OT: has anyone visited Napa Valley?

[padalyn]

Our 4 year anniversary is coming up, and I would like to take my sweetie (Tiggr33) to Napa Valley, to do a little wine tasting, relaxing, and celebrating (she hasn't killed me yet!!)

We prefer B&B's when we travel, and since we have never stayed in Napa before - we would love some information about gay owned/operated or friendly B&B's in the valley.

Any suggestions?

 

[TuckandStuiesMom]

Have been through there off and on over the years, even went to a winery or two. (Since I do not drink alcohol hardly at all -- and am not a huge fan of the whole California gestalt, the area didn't strike much of a chord with me). I think Oregon, Washington, and BC wine growing areas (totally love the Okanagan Valley) are more picturesque and if you stay away from the Seattle area, nowhere nearly as crowded. Having said that and absolutely not meaning to rain on your parade, here is a link that looks promising for your search -- Very cute B&B popped up on the first page : http://www.purpleroofs.com/usa/california/canapa.html

 

[BoomNLeon]

I spent about 6 weeks there several years back and stayed primarily in Yountville at 3 different B&Bs (all of which are something else now) except for the Burgundy House. We stayed at the Burgundy House and it was "family friendly", but so were many of the places I encountered. From what I remember, the Burgundy had no phones or TVs. So if that is something you want for your visit, make sure you check each accommodation because many of them did not offer TVs or phones in the room. It afforded guests with a true escape from the world.

Some of the best wineries, in my opinion, were V. Sattui (Great gourmet shop where you can buy the fixin's for a lovely lunