07-13-2023
I had never been to the Napa Valley before. Springtime and summer are the best times of year to see this place green and lush. It was mid-July, and was an ideal time to visit. The grapes were about to be harvested, and summertime was in full swing.
We were heading to stay in Calistoga, which is famous for its hot mineral springs and spas. This was my idea, because I love mineral spas. We were heading to the northernmost town in the Napa Valley.
This area was affected by The Tubbs Fire a few years ago. It left burn scars throughout the area, and real scars, where people lost so much. There is a spirit of resilience here, The area continues to remain on alert, whenever the wind blows. There is evidence of fire damage just about everywhere you look throughout the valley. Late summer happens to be the time when conditions become ripe for fire. A small fire had sprung up, just a few days ago. So I tried to stay on top of what was happening in terms of weather.
As I drove further into the Napa Valley, the landscape was breathtaking from the start. We made our way along Highway 12 heading towards the city of Napa, and its visitors center, which would be the jumping off point for exploring the valley. My boyfriend grew up in Northern California, and was leading this tour. Usually that’s my job. I love exploring, and leading a tour. I’m not used to being the one in the backseat.
The City of Napa
The city of Napa has a unique ambiance, a variety of great restaurants, wine tasting rooms, and cafes. We had stopped by the Napa Visitors Center in downtown Napa for a moment, to pick up a map, and get recommendations. A young gentleman, and self-professed wine enthusiast, circled a couple to check out. Some wineries accepted walk-ins, and would allow you on the grounds without reservations. So we took note of his recommendations and off we went.
Farm to Table
Whether you are a foodie, and wine enthusiast or not, Napa is an interesting place to visit. I personally love food and my grandparents actually made wine. They had a vineyard in Italy, and carried their winemaking traditions with them to the US. My nonna’s wine press is now a family heirloom. I still remember my Dad telling me while he was alive, “You can drink wine.” The kids in my family were allowed wine at dinner, mixed with 7up. These days, I am sort of a health nut. I was a vegan for three full years. I don’t exactly consider wine a health food. But I do and enjoy good food and a fine wine. It’s probably in my genes to enjoy this fine fermented beverage.
Wine Country
As we drove along the main road that runs along the valley, there were picturesque classic California landscapes everywhere I looked. We passed row after row of grapes, charming yet luxurious looking estates, and lots of wineries. This valley has a unique country feel, where you feel like you could almost afford to live there. Oh look at that house, it’s pretty modest. Then you realize, with some research, that you would have had to come in here in the 60’s to afford the land. Now it’s a million dollars an acre.
Bottle Shock
The movie “Bottle Shock,” told the story of the first winemakers in the region, who struggled to get recognition for their wines on the world stage. They were initially snubbed by the French vintners overseas, until Napa wines finally won big at a competition against French wines, putting California on the map.The Chateau De Montelena is the winery in the film. I would not visit there on this inaugural trip to Napa, since it is one of the pricier wineries in town, along with requiring advance reservations. But I sure did think about going there a whole bunch, It just wasn’t in the cards.
In Search of Hot Springs
As we drove towards Calistoga, I got my first glimpse of the area. I heard that Calistoga is smaller, and sleepier than some of the other towns in the valley. Mostly I was headed there, for the hot springs. I was not sure what I was more excited about, mineral springs, or wine.
Dinner Plans
We planned to check in, and have dinner somewhere closeby. It was around 3pm, and we decided that after a bit of research, we would stop at a winery accepting walk-ins on our way to the hotel. Most wineries require advance reservations, and since we did not plan to come here until the day prior, we were unprepared for this fact. Would we get into any of these wineries? Most of them seemed pretty booked.
The First Winery
After some shopping around, scrolling through booking websites, and calling a handful of wineries, we settled on a winery which offered short tours, along with accepting walk-ins. Our first winery of the trip would be The V Sattui Winery. We approached it on our way north toward Yountville, and St. Helena. It has a cafe where you can grab picnic fare, to enjoy outside. They have wine tastings, and tours inside the winery, which is an old stone house. As we entered, through a grape arbor, I felt transported to another place. I am officially in wine country.
The Wine Press
The V Sattui Winery had several old wine presses on display on their grounds, near the courtyard.
We made our way from the courtyard, towards the wine tasting patio, overlooking the vineyard.
Taking Flight
My wine loving boyfriend ordered a flight, and we sat back to enjoy this whole experience together. The tasting was superb. We enjoyed several red’s, and even ordered a few bottles of cabernet to take home.
A Peaceful Valley
We were invited to take a closer look at the grounds by our server. We gazed out over the peaceful landscape, enjoying the view.
