For a change of pace, luxuriate at Spa Villagio( and stay at their inn if you are too limp to leave), or at one of the many other spas. Feeling pampered yet?
MIKE’ S NAPA: AFFORDABLE INDULGENCE If you’ ve planned a trip to San Francisco, for business or for pleasure, try to work in a day or two for a spin up to Napa. As a day tripper, you can book affordable tours out of San Francisco that will get you there, feed you lunch, and tour you around the wineries. Depending upon the company and package, prices range from US $ 50 to US $ 150 + with many options in between. One of the best I have found is the Wine Country Tour Shuttle.
If you want more independence and flexibility or plan a longer visit, book a car and take the comfortable 1.5 hour drive up to the town of Napa( a little longer for the scenic route over the Golden Gate Bridge!). Here you can find all types of hotels to suit your needs. One of the best we found was the Embassy Suites in Napa. With its central location, and beautiful rooms starting at US $ 169 a night, we felt it was luxurious, without breaking the bank. Further up the valley in St. Helena, at the comfortable retro-fashioned El Bonita Motel, rates start at US $ 99 / night.
Many wineries offer added attractions. For panoramic views, take the gondola ride up the hill to Sterling Vineyards or stand on the veranda at Joseph Phelps. Check out the 1884 Rhine House embellished with stained glass windows at Berringer Vineyards or the historic estates at Beaulieu Vineyard and Rubicon Estate. Art lovers can view the outstanding collections at Hess Collection and Clos Pegase, and race car aficionados can take a pit stop at Bennett Lane Winery up in Calistoga. For stunning architecture, visit elegant Opus One, the French chateau at Domaine Carneros, the medieval Tuscan castle at Castello di Amorosa, or the Persian-inspired“ temple” at Darioush Winery.
Hot air ballooning high over the Napa Valley
Food is, of course, essential. For a light lunch at a Yountville café, visit Bouchon Bakery. In St. Helena, try Tra Vigne Pizzeria or the filling burger, fries, and milkshake at Taylor’ s Automatic Refresher. Money saved at lunch may allow a splurge for dinner back in Yountville at Thomas Keller’ s French Bistro, Bouchon— elegant French cuisine at prices for all budgets.
GARY’ S NAPA ON TWO WHEELS Cycling’ s human pace reveals the lay of the land, the hills and the flats, and relative locations of vineyards and wineries. Napa Valley’ s roads range from the busy Highway 29 that runs north-south through the heart of the Valley( leave this road to the cars), to smooth paved stretches with dedicated bike lanes( e. g. Silverado Trail), less travelled connector roads that crisscross the valley floor, and gorgeous lanes running into the mountains.
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