Each winery had its own personality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ghost Block served a wonderful lunch, although, surprisingly, their wines ended up being our least favorite of the three. Rutherford impressed us with a wonderfully smooth Cabernet Sauvignon, while Backstage won us over with an outstanding Zinfandel. Those two were good enough that we each came home with a bottle\u2014little souvenirs that will hopefully bring back memories of the trip whenever we open them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As enjoyable as the wine was, the unexpected highlight of the day turned out to be the people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From the moment everyone climbed aboard the bus, the conversation just seemed to flow naturally. By the end of the first stop, strangers had become traveling companions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There was a couple from Australia following the FIFA Club World Cup, having attended matches in Hawaii, Seattle, and now San Francisco. Another guest worked for TNT and was in Northern California to cover the NASCAR race. Two sisters were simply enjoying a carefree getaway together, and one aerospace engineer was taking some time between jobs, happily “winging it” across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the joys of travel is meeting people whose paths you would never have crossed otherwise. By the end of the afternoon, we had shared stories, laughed together, compared favorite wines, and genuinely enjoyed each other’s company. It reminded us that sometimes the people you meet become just as memorable as the places you visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That evening we enjoyed an outstanding dinner in downtown Napa. We jokingly declared it our “real” anniversary dinner after our rather forgettable meal in Yosemite. It was the perfect way to celebrate our 45th anniversary\u2014and the perfect ending to an unforgettable vacation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We spent the next couple of days taking the scenic route home through Eureka and Bandon, savoring the final miles instead of rushing back. After nearly two weeks on the road, there was no hurry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Looking back, this trip had a little bit of everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spectacular waterfalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Volcanic landscapes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Towering redwoods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mountain lakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A flat tire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Creative EV charging with an extension cord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n New friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Great food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wonderful wine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And, at long last…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yosemite.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n After four attempts spread over several years, the “Randall Curse” was finally broken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For our first road trip after retirement, we couldn’t have asked for a better adventure. The miles were many, the memories even more so, and we’re already looking forward to planning the next one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because if retirement has taught us anything, it’s this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n There’s always another road waiting to be explored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After leaving Yosemite, we made our way west to California’s Napa Valley. It seemed like the perfect way to end our first retirement road trip\u2014a couple of relaxing days surrounded by vineyards, followed by an all-day wine tour. Several years ago, we had spent a day in Sonoma and thoroughly enjoyed a walking wine tour … <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesimplehouse.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/09-ghostblock-02-scaled.jpg\")
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