When Winter(s) Thaws for Summer – Park Winters Summerland

Ever heard of Winters, CA? If you have, it’s likely because Winters and Dixon are hot spots for those seeking Instagram-worthy photos in the sunflower fields that bloom in the summer. I took a trip with some bloggers out to this town west of Davis and Sacramento to spend the day at Park Winters, a private country estate that is a popular location for weddings, but also houses a bed and breakfast with four rooms.

When we were arrived, we first saw the beautiful restored 1865 Victorian farmhouse that houses three of the available rooms available for overnight stays.

Our first stop was the Tower Suite (also available for booking) to set our things down and grab our cameras to start exploring the property. The organizers were very thoughtful and even had towelettes and deodorant ready for us in the common area!

When I got outside, I heard there were donuts, so I made my way over to the donut wall for a quick breakfast before I started exploring. I loved the balloons that were placed atop the oversized entryway to the pool; they matched my donut!

I got myself a coffee on my drive up to catch my ride to Winters, so I went right to the rose. At this point it was getting quite warm, so I said “yes way rosé” when the gal working the counter asked if I wanted a frosé. I can’t say no! Luckily I didn’t do anything silly as a result of downing my frosé, but if I had, the cup explains it perfectly. Thank you Alluring Events for the beautiful set-up and all the f/rosé!

After my frosé, I regrouped with my friends to explore the vignettes. First up: boho rhapsody, designed by Tres Fabu Events, was set up with seat cushions and blankets as well as a beautiful flower-filled table setting. I wish I could have transported all of it to my future home’s backyard (probably not in the Bay Area as I don’t think such a home is within my means).

We walked around to the Poppy & Oak vignette set up like a countryside market. I couldn’t get up on the bike since I’m too small haha. Pure Honey brought some of their bees with them to the event, which was pretty neat. I can’t wait to try their orange blossom raw honey on some toast or scones for breakfast! The vignette made me wonder what life would be like living in the countryside. Wake up in the morning, walk to your shed to grab your bike, and bike down a dirt path to the countryside market…oh to escape the stresses from work and traffic in the Bay Area!

Since my last name is Sun, naturally I loved all the sunflowers that were a prominent fixture throughout the day. The giant flowers are so bright and cheery!

The Tan Weddings & Events vignette, had a station where we could put together our own bag of chai tea ingredients! I can’t wait to steep the mixture. I loved the pops of light and hot pink in the flower arrangements at the vignette paired with the straw furniture and harp.

Around the corner, we found KMK Design Company‘s vignette that also included boozy variations of our favorite childhood treats — rice crispy treats, macarons, and jelly beans. I loved the sign by Sacramento City Signs — adulting is hard, but it’s not so bad when you’re spending the day with bloggers enjoying boozy snacks, delicious food, and drinks.

Lunch was catered by Nugget Market, a Sacramento-based grocery chain. They had quite the spread available for us from sandwiches to a variety of gourmet catering trays. The fruits were so sweet and I loved the cheese tray and veggies!

I made sure to stay hydrated throughout the day and grabbed a couple juices from Sun & Soil Juice for an injection of vitamins. I had to get a shot of the colorful juices against the beautiful flower wall by Hannah Muller of Full Belly Farms. I have to give myself props for not dropping these glass bottles; my heart was definitely racing as I was snapping the photo with the bottles in one hand and my (heavy) DSLR in the other. I looked over at the prop table provided by the Giggle & Riot photo booth and saw “Summer Land” spelled out in flowers!

Before dinner, Ginger Elizabeth was set up inside the Victorian inn for CHOCOLATE TASTING! Anyone else a chocoholic? I used to be more of a chocoholic, but within the last couple years, my tolerance for sweets has gone down, so I favor dark chocolates and companies that don’t add as much sugar in their product. This was my first time trying Ginger Elizabeth’s chocolate desserts. I enjoyed the truffle and macaron!

Dinner was a sit-down meal in Park Winter’s beautiful event barn, cooked up by Park Winter’s culinary team. I LOVED the wooden ceiling with rustic chandeliers, complete with beautiful floral centerpieces.

It was a scene straight out of a rustic countryside wedding reception; it was lovely, as you can tell by the number of photos I took of the space.

Our dinner of salad (watermelon, goat feta, cucumber, pine nuts), steelhead trout (mustard greens, torpedo onion, kombu), and dessert (elderberry, champagne, white chocolate, croquant) was amazing!