November 7-21, 2025 fun in California and Utah

I flew to Santa Rosa for a short reunion with college friends in St. Helena (Northeast of San Francisco),flying over vineyards still golden 

• 1839: Settler George Yount was the first to plant grapes in Napa Valley. You may recognize the name from the culinary gem of a town, Yountville, which was named after him.
• 1861: Charles Krug founded the first commercial winery in Napa Valley. A slew of other wineries opened over the next 20 years, including many that are still open today, like Beringer Vineyards, Schramsberg Vineyards, and Inglenook.
• 1890s: The root louse phylloxera hit the Napa Valley in full force, killing over 80 percent of the grapevines. The Napa Valley wine industry took almost 100 years to recover
• 1900-1925: Phylloxera continued to plague the vineyards of Napa Valley. Farmers turned to walnuts and prunes, instead, to make their living off the land.
• 1920-1933: Prohibition went into effect in 1920, and over the next 13 years, most of the wineries that managed to survive phylloxera closed down. A few were able to remain open–like Beringer Vineyards and Louis M. Martini—by producing sacramental wine for churches
• 1944: As Napa Valley recovered from the double blows of phylloxera and Prohibition, seven wineries decided to work together to make the best wine possible. They signed a treaty of collaboration to form the Napa Valley Vintners Association, which now represents 525 wineries and raises over $15 million for the local community each year.
• 1940s-1980s: Over these four decades, Napa Valley reinvented itself. Inglenook was resurrected, Georges de Latour re-established Beaulieu Vineyards (BV), Louis M. Martini founded his eponymous winery, the Mondavi family built an empire (which included the purchase of the Charles Krug Winery), and Andre Tchelistcheff revolutionized the way wine was made at BV, profoundly affecting a generation of winemakers.
• 1976: The Judgment of Paris catapulted Napa Valley onto the world wine stage when two Napa Valley wines—Chateau Montelena Chardonnay and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon—took first place in a blind tasting again the best French wines.
• 1981: Napa Valley became California’s first American Viticultural Area (AVA)Fewer are drinking wine recently so some vineyards are closing and others have grapes unpicked on the vines                         Napa and Sonoma valleys The Napa Valley Museum has a wonderful interactive Julia Child (1912-2004) exhibit on until March 8, 2026. It explores the life and career of the famous chef, author and television personality who made French cuisine accessible to American audiences. Her insatiable curiosity, tenacious spirit, and passion for teaching transformed American cuisine.
• Adventurers, companions and a much in love husband and wifeMy friends Kathie and Kathleen try out the tub minus the bubbles!Julia said BUTTER is the key ingredient. Eggs are second!

            A wonderfully entertaining movie if you haven't seen it!

        There's a wonderful store with Italian products in St. Helena

The Napa Museum in neighboring Yountville has this wonderful exhibit of Swedish-born Sophie Alstrom Mitchell, watercolor painter of flowers. Her husband was founder of the first Presbyterian church. 

 

  

There were many other beautiful paintings of things I miss about California (persimmons, poppies, the beach, etc.) in this museum

We call ourselves "the Originals" (Wendy, Miriam, Kathleen, Ann and Kathie) started getting together years ago, and yes, we are aging, too, but still have lots of fun)

Napa River with salmon

Next I visited my cousins Nancy and Terry, Doug and Carol, in Napa, so glad to get caught up with them. Nancy drove me to Santa Rosa where we walked around Spring Lake with her mom, my Aunt Julie (96 and going strong!)

I spent the night, then flew back to Utah over vineyards and fields

With great views of Mount Shasta (CA) and Mt. Hood (Oregon) with a stopover in Portland.

Over Portland, Oregon

Back in Utah....

The Vallejo family, friends from Ecuador, stayed with me a few days (above with Mateo, BYU student) and girlfriend Emily who served a mission in Guayaquil. Below, Alejandra with mom Maria who came to see her son Daniel (below) perform indigenous dances at the SLC conference center.

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BYU is filled with very talented performers. 3 separate choral groups. Each is amazing! Above, the BYU Singers

                                       BYU Men's Choir

                                     The BYU concert Choir

                         Fabulous (modern dance) Ensemble

           Another evening with the American folk ensemble,

                               A small group from Mountain Strings   

                               Part of the Celtic Folk Ensemble

                                      and The Mountain Strings
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6 youngest grandchildren have so much fun together at family dinners

     While I was away I missed Ken, Ben and Fernanda's birthdays, so     we are catching up!

    Andrew Taylor's (on right) Timpview HS JV basketball team beat Timpanogos HS last night.

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving. In spite of the turmoil in the world, I am so very grateful for my ancestors, many of whom came here centuries ago, and for all who built this amazing nation, and for all who continue to strive to guard our unique freedoms, to serve where they are so badly needed, who understand that a living God will sustain us regardless of what thoughtless and careless men may do.

 Overseas Irish Adventure Part III (Connemara to Shannon)

 40% of sheep farmers are vulnerable. 75% of sheep, which are grass-fed, are exported. Today, Ireland's biggest industry is pharmaceuticals. 

We watched a sheep dog demonstration in pouring rain, then visited Kylemore  Abbey, built in 1868 as the country estate for a wealthy family, then given to a Benedectine order in 1920, next to a beautiful Victorian garden. From 1922 -2010 it was a boarding school.

