Ok, let’s talk packing.
I’m a huge believer in only packing carry on bags – I hate finally landing in my destination and being forced to wait for ages at baggage claim – but packing for a girls weekend screams “I must have multiple outfit options”. Add in a rainy forecast and you’re asking for a 50lb suitcase situation.
I resisted the urge to pack the world’s largest suitcase and managed to carry on just one small rolling suitcase and my trusty Longchamp as my personal item – complete with coats, rain boots, multiple shoe options and layers. Wanna see how I did it?
Travel Day
On my travel day to San Francisco, I made sure to wear as many of my layers as possible to save room in my bags. I layered my light weight anorak over dark denim and a plain white tee. I wore one of the hats I brought along to hide my travel hair and I always take a big scarf on a flight so I can use it as a blanket or a pillow. The world’s most comfortable metallic flat espadrilles made security a breeze and were perfect for traipsing around the tourist spots of San Fran.
Wine Tasting (in the rain)
We spent two days of our trip wine tasting and one day called for less rain than the other. I opted to wear black distressed denim on the sunnier (if you will!) of the two days with my Hunter rain boots and a perfectly light weight flowy top. My hat made another appearance to protect the locks and my jacket was on call for the bouts of rain.
On the second day of wine tasting, I opted into leggings because there is no worse feeling than soaking wet denim. The boots proved to be worth the space in my carry on (pro tip: stuff your boots with small items to maximize packing space – my bathing suit, curling iron and undies made their way to Napa in the legs of my rain boots),
The dinner attire in Napa is very low key and go with the flow so I basically packed dresses that could be wadded up in a suitcase and not wrinkle. I don’t iron in real life so I’m sure not going to iron on vacation! My favorite find is this maxi dress (for less than $60 and in a ton of colors!).
If you’re busty, trying to hide a tummy or not a fan of your arms, this dress will be your saving grace. It would also work if you’re rocking a bump! And for my fellow tall girls, this baby is long!
The other super star dress of the trip did not get the love it deserved photo wise but I had to include it anyway! Forgive the horrid selfie, I had to dig it out of my deleted photos – 4 bloggers on a trip and no one snagged a shot of this little number? For shame.
Soft, loose and perfect for wearing a bra (or no bra, you lucky ladies, you!), this dress was amazing for our first dinner out. I paired it with a hat (pro tip: stuff your hat with a tee shirt to maximize packing space and protect the hat shape) and booties and felt perfectly dressed for our night out.
Sleep
I’m a sucker for pajamas and typically take advantage of a trip to snag a new set. My new monogrammed sleep shirt was perfect for bedtime and handled the transition to breakfast well with a pair of leggings underneath!
Travel Day
There was no better farewell to Napa than my Mimosas Made Me Do It tee and soft white jeans. I carried on my jacket and scarf, rocked my same comfy kicks and wore my hat because there was no way I was getting glam for a cross country flight after a weekend of wine drinking.
Now go forth and only travel with only those carry on bags!
Thanks for the post, forecast in Napa is RAIN except 1 day. I love packing in a carry-on! I am impressed you didn't wear your rain boots on the ride out there!
Amen with the carry on bags. I haven't even checked a bag to England (in winter) in years! I can't do it. I hate waiting when we arrive. And I'm already scheming about packing for the whole fam in carry ons to Disney in May…it can be done.