A Must See Winery
We enjoyed the tour of the area where they hold weddings and events too. Maybe they were trying to hint at something. The staff were wonderful, and welcoming. I would recommend this place to anyone visiting Napa Valley. Considering their wines are not available anywhere else, but at the winery, I highly recommend stopping by here, when you visit Napa.
Wine Country Architecture
Continuing north, making our way toward Calistoga, we passed by so many gorgeous examples of wine country architecture. There were old barns, stone houses, and more modern examples of all that is Napa Valley style architecture. It is sort of a blend of Tuscany meets Stockholm meets Americana, is how I would describe it. It blends the modern, with the classic, adding in a rustic twist that can only be found here in California.
Follow the Stars?
We passed Yountville, home of the famed French Laundry, which was barely a blip on the map. We had no plans to eat anywhere with a Michelin star, but I do appreciate that some chefs take their craft so seriously. I am much more a fan of homestyle meals, which are more farm to table, than fancy with foam on top. I love real food, like my nonna made. She had a farm, a winery, and ran a cafe before World War II laid waste to the Italian countryside. If you’re Italian you live to eat. My food need not be fancy, as long as it is delicious.
St. Helena
We pass by the bustling town St. Helena, the beautiful Beringer Winery, and what looks like a beautiful castle. Greystone is the home of the Culinary Institute of America. If there is anywhere I want to visit here in the valley, it is Greystone. I had long dreamed of attending classes here. We would return to all this later.
The Up Valley Inn
Eventually we reached our hotel, The Up Valley Inn. There were so many hot spring hotels here, but we decided to give this one a try based on the price point. I was not disappointed, since it was very clean, and the rooms were updated. Our room even had a terrace looking out over all the beautiful nature. What more could you ask for? They had a hot spring fed tub, mineral spring filled pool, a sauna, and a steam room. Did I mention I love spas, and hot springs? Well this place checked all the boxes.
Land of Hot Springs
Calistoga actually has its own geyser, not far from downtown, which gives you a hint of what lies down below the surface of this peaceful valley. From what I read it is not nearly as spectacular as places like yellowstone.
You may have heard of Calistoga bottled water, and yes this is the town it comes from, bottled right here at the source.
Downtown Calistoga
We headed down the main street in search of dinner, and came to find this was a really cute town. It is filled with many different restaurants, old Victorian style architecture dating to the 1800’s, and a historic depot.
For an overnight stay, Calistoga has a much sleepier feel than Napa. That’s what we were looking for, and it fit the bill.
A Valley Tour
On our second day in Napa Valley, we got in the car in the early morning, to take a drive around the valley. We did a big loop, heading towards the heart of the valley, and Yountville, where the French Laundry was. After seeing what all the fuss was about, which appeared to be a humble looking gray building, we headed into downtown Yountville.
Yountville
There were a few nice spots to get breakfast here, and coffee. We decided on Thomas Keller’s bakery Bouchon, where we sampled the pastries, and ordered lattes. Yountville is a pleasant little town, with small cottages, art galleries, and historic old architecture. We had noticed a sculpture park with picnic benches and decided to head that way to enjoy our french pastries.
We had parked next to a sculpture park of sorts, and decided to head back that way.
I love sculpture and gardens, so this checked all the boxes.
The spirit of creativity was alive and well here in Yountville. The park had several picnic benches, so we decided to dine al fresco here, enjoying our gourmet finds, before exploring Yountville further.
We wandered into a large brick building with stores inside, and found a chocolate shop.
Chocolate Lovers
This was the first artisan chocolate shop I had ever been to. The chocolatier was C.I.A. trained. The flavors ranged from Fennel Pollen to Passionfruit. We decided to take a few home as gifts, for family, who were not there to join us. We had to get a small box for ourselves too. This chocolate sort of broke the bank, but we were just getting started.
Staying on Budget
Even if you spend one day in Napa Valley, we forewarned, you may be entirely budget minded in regular life, but once here, all bets are off. The whole “when in rome,” saying holds true. We kept thinking the same thing, that we are not here much, and who knows if we will be again. At this point, we decided we needed to stay just one more night, going further over budget, and since a room was available, why not? Now we had officially splurged.
Do You Have Reservations?
After enjoying Moulin, we decided we simply had to try one more winery. The second winery we decided we would visit was the one we had just passed, with a fancy Victorian house in front, the Beringer Winery. It was coincidentally the second oldest winery in the valley, along with being recommended, by the Napa Valley Visitors Center. The selling point for me was the tour of the wine caves. It just sounded like one of those “only in Napa,” experiences. We called, and managed to get a 3:30 pm reservation, which was not available on the web.
