants from East Asia attracts admirers from around the globe. Savor your visit at
Chateau St. Jean set in
the heart of the Sonoma
Valley. Vineyards and
hillsides frame this
graceful 1920s chateau
and its Mediterranean-
style gardens. Here, you
are hosted to a lovely
three-course lunch paired
with the estate’s wines.
This afternoon, explore
organic agriculture at the
family-owned McEvoy
Ranch, tucked in the
Petaluma Gap of Marin
County. This micro-
climate nurtures and
yields distinctive olive
oils, wines and botanical
products; your samplings
are complemented
with cheeses and “ranch
nibbles.”
One of Napa Valley’s oldest wineries, Chateau Montelena was established in 1882 and proudly provides tastings of select older
vintages in a private residence. Later today, time travel to 13th century Tuscany at the authentically styled and decorated Castello di Amorosa; it appears as if you have been transported to a picture-perfect medieval Italian setting with its traditionally built stone structures back-dropped by lush hillsides and vineyards. This family-owned winery traces it heritage of local winemaking to 1885 and now invites you to sample their premier and reserve wines. A farewell dinner with fellow travelers is a festive completion of your dream vacation in the California Wine Country.
CALIFORNIA WINE COUNTRY – AAA CUSTOM TOUR
JULY 2-8, 2020 – From $4,569 per person, double occupancy
INCLUDED FEATURES:
• Free parking with round-trip transfers to local international airport
• Round-trip airfare between local international airport and San Francisco
• Round-trip transfers – airport/hotel
• Six nights hotel accommodations
• Sightseeing as stated in itinerary by luxury
coach
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:
• City tour of San Francisco
• Cruise under the Golden Gate Bridge
• Travel aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train • Wine and olive oil tasting
• Quarry Hill Botanical Gardens
• Chateau St. Jean
• McEvoy Olive Ranch
• Chateau Montelena
• Services of professional guide and driver • Meals: 6 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 4 dinners • All local taxes, hotel service charges and porterage for one suitcase per person
• Services of a Discoveries Journey Manager
For more information and to make reservations, call 888-743-2844.
Rates are subject to availability at time of booking and include taxes, fees and fuel surcharges which are subject to change. All pricing and included features are based on a minimum of 20 passengers. All non-members must add $60 to above rate.
6
JULY/AUGUST 2019 – DISCOVERIES EDITION
Now!