A Healing Napa Valley Excursion

Roxie went with my husband and me on a “date.” I wanted to do something fun and out of the ordinary to keep me going on the right track. Before Hardy’s death, we loved to go to wine country and mull around, dine, go to parks, or just go sightseeing. I believe it’s one of the most beautiful valleys on Earth. I always feel relaxed and comfortable there, so we decided that was the place to take her.

It was a lovely drive, but she still trembled when we first set off in the car. It took her around ten minutes to stop trembling, but the car trip was about an hour and a half, so by the time we got there she was relaxed. Our first stop was Mumm Napa Valley. Since it was early afternoon, we thought that stopping there would be a good idea. My husband found a parking spot in the shade, and we went to see if the place was “pet friendly.” It was!

When we first walked into the tasting room, we were surprised to see that it was really more like a restaurant. Roxie was trembling again, but when our waitress brought her a bone and a stainless steel bowl of water, she began to perk up. People commented about how cute she was, and spoke kindly and softly to her. Very soon, she was having a good time, and so were we.

Next we were off to our favorite pet friendly restaurant in St. Helena called, Tra Vigne. Again Roxie came in trembling and left contented. What dog wouldn’t LOVE going to a restaurant with waiters carrying around delectable tidbits designed to tantalize the taste buds. She seemed to really like one of the waiters, one who I’m disappointed to note, wasn’t serving us. No matter. We sat comfortably in the warm afternoon dappled shade, and relaxed with our lovely Sunday brunch treats.

After that we were off to Dean and Deluca St. Helena. We had planned to stock up on a couple bottles of Napa wine, but just couldn’t seem to locate the perfect bottles, so we opted for a delicious caramel, chocolate chip, bar cookie for the road trip home. We made our way to the Silverado Trail and went looking Miner Family Vineyards. I am a huge fan of their Viognier. We were both disappointed in the wines we tasted, however. Maybe it was because we had just consumed a deliciously sweet cookie, but even so, I’m not sure their 2009 whites are as good as last year’s release.

Roxie seemed relieved to be home again. She really is a lot like me. We aren’t scared of the same things, but we are definitely wary when we are not in our home. From my perspective, this was the best trip out since the attack. I realize that my mind stays engaged and I am distracted from fearful things because I feel obliged to attend to Roxie’s fearful state. It was an excellent therapeutic trip for both of us, and I believe we both developed in complexity from our time in the Napa Valley.