Daffodil Days

(warning, this is a photo intensive post)
After a restless night of anxiety over some tough choices we need to make I decided that I wanted to drive out of the snow and down the Highway to wallow in Spring.  In the nearby town of Murphys aka “Queen of the Sierra”,  it is always 10  degrees warmer than at my house and spring comes a couple months earlier.  In Murphys there is a winery that has planted thousands if not millions of daffodils along Six Mile Road, the road that leads from the middle of town out to the winery.  It is hard to capture the breathtaking beauty of coming around a bend in the road to view a band of yellow and cream for as far as the eye can see but I gave it a whirl.  Trust me, these do not do it justice.

Had to find a spot to park my gas guzzling Suburban.


It was an overcast day, perfect for me to get some photographs without the direct sun washing them out.  It felt warm even with the overcast skies (the sun did peep out from time to time) and a slight breeze kept the daffodils dancing so it was hard to get a sharp photo. 

Besides the bazillions of daffodils along the road there are barrels and barrels of spring bulbs and more daffodils near the entrance to the winery itself and museum.

The perfume from the hyacinths was delightful and made it a full sensory experience as I wandered from barrel to barrel snapping a dozen photos of each in my bid to capture the full visual effect for you all.

Vignettes and displays also grace the grounds for you to wander thru and around.

Below is a recreated miners shack.  If you don’t already know, Murphys is an historic mining town.  Ironstone museum boasts having the largest gold nugget in the world on display.  (in a vault, of course)

The sign on the tree reads:

Ironstone Mine

claim extends as far as my rifle shoots

I tried to get an inside photo but the safety cages made a clear shot difficult. 

Excuse the flash glare.  I think there is enough rust in here to even please  Ms. Funky Junk!
Not only does the winery have fun things to view but along the roadway you see a bit of art posing in a field here and there.

I cannot resist anything “chicken”. 
We have our share of real old mining shacks dotting the fields as well.

Though downtown has been turned into a tourist destination I cannot complain.  We have some of the best shops and restaurants around.
A favorite with many is Aria Bakery. They make stellar paninis, salads and soups along with their fresh baked breads, lemon cream cakes, fruit tarts…well you get the picture.  You must stop in for a treat if you are in the area. Their coffee is supreme as well. 

They are not alone in offering tempting fare for the discriminating palate..just down the sidewalk is the ice cream shop.  Every other place is a winery tasting room, or so it seems.  We have tons of top notch wineries here. 

This is my first time visiting this new olive oil tasting bar and I was amazed at the offerings.  You have to try this place, it is great!

They have not only olive oil but also flavored balsamic vinegars, like Peach and Wild Cherry.  They are delicious!

The metal tureens are the oils and the crocks are the balsamics.

Some close up of the labels, don’t they make your mouth water. 


There are some very strong ones that are about as pleasant as licking sand paper, like the Kalamata olive oil.  An acquired taste I am sure and don’t get me wrong, I do like Kalamata olives but the pure oil is strong!
My day away from the house was refreshing, seeing green grass along with fresh blooming flowers did the trick of calming my frayed nerves.
I love where I live!
I certainly hope you enjoy your little taste of our area. 
~Pamela~