Make like a local in California
As Labor Day nears, go back-to-school California style with a California learning vacation. Get to know the authentic California with a unique hands-on learning experience while bonding with friends and family and creating lasting memories. Swap stationery for saddles and surf – herein the top five learning vacations from Sonoma to San Diego.
Sniff, sip and savour California’s award-winning wines
· The 164 acres at Le Vin Winery & Vineyards near Sonoma is perfect terrain to channel your inner oenophile. Take the estate’s agricultural course to learn how to produce award-winning organic wines and olive oils. http://www.levinvineyards.com/. Then put your skills to the test as Sommelier for a Day working with the Master Sommelier at San Francisco’s Michelin-starred Fifth Floor Restaurant. Help diners pick a varietal that best accents their meal from a Wine Spectator Grand Award-winning list. http://www.fifthfloorrestaurant.com
Sneak peak into California kitchens
· Test how sophisticated your palate is in California Wine Country at Napa Valley’s acclaimed Culinary Institute of America. Choose a one to two-day course and learn the key to food and wine pairings while visiting some of Napa’s top artisan purveyors and wineries. http://www.ciachef.edu/. At San Diego’s highest Zagat-rated restaurant, don your chef whites and take note as the Chef de Cuisine at El Bizcocho takes aspiring chefs from the line to the table. After the kitchen closes, take part in the late-night ritual of enjoying a meal with El Bizcocho staff. http://www.ranchobernardoinn.com/bizcocho/
Saddle up to a working ranch
· The key to living like a local in the High Sierra is the secret to the perfect cattle rope. At Harris Ranch, follow ranchers Tom Peek and Ken Zimmerman as they move cattle and become one with their steed. Back at the ranch, soak in the hot spring pools at Old Benton, and reminisce by the campfire under the stars.
Park Ranger at your service
· Put your pencil-pushing persona to the side. If working in the wilderness sounds ideal, the U.S. Forest Service offers a variety of one or two-day get-your-hands-dirty projects throughout the Shasta Cascades. In Lassen Volcanic National Park opportunities include assisting with natural resource research to non-native weed removal. http://www.fs.fed.us/
Livin’ local in Huntington Beach
· The Surf ‘n Spa Adventure at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach teaches newbies how to paddle, pop and ride the Pacific waves with a private two-hour surf lesson as the surf pros of Toes on the Nose offer their insider tricks of the trade. Afterward, indulge with a 50-minute Swedish massage at the luxe Pacific Waters Spa. http://huntingtonbeach.hyatt.com
August 31, 2009
Posted in: United States West