Greystone
We had time on our hands, and started driving through St. Helena. We drove into the parking lot of Greystone, which is the Culinary Institute of America’s campus in Napa.
The Swallows
The swallows make their return here every year. Near where I live in Orange County, they have a yearly Swallows Parade, by the Mission San Juan Capistrano. We don’t give birds nearly enough credit for their intelligence.
A Culinary Museum
Visitors are welcome, since they have a cafe, gift shop, and a small museum inside.
We took a self-guided tour, and checked out the current exhibit, which included an extensive collection of none other than corkscrews.
There was one in every shape imaginable. I don’t remember ever visiting a museum devoted to culinary arts. With the popularity of food and wine, you would think there would be more places like this in the world. Only in Napa.
Food and Wine
I browsed the gift shop, which as no surprise, housed yet another cool old wine press. We tried a few pastries in their cafe, before heading off to the Beringer Winery.
A Victorian Winery
We drove into the Beringer Winery, which is practically next door to the C.I.A. Everything about it, sort of screamed luxury, starting with the gold sign, at the entrance.
The tour met in front of a tall stone building, with a plaque, detailing the history of the winery, and its founders.
A Wine Cave
We entered the first floor, which was filled with tall oak casks, much larger than I had ever seen before.
There were some smaller casks as we ventured deeper into the cave, along with several bottles of vintage wine.
I enjoyed the short tour, which was much cheaper, than most of the tours other wineries offered. It was interesting to hear the history of the area, walk in an actual wine cave, and at the end there was a wine tasting offered. Whether you love wine or not, this was a lot of fun, especially if you love historical tours as much as I do.
This Old House
After the tour we were welcome to walk around the grounds, and walk by the old house, and home of the Beringer family.
A Victorian Estate
Up close it was elaborate, a three story gothic Victorian masterpiece, made of stone, with carved wood accents, with a bit of a tudor-esque theme. Having grown up in an old house, I really enjoy, and appreciate old architecture.
The Goose and the Gander
It was now dinnertime, and we were hungry. We wanted to eat somewhere that was true “wine country cuisine.” One of the tour guides had mentioned The Goose and the Gander, as being where the locals eat. So we decided to give it a try.
It was every bit as gourmet, and delicious as you might expect a restaurant to be in wine country. If you’re not sure where to go, always ask a local.
Mineral Spring Fed Pools
We headed back to the hotel. We were sure to enjoy the mineral pools once again. Who does not love swimming in the pool, on a hot summer night?
Good Morning
We awoke on our last day in wine country. I sat enjoying the patio of our room with my morning coffee. Wanting to maximize the enjoyment of the mineral pools, I made a point of going for a soak one more time, as soon as they opened them in the morning.
The Last Stop
After one final stop at The Calistoga Depot for souvenirs, and coffee, it was time to bid Napa Valley adieu. We headed south back towards Orange County. We had one more stop on our road trip, to have lunch, and visit with a friend in Danville.
Farewell to Napa
Driving south along Highway 29, it was apparent that it was now the weekend. There was traffic, and a constant flow of cars heading into Napa. We were relieved to be heading south and out of town at this point. If you go to Napa on a beautiful sunny weekend in July, you can expect a crowd. Of course there are ways to visit here and avoid them too, if you time it well.
Danville, CA
We stopped for lunch in Danville, with old friends. I was given the Tour de Danville, including a stop at one of my boyfriend’s favorite hiking areas. There were beautiful oaks scattered along the rolling hills, and several mountains to climb. It seemed like my kind of place, but sadly we needed to get home. We had extended this trip a few times over. It was late in the day, and nearing 100 degrees, so we had to hold off on a hike through Las Trampas for another day.
Highway 101
We drove back through the central valley, on the 101, pulling over at Buttonwillow Rest Stop. We kept the engine running, while finishing off the rest of the food in our cooler for dinner. It was 115 degrees out and around 6 or 7pm. We had about 2 hours left of driving to go. It is a 7 hour drive from up north, back to Orange County. We were both pretty exhausted, but all in all, it was a great trip, I will not soon forget.
Grateful
I was feeling grateful, not just to go on such a fun road trip together, but to spend time with a truly wonderful human being. Going out of your way to see friends matters too. The people in your life, not luxuries, are what makes life worth living. You could be anywhere, doing anything. You’re happy more because you’re together with a person you care about, than because of what you’re doing together.
Until next time Napa.
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I hope you enjoyed reading this, and it is helpful in knowing what to expect, should you decide to visit here.
About me
I’m Serafina! I’m a writer and California girl who loves to go exploring. Hope you will get outside today, breathe some fresh air, and be happy!
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