Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
3
Bite into the artisanal food scene at Napa's
Oxbow Public Market
.
4
Get lost on West County Sonoma backroads, like
Coleman Valley Road
.
5
Submerge yourself in a volcanic-ash mud bath in
Calistoga
.
6
Meet kooky locals at the
Occidental Farmers Market
.
7
Pedal between wineries along pastoral
West Dry Creek Road
, in the Dry
Creek Valley.
8
Float in a canoe or kayak down the
Russian River
.
Getting There & Away
Napa and Sonoma counties each have an eponymous city and valley. So, the town of
Sonoma is in Sonoma County, at the southern end of Sonoma Valley. The same goes for
the city, county and valley of Napa.
From San Francisco, public transportation gets you to the valleys, but it's insufficient
for vineyard-hopping. For public-transit information, dial 511 from Bay Area telephones,
or look online at
www.transit.511.org
.
Both valleys are 90 minutes' drive from San Francisco. Napa, the farther inland, has
over 400 wineries and attracts the most visitors (expect heavy traffic on summer week-
ends). Sonoma County has 260 wineries, 40 in Sonoma Valley, which is less commercial
and less congested than Napa. If you have time to visit only one, for ease choose Sonoma.
