I took a day off in December to treat myself to some of my favorite things, a good glass of wine and shopping for new books! Remember the “Treat Yourself” episode of Parks & Rec? As the characters Tom and Donna explain, Treat Yourself is a day that’s all about pampering yourself. If we were being true to the show, Treat Yourself Day would be on October 13th. But hey, December works too, right? For my FUEL this year, I decided a “Treat Yourself” day would be just the thing. I headed back to my hometown of Placerville to visit my favorite wineries, bookstores, and, of course, Apple Hill.
What is FUEL, you ask? Once a year we Tytans get $250 and a day off to do whatever inspires us! And for me, a day off in the town where I grew up sounded like just the ticket.
Apple Pie And Wine Tasting And Book Stores, Oh My!
I grew up in Placerville and it was one of the first places to inspire me. When I thought about what I would do with my FUEL trip this year, taking a day off to get some of the best apple pie and wine around and see some of my favorite sites seemed like just the thing to recharge my batteries. Sometimes revisiting familiar sites is the best way to spark new ideas.
We started the day at High Hill Ranch in Apple Hill. It was a Monday, so we had the normally bustling ranch almost entirely to ourselves. We took some time to sip cider by the lake, put our cell phones away, and enjoy the morning. (And pick up a pie to take home, of course!)
The afternoon took us to some exciting wineries, including taking a moment to take in the view at Lava Cap!
When evening rolled around we headed back to Main Street to spend time in one of the best bookstores on the planet, The Bookery. This book store is a labyrinth of shelves and towers of great reads that I could (and did) spend hours in.
We ended the day at The Independent Restaurant and Bar for a wonderfully swanky dinner! (Hey, thanks for the steak, Tytanium. Yum!)
This year’s FUEL was a wonderful, relaxing day to step back and enjoy some of the sites I love the most, as well as some little luxuries, like a nice dinner, that don’t happen very often. There’s no shame in taking a moment of self-indulgence to relax, recharge, so that you can get back to working hard on what you’re passionate about.