Flowers were not the only things on the grounds.  This five foot black snake was hanging in a branch.  It looked as if he had recently eaten.

Roses were everywhere and little details hidden at the turns.  Statuary imported from Europe was tucked in to corners or near the fountains.  Peonies may be my favorite flower.  The delicacy and the complexity fascinate me.

Canvas Texture

Here is a nine shot panorama of the view of the rose garden.  I could force myself to find a quiet retreat in one of the little pavilions.  All in all it was just a nice day.

Champagne bottles stacked to age

and just relax for a few days.  I found a little B&B, Maison Fleurie, right behind Bouchon, the most famous bakery in Yountville.  Despite the fact that the inn provided a lovely breakfast, we had to wander over there to check out their latest offerings, as we could smell them baking all night long.

Macarons in all flavors and colors

From our balcony, every morning we got to watch the hot air balloons rise through the trees.

Looks great from a safe distance

It was pretty chilly while we were there and those balloon rides left at 6 AM.  We said “let’s save that for never….”

Spring was in full blossom in the valley.

Wisteria dripping from the trellises

We stopped at a really fun winery called “Cliff Lede”, not only was the wine wonderful, but the sculptures on the grounds were fun and emblematic of why we were there.   

Since Sarah had never been to San Francisco, we did a whirlwind day tour.  We hit Chinatown, rode the cable cars-right up to the stars, saw Alcatraz—from a distance and of course the Golden Gate.  It was actually some of the clearest weather I’d ever seen.  To top it off, we got to have dinner with 2 of my cousins.  Just a great trip to cap off a truly wonderful year with my amazing wife–I brought my heart right back home.

While I was down in San Antonio, my son and I had to check out the Alamo and the Riverwalk.  I mean, if you’re going to walk around like tourist how can you miss the Alamo?  It is the quintessential Texas tourist location.  I set my camera to “Tourist” and went to find Davy Crockett.

Wow!  The Alamo was in the middle of town, completely surrounded by tall buildings.  I couldn’t get a clean shot anywhere.  It made me wonder why Santa Anna would bring his troops so far into town.      One of the re-enactors showed us how the trapped Texans used every means possible to try to get reinforcements.

Yeah, it was a pretty disappointing stop on our trek.  I love history, so the museum is very interesting, but photographically?  I don’t want to upset any of our Texas readers, but, unless you concentrate on detail shots, you’re not going to get much.  We only had an hour, so I’d like to go back when I have more time to face the challenge.

We had better luck at the Riverwalk.  A mission and presidio were established along the San Antonio River in the early 1700s.  Flooding was a frequent problem.  Texas began serious work to control the flooding in the 1940s, and, today, there are several canals with restaurants and shops on both sides of the canals that run through the center of town.  They claim it is the number one tourist attraction in Texas, with party barges and water taxis plying the canals.

We went restaurant hopping, stopping in to sample six establishments in one night.  The weather and food were great, with seating inside and out.  Make sure you have lots of time to enjoy the experience.

The light was failing quickly when we were arrived, but make sure you take your camera if you go.  I bumped up the ISO and put the fast lenses to work between food stops.

There are roaming musicians and music from the bars to keep you in the party mood.

The Riverwalk is a colorful, scenic treat that will keep your camera happy.  There are many footbridges, so you can easily get to either side of the canal.  I’m sure they are favorite locations for weddings and portraits.

We just nibbled here and there and ended the night at an Irish Pub with a pint.  What a great night with the Captain.

These images have been processed using the Adobe Lightroom 4 Beta and the noise reduction algorithm really is an improvement.  Even though I had jacked the ISO up to 640—pretty much the maximum usable value for the D300, I could still see a lot of noise.  It was more evident due to the calm water.One of the other features of the new version is just the overall processing algorithm, it was visibly faster and made the colors appear just like that early morning.  

We had a really relaxing weekend with some good food, some nice wine and a view from our room which captured the magic of the Chesapeake Bay.  …plus I got to take some photos.

The Aurora Ice Bar is located in Chena Hot Springs, Alaska.  It is just a little bit south of the Arctic Circle.  The resort is open year round for your vacationing pleasure.  They say it’s a great place to see the Aurora Borealis.

The Aurora Ice Bar is kept at about 20 degrees inside a specially designed building, so you can even enjoy it in the summer time.  We were there in August, but the nasty warm weather never bothered us.

The entire bar and stools are made of ice.

The bar is open during the tours, and many of the tourists tried their Apple-tinis.  You can see the glasses – they’re also carved from ice – lined up on the shelves behind the bartender.

The building is filled with ice sculptures.  They have a xylophone made of ice that is playable.  There is a workshop at one end of the building where you can watch current sculptures being made.  The artists there have sculpted jousting knights, ice fish, and the Coca-Cola polar bears.  They never seem to run out of ice up there.

We were only there for an hour because we had lots of other things to see, but we did look around at the two ice bedrooms, complete with an ice outhouse.  (No, the outhouse isn’t ever actually used.)

As you can see from these photos, I was in snapshot mode.  The bar wasn’t on our original schedule, so I was just carrying the camera and one lens.  I was really set back because I didn’t have my flash.  I hope to get back there someday with better preparation.

So, if you’re ever up near the Arctic Circle, looking for a drink, stop by for lots of fun.  Tell them I sent you….