Sister visit part 2...

 This is how our road trip started out...I swear my sister has narcolepsy.

We drove to San Jose to visit the Winchester Mystery House. People who know me well understands what this means to me...it is...pure...excitement! I love scary stuff...Halloween, classic scary movies, Japanese horror films ( Genius! I recommend that everyone see Tomie. It will make you doo doo your pants), scary reality TV shows...you get the idea. I have been dreaming about going to this house since I was 12 years old.

Unfortunately they don't allow you to take photos inside the house. I guess there is some movie being filmed there and they have asked for all photography by visitors to stop until the movie is made...lame. 

 This is the front of the Winchester home...it looks kind of small in this picture...but don't be fooled! Looking at this house is like looking at the body of a Kardashian...when you look straight on...it appears to be small...but when you look at it from the side...SURPRISE! There is a bunch of extra junk in the rear.

As for the inside of the house?...it was incredible! I always forget how tiny and short people were back then...until I see the clothing and furniture...my left butt cheek wouldn't fit on some of those chairs. I really wish that Mrs. Winchester had written a book or something. I'm incredibly curious to understand what was going on in her head when she was in the process of continually adding onto her home. 

 If you have a child under the age of 6, this is how they must travel on the tour. Knox didn't make one sound on the hour long tour. He was chewing on his wallet and paying attention to everything around him. I was really surprised because he normally hates being strapped down like this for a long period of time...but he loved this thing. Ive been inspired to buy a Boba so we can carry him like this on our trips.

 Mmmmm...honey roasted "prunus communis" are my fave! They could have just stuck with "These are almond trees"...I didn't really need a botany lesson...thanks Winchester Mystery House.

 Here's one thing I didn't expect. I didn't expect for the house to be in the middle of office buildings and right across from an Urban Outfitter. I guess I figured it would be of the beaten path or something. It kind of took away from the whole feel of everything...made it seem more like a Disneyland attraction.

 See! Right across the street from the Winchester Mystery House is this!...Santana Row. Its an amazing and beautiful shopping complex filled with all the stores I love to buy from. I mean look at it! Its crazy pants!

 Necessary delicious treats!

 Then we decided to head downtown to visit Psycho Donuts. Its kind of like Voodoo Donuts in Oregon...but not really. Everything there is horror movie themed. The people that work there (which at the time seemed to be only ladies) were dressed up as bloody nurses. How sweet is that!? (pun intended...you're welcome). Every day you go to work is like dressing up for Halloween ! They even have a photo booth for the customers...with props and all that fun jazz! Oh and the donuts were AMAZING! That one with the cereal on it...I die!

 This sigh cracks me up! Its like a pie infomercial!

 We were all starting to get hungry ( which means we were getting cranky). We didn't have any plans to go eat anywhere special. So, we accidentally ended up at this place "The Original Hick'ry Pit"

Now this place...looked...sketchy (I don't have a picture of the outside, but if you look it up I'm sure you'll see what I'm talking about when I say it looked sketchy). It kind of looked like an old Village Inn...you know what I'm talking about right? its like when you go into a Chinese buffet and you can totally tell it use to be a Pizza Hut or a Taco Bell. Nothing about this place screamed delicious BBQ...buuttttt...we were hungry and had to eat something before we killed each other.

I started to feel a little better when I saw the menus. I guess they had children draw pictures (which its always a safe assumption that the stuff kids draw will make you laugh) and then they would put those pictures as the menu covers...so each menu was different. That little bunny with the mustache was on one of our menus. When we talked to our waiter about the menus, he pulled out his phone to show us a picture of a menu that had recently disappeared. It had a picture of a bunny and beside the bunny (written about fifty times) was the word "KILL"...remember...this was drawn by a child...obviously a child who views life as a realist...

Where was I?...oh yeah, my point is to never judge a book by its cover. Hick'ry Pit was the most delicious BBQ I have eaten in California. Come to find out...they are also known for their pies. I'm not kidding...these pies...were...huge! My sister ended up getting one of their homemade ice cream sandwiches instead. 





 Now we are off to see the coast AND drive through San Francisco!

 Hey Moofin Pants!

 Oh sweet Jesus! there she goes again! Sleepy sleepy....

 Oh wait! She decided to get up for a little ice cream sandwich treat...no worries...

Definitely not like a Florida beach....

 Now we come to Sunday!!!!! Napa Valley day!!!!

I don't remember which  ones we visited (as you can see there are billions...and the names are all crazy) but this is a picture of our first stop.

Isn't that background insane!? I never get use to looking out into the open and seeing all those mountains in the background...it is so surreal to me.

 That's what a typical winery looks like...

 Ohhhh...look at those little professional wine tasters. FYI it is super easy to get hammered on these wine tours.

 There is a cute little lunch area...

Theres another thing about California that amazes me...THE FLOWERS! Not to sound like a total old lady, but I have never seen so many colorful flowers in my life...or so many bees :-/

 We decided to stop here for lunch. Brilliant decision on Heather part!!!  Nothing better than wine and fried food.

 Ill be honest...I wanted to eat here because I liked the little kids that were painted on the roof...I thought they were cute...

This was the last winery we visited. It was gorgeous...honestly...they all are. If you ever have the opportunity to visit the wineries out here...you wont be disappointed

 We were able to take a family photo for the first time.

Napa Valley must be like Disneyland to a photographer. There is no way that you could run out of beautiful places to shoot...and the weather is always perfect.

 I decided not to partake in the drinking. Instead I waited outside with Knox...we had a good time playing in the grass. He even got to meet a lovely couple from England.

The itinerary  for rest of my sister time here?...to relax...oh and shop...

There is Knox on his first carousel ride!!! Yayyyyyy!!!!