Mitchell Henry, a doctor from London, built it for his wife, Margaret, who devoted her life to 9 children and to relieve the suffering of the many poor tenants in the area. She died in 1874, of dysentery on a trip to Egypt. Her husband offered employment to the poor, offering a fair wage, and served in the House of Commons.

Connemara is a wild, sparsely populated and most bio-diverse region. The Connemara pony is very large.

We stopped at Our Lady of the Roadside to see a gorgeous window of Mary in a red shawl (dyed with hawthorn berries)

and at Croagh (=peaked mountains, Bend= rounded mountain in Gaelic) Patrick, an emigration port during the potato famines, to see a very moving sculpture of famished skeletons embarking for a better life...many did not survive the journey. From 1845-52, during the airborn potato blight, of 6,000,000, 25% of Irish population died, 25% left, 300,000 births naturally aborted. It was basically a genocide, as the British government took a laissez-faire attitude. The country still has not bounced back. Ireland was Britain's oldest colony. In the 1900's most landlords lived outside Ireland, and the majority of potatoes were shipped out of Ireland to British colonies.

From the time Britain outlawed slavery in 1833, former slave owners were compensated until 2010! India had the highest GNP before British colonization. The 1870's-1890 Bengal famine was also ignored.

On our way to Galway and County Clare we stopped at a charming village Cong with a lovely abbey

We stopped for a visit and shopping in Galway, settled by 14 tribes. I took a photo with the Galway girl in front of the Quay's bar which has operated since the 13th century. Seattle is Galway's sister city.

In Ennis I went to the local small museum and learned about Daniel O'Connell, who, in 1828, was the first Catholic to sit in the House of Commons in 100 years, and passed a bill repealing the Penal Laws against Catholics, imposed when William of Orange succeeded James II. I also learned about another Irish hero, Eamon de Valera, born in NY in 1882, was commandant of Irish Volunteers during the 1906 Easter Rising, which eventually led to the Irish War of Independence and the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. He became President of Ireland from 1959-1973.

 An active revolutionary from 1913, he became president of Sinn Féin in 1917 and founded the Fianna Fáil party in 1926. In 1937 he made his country a “sovereign” state, renamed Ireland, or Éire. His 

Eamon de Valera (born October 14, 1882, New York, New York, U.S.—died August 29, 1975, Dublin, Ireland) was an Irish politician and patriot who served as taoiseach (prime minister; 1932–48, 1951–54, 1957–59) and president (1959–73) of Ireland. An active revolutionary from 1913, he became president of Sinn Féin in 1917 and founded the Fianna Fáil party in 1926. In 1937 he made his country a “sovereign” state, renamed Ireland, or Éire. His academic attainments also inspired wide respect; he became chancellor of the National University of Ireland in 192

Marilyn and I visited Custy's music shop, and met John the owner. That evening he brought his 2 daughters , Evie and Maisie, and Terry on a button accordion, to play Celtic gigs and reels for us... delightful!

The next morning we drove 1 hour to Doolin, where we took the ferry (the last of the season) to the Aran Island Inis Iorr, where we were delighted to have sunshine as our nice local guide Una showed us around. Her family has lived on this small island, with 350 inhabitants, but enough for schools.

We saw the rusted ship Plassey, which landed in 1960, after a very courageous and difficult rescue. None of the 33 crew died.

an old house being restored

The cemetery, church and grave of the 5th century Saint Kevin have been excavated

We had our usual yummy vegetable soup and hearty dark bread at Una's cafe before we caught the ferry over a choppy sea.

It started to rain on the way to Ennis, County Clare, our last stay.

I visited the lovely Franciscan friary (first built in 1285), where King's were buried.

That evening we divided into 2 groups and enjoyed a wonderful home-hosted dinner. Our hostess Clare O'Loughlin (whose husband was working and whose son is in an Irish dance group touring in the US) and has been hosting American OAT travelers for 10 years, not only served us a delicious dinner but shared her travel experiences and her work as a school inspector. She invited her mother Mary to tell us about her childhood and young adult experiences in the repressive Catholic school which is now the hotel Templegate where we are staying. The great hall is below. Our friend John also told horrific tales of the 2 years he spent there in the boarding school.

The last morning we set out earlier than planned to visit the Cliffs of Moher, (which are estimated to be about 300 million years old, are 702 feet high at the highest point of their 5 mile stretch)! Good thing, as 15 minutes after our arrival they were totally fogged in. I wouldn't have gotten a photo at all. We walked to the tower, and visited the museum.

Bunratty Castle nearby

Poulnabrone is a 5000 year old burial dolman

Catherconnell ring Fort in the region known as the Burren (=rocky place" with limestone cracks with nutrients available for the cows who go to the tops of the mountains in winter) has ruins from at least 3 different eras. Excavations have found jewelry and glass from Venice, amber from the Baltic, fragments of pen from the British Isles, suggesting that the fort was inhabited up to the 16th century and that inhabitants were educated and well-cultured.

So much rain, so much water!

 We had a delicious farewell dinner at our old hotel and 5 of us had to say good-bye as we were leaving before dawn the next day. The other 9 would continue on for the post-trip South.

Miriam, Marilyn and Pam say a huge thank you and good-bye to our amazing, fun, interesting and well organized leader Colon Phelan (who is getting married December 4). Wonderful trip!!