Our first trip to the States was always going to be a busy
one. There are so many glorious pockets in California, and sadly we only
scratched the surface. San Francisco, Napa, Yosemite and Monterey were our main
stops, though I would love to have visited Los Angeles and the idyllic Malibu
beach.
Following our initial days spent in San Francisco, we
ventured out to SFO airport to pick up our rent-a-car. Oh, and what a car. As a
family we have always gravitated towards generic family models by, the now
defunct, Saab, so imagine my father’s joy at being handed the keys to a big fat
Chevvy. A big ole’ American car in burnished silver, ready to drive all the way
to the levvy ‘til the levvy goes dry.
Our next stop: Sonoma. Sonoma is a charming town nearby
Calistoga and the world famous Napa valley. Celebrated for glorious wines and luxury
resorts, Sonoma is a sweet rural town with an abundance of charming gift shops
and suitably elegant dining spots.
We stayed at The Lodge in Sonoma, a complex of contemporary
cottages with a main lodge building complete with a grand staircase and quaint
coffee shop/wine bar, Bean & Bar. The pool is just dream, particularly when accompanied by
a glass of cucumber infused mineral water and Be Awesome by Hadley Freeman (I
highly recommend a read).
Having caught the last few rays of the day, I got ready for
a dinner in the hotel’s popular restaurant, Carneros Bistro. Using local produce and herbs and
vegetables from their impressive garden, The Lodge offers all manner of refined
Californian fare from lighter fish dishes through to hearty steaks and very
naughty desserts.
For dinner at this versatile establishment, I opted for my
favourite Topshop wrap front playsuit in cream. I bought this last Summer, but
Topshop have frequently released similar versions, such as this ethereal
long-sleeved interpretation. For something near identical, Missguided have cheekily
replicated the style here (I love the crisp aqua shade too). I layered with a
lace trim nude camisole and added a touch of colour with No 7’s fiery orange polish “Tangy”
Keeping it suitably simple, I added my nude and white sandals from Zara, an assortment of charm bracelets and rings, my new chunky
cage cuff from & Other Stories and my Mulberry mini Alexa in Oak.
Nothing highlights a tan quite like bright white, even if
said “tan” is more crème than caramel.
