Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Calistoga's mini-version of Yellowstone's Old Faithful shoots boiling water 60ft to 100ft
into the air, every 30 minutes. The vibe is pure roadside Americana, with folksy hand-
painted interpretive exhibits, picnicking and a little petting zoo, where you can come nose-
to-nose with llamas. It's 2 miles north of town, off Silverado Trail. Find discount coupons
online.
Petrified Forest
FOREST
$10/5; 9am-7pm summer, to 5pm winter)
Three million years ago at this now roadside-Americana attraction, a volcanic eruption at
Mt St Helena blew down a stand of redwoods. The trees fell in the same direction, away
from the blast, and over the millennia the mighty giants' trunks turned to stone. Discover
them on a short interpretive trail through the woods. The first stumps were discovered in
1870. A monument marks Robert Louis Stevenson's 1880 visit, which he described in
The
Silverado Squatters
.
It's 5 miles northwest of town, off Hwy 128.
Safari West
WILDLIFE RESERVE
707-579-2551;
www.safariwest.com
; 3115 Porter Creek Rd; adult $70-80, child
3-12yr $32; )
Giraffes in Wine Country? Whadya know. Safari West sprawls over 400 acres and protects
zebras, cheetahs and other exotic animals, which mostly roam free. See them on a guided
two-and-a-half-hour safari in open-sided jeeps; reservations required, no kids under three.
If you're feeling adventurous, stay overnight in nifty canvas-sided
tent cabins
(cabin in-
cluding breakfast $225-305) inside the preserve.
Robert Louis Stevenson State Park
PARK
At this undeveloped state park 8 miles north of Calistoga, the long-extinct volcanic cone
of Mt St Helena marks Napa Valley's end and often gets snow in winter. It's a strenuous
5-mile climb to the peak's 4343ft summit, but what a view - 200 miles on a clear winter's
