Posted by Lauren
Hey Hey! It’s Wednesday… you know what that means!
Today’s lunch definitely encapsulates the more veggies theme… this salad is packed with spinach + romaine, carrots, corn, mushrooms, green/red pepper, and chicken/turkey/eggs!
It’s not really that warm out thanks to the breeze, but at least it is sunny today, right? Speaking of the weather… were anybody’s weekend plans assaulted by Mother Nature?
Just ours?
Let’s back up…
As I mentioned in my last few posts, I took a trip down to SLO with some of my sorority sisters and a group I affectionately called “Kyle’s friends” but really that is nonsense because they are my friends and he wasn’t around to claim them…
After breakfast at Big Sky, we boarded the charter bus on the Cal Poly campus and drove north to Margarita Vineyards, Home of Ancient Peaks Winery, in Santa Margarita, CA.
Umbrellas + Flasqs = necessary
The scene, upon our arrival, included large tents in a horseshoe design, a band in the center, spare tables, and over 60 food/beverage vendors clutching their jackets.
First: fill up the wine glasses! x6
Second: get some food before the crowd takes all the free samples.
Chino’s taquitos and Splash Cafe’s adorable mini clam chowder bread bowls stole the show!
Here is everyone!!
Megan, myself, Taylor, Kelly, Diana, Amy, Carly (Katie is missing!)
Myself, Adrienne, Kit, Kimbo, Molly, Holly
Crazy-faced self and Jake
Oh, and, all of THESE people were there too!
I ran into a lot of familiar faces, which is one of the perks of attending a drinking event hosted by a college club. My old RA promised to make some of his famous cookies I remember so dearly from 2005 and invite me over; he admitted to living in San Jose, so I hope to make this a reality!
CHEERS!
The wine in the picture above comes from Twin Pomegranates in Fresno. I know how you bloggers love pomegranates (good source of fiber, vitamins C and K, antioxidant-rich, heart healthy, etc), so I must report that this was quite tasty! It had a completely different flavor than any wine I have ever had before; tangy but fruity, and clearly made from 100% poms!
This is my friend Molly. Holly gave her one of these wine glass holder necklaces.
Absolutely brilliant!
Since we elected to be VIP and pay $10 for an extra hour before the main event, we lucked out with shorter lines and access to food. While we would have never guessed, that extra hour ended up being crucial to the fun-factor.
At 1pm, the regular admission folks joined us. At about 2 pm, the rain and winds really picked up and the band quit playing. Rumors spread about the tents blowing away, poles falling on people, and the vendors packing up.
By 2:30 pm, the entire place had to be evacuated! The event was supposed to last until 4 pm!
This is by far my favorite picture of the day. Amy snapped a great photo of Diana, Megan, and her sister Carly braving the elements:
As long as you were in the tents, though, everyone was smiling!
The smiles might have something to do with a sneaky, extra bottle of wine and the multiple tastings of Sexual Chocolate, the zinfandel and syrah creations of Cal Poly alumni Brandon Allen and Chip Forsythe of SLO Down Wines. (Their renegade story is absolutely worth a read.)
Our rained out group carried on once back in San Luis Obispo.
On to Bull’s for a drink, on to Firestone’s for fries and tri-tip salad, on to old-Marty’s for rounds of drinking games and chanting and shirt-ripping. Yes, that is all true… I’ll spare you the picture.
On Sunday, we slept in… a lot. Think: 12 hours of sleep. After checking out of the hotel, we made our way downtown for some food and a little bit of shopping. The girls made plans to go to Big Sky, so I walked around the corner to Natural Cafe (didn’t feel like Big Sky two days in a row). I ordered my absolute favorite salad from there – the Old Town (mixed greens, short grain brown rice, carrots, feta, tomato, and guac).
I walked to Gus’ deli to meet with my other group of friends. Right as they finished their sandwiches, Megan was ready to leave town. Good timing! I purchased a decadent peanut butter cookie from the counter and hopped in her car for the 3-hour ride home. All I can say is, I wish the cookie was bigger!
Question: Everyone was ordered to leave 1/2 way through the event, which is organized by the Cal Poly Vines to Wines club. They can’t predict the weather, but a lot of people are upset and want refunds. What do you think should happen? Ever been in a similar situation?
-Lauren
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