Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
locally produced oils, herbs, and
honey. Some spas overlook
vineyards or are located in caves
similar to those used to age the
area's wines.
Shopping
A winery tasting room may be
the only place to taste and buy
a delightful wine that is in
limited production, and veteran
wine-country shoppers advise
visitors to taste and buy on the
spot. Wineries will check legal
restrictions on shipping to other
states or internationally. Winery
gift shops stock everything from
cookbooks to corkscrews,
embellished with the
establishment's name.
Comestibles, convenient for
picnics, are also often on sale.
At the Oakville Grocery on
Highway 29 you can buy local
wines, condiments, and olive
oils, or order a sandwich piled
with local cheese and meats.
Alternatively, visit Oxbow Public
Market in down- town Napa to
find an emporium of artisan
food producers.
St. Helena's Main Street is a
boutique lover's paradise. There
is also an outpost of Dean &
DeLuca - New York's famed
artisan food temple. It is a great
place to shop for fresh local
Napa-area produce and 1,400
California wines. Vintage 1870,
in the historic red-brick
Groezinger Winery complex in
Yountville, has clothing and
wine shops, a wine-tasting
room, and several art galleries.
Hot-air balloon rides over Napa Valley Wine Country vineyards
winery building built to look like
Persepolis, Persia's ancient
capital city.
Pullman Dining and Lounge
Cars. Special itineraries stop for
tours of Domaine Chandon,
Raymond Vineyards, or Grgich
Hills Winery. Informal wine
tasting seminars are conducted
in the Napa Valley Wine Train's
McKinstry station before
passengers board the sleek
gold and maroon train.
Themed events are organized
in the glass-topped dining car
including a five-course
Moonlight Escapade Dinner
held each full moon, and 1915
is recreated on Murder Mystery
Theatre Gourmet Dinner trips.
Balloon, Bicycle, and
Train Travel
Napa Valley Wine Train 1275 McKinstry
St, Napa, CA 94559. Reservations
Te l
(707) 253-2111.
∑
winetrain.com
Pre-dawn Napa Valley skies
reveal a parade of colorful hot-
air balloons ascending above
vineyards or descending to
almost touch the tops of vines.
Prevailing winds coming north
from San Francisco Bay dictate
the early launch. Morning fog
makes the journey surreal and
chilly, warmed by the balloon
burner's flame. Floating above
the orderly rows of vineyards
and springtime fields of yellow
mustard is rewarded upon
landing with a traditional
toast of sparkling wine,
often accompanied by a
gourmet breakfast.
Cyclists find the long,
generally flat valley a delight,
and take to the Silverado Trail
on the valley's east side to visit
some of the more than 30
wineries on the route between
Napa and Calistoga. Summer
heat is most intense in the
afternoon. Savvy cyclists start
early to avoid traffic that can
be congested on weekends
and holidays.
The Napa Valley Wine Train
trip from Napa to St. Helena
and back lasts three hours.
Tours include brunch, lunch, or
dinner prepared on board, and
served in restored 1915-17
Spas
See
∑
visitnapavalley.com
for
information on the local spas.
Calistoga, at Napa Valley's north
end, is literally a hotbed of
geothermal activity. Natural hot
springs and local volcanic mud
from an ancient eruption of
Mount St. Helena created an
industry here today that was
started thousands of years ago.
Many of the spas are located on
Calistoga's main streets but
there are also numerous other
places to visit scattered
throughout the valley.
Mud bath treatments are a
return to a natural form of
relaxation, and for some,
detoxification and rejuvenation.
Guests immerse their bodies in
a tub filled with brown mud
consisting of peat, clay, and
mineral water from the local hot
springs. An array of other
therapeutic treatments have
been developed that integrate
The luxurious Napa Valley Wine Train
