Palos Verdes For An Afternoon Of Fun! 8/24/2014
Another great festival eventhough we were really missing Cyndy and the Roberts! Between the Thedens, Zaitz, and Liles we tried everything! A super time was had by all!
Did You Know? - Trump National Golf Club, Los Angeles is a public golf club in Palos Verdes, California featuring a 7,242-yard (6,622 m) course designed by Pete Dye and Donald J. Trump Signature Design.
Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles was formerly known as Ocean Trails Golf Club, an 18–hole course designed by Pete Dye, which was about to open when a landslide occurred and the 18th hole slid toward the Pacific Ocean. The Ocean Trails Golf Club subsequently went into bankruptcy, and on November 26, 2002 Trump bought the property for $27 million, intending to redesign the course. It includes a 45,000 sq ft (4,200 m2) clubhouse.
It is ranked among the Top 100 Courses You Can Play by Golf Magazine.
The club is known for its picturesque views of the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island. It also features three artificial waterfalls. The Michael Douglas Pro-Celebrity and Friends Golf Tournament takes place there annually, in April.
At a total cost of $264 million, Trump National Golf Club, Los Angeles is the most expensive golf course ever constructed.
We have arrived (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)
We got the red carpet treatment (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)
Did You Know? - More generally "red carpet treatment" and "rolling out the red carpet", refer to any special efforts made in the interests of hospitality .
The earliest known reference to walking a red carpet in literature is in the play Agamemnon by Aeschylus , written in 458 BC. When the title character returns from Troy, he is greeted by his vengeful wife Clytemnestra who offers him a red path to walk upon:
"Now my beloved, step down from your chariot, and let not your foot, my lord, touch the Earth. Servants, let there be spread before the house he never expected to see, where Justice leads him in, a crimson path."
Agamemnon, knowing that only gods walk on such luxury, responds with trepidation:
"I am a mortal, a man; I cannot trample upon these tinted splendors without fear thrown in my path."
The grounds were being set up (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)
The view was magnificent (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)
The view was fantastic... No fog this year...(Courtesy of Hans Thedens)
The wine tents are being stocked (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)
That is Catalina Island in the background
We arrive (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)
To The Brunch 
Champagne is a requirement
"So... Where Is The Food??"
Just kidding.... Wine is good for all meals
Bob and James fill up their plates
Food everywhere
Shrimp anyone?
Almost too pretty to eat.... Almost
What Did We Dine On??? Everything!
Hans suggests we capture the food moment
Paul went for the exotic
Bob found the omelette station
Hans was very organized!
"Fill up all the glasses... I'll champagne taste right here!" (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)
We heard Hans mumbling to himself....
The small cameras saved the day!
The ladies get to go now...
"I am famished!"
Kerstin has the right idea.... One bite... One sip!
This was Kerstin's fifth trip to the buffet
Donna was in to colors
"Paul... Stay away from my plate!"
(Courtesy of Hans Thedens)
We are again celebrating Bob's birthday
(Courtesy of Hans Thedens)
The sun was doing a lot of reflecting this morning (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)
Paul declares it is time to drink wine!
Breakfast must be over!
"Do I have to get up dear? (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)
To The Wine We Go!
Today we explore wine and beer
The gates have been open but we stopped by the VIP area first
See Catalina in the distance.... 26 miles away
That means we have a private area first to visit before heading to the grounds
We got our glasses with the Trump markings
We don't need to takes notes... We remember everything
Donna partakes of the vine....
"Soooooo Where is the beer??"
There is a lot of clinking going on
Did You Know? - According to various apocryphal stories, the custom of touching glasses evolved from concerns about poisoning. By one account, clinking glasses together would cause each drink to spill over into the others' (though there is no real evidence for such an origin).
We have our glasses and ready to go (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)
Hans with the ladies... Still looking for beer (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)
How can they be laughing with empty glasses
Hans found the beer
"So Donna... Which one is the wine glass?"
Did You Know? - Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the saccharification of starch and fermentation of the resulting sugar. The starch and saccharification enzymes are often derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat. Most beer is also flavoured with hops, which add bitterness and act as a natural preservative, though other flavourings such as herbs or fruit may occasionally be included. The preparation of beer is called brewing.
Beer is the world's most widely consumed alcoholic beverage, and is the third-most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is thought by some to be the oldest fermented beverage.
An excellent Chardonnay
You could tell which table was ours
Well.... Most of the time (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)
We are about to leave our VIP area (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)
Heading Down To The Wine and Beer Tasting Area
"Hurry up... I can smell the beer from here!"
Here we come (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)
Dueling cameras
We love the large American flag waving in the breeze
It was quite a few steps involved....
Perhaps we should have taken the bannister?
Each tent has six or more wine pouring representatives (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)
The festival was sold out (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)
Hans really enjoyed this sign
(Courtesy of Hans Thedens)
We found out where the bad wine goes....
(Courtesy of Hans Thedens)
Donna and Kerstin do not believe in "bad wine" (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)
We waited in line first to get engraved
New friends getting their glasses engraved
This picture is for Ed Roberts who did not make the festival this year....
This bottle takes two people to raise it and pour it out
Discussing the results..
"Good stuff!"
We Heard Music
The earlier band just departed and a new one was starting up
A view up the coast... Just a beautiful California day
Food Trucks To The Rescue
Meanwhile Back In The Wine Area They Are Discussing What Wines Mean
All smiles... The beer is working
"I found this secret wine no one knows about!"
OMG... An empty glass???
They visit the "Watchdog" tent...
They sell portable breathalyzers
Did You Know? - A breathalyzer or breathalyser (a portmanteau of breath and analyzer/analyser) is a device for estimating blood alcohol content (BAC) from a breath sample. Breathalyzer is the brand name for the instrument developed by inventor Robert Frank Borkenstein. It was registered as a trademark on May 13, 1958, and is active as of 2014 but the word has become a generic trademark.
"I think it is a good idea!"
Paul blew into the analyzer
and the machine went up in smoke
Time To Sit And Grab A Snack
We found a spot close to the music
Hans is proud of his glass... But it needs to be filled
We are starting to slow down a bit
"Sitting feels pretty good!"
Music means Bob and Donna get to moving
(Courtesy of Hans Thedens)
Showing everyone how it is done (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)
Wine never lies... or does it?
Paul could not resist (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)
Heading For Home
Time to go (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)
That's a long way up (Courtesy of Hans Thedens)
Old Glory in her fullest
3:30 and we are outta here.... Heading to Old Ranch
"Wait for me"
They still have energy enough to dance
Thank you Hans for the great pictures today
We Stopped In At Old Ranch Before Going Home
We all had ice tea and diet cokes.... We were "wined out"
Discussing the day
Sue has an idea for an improved computer keyboard
Always together and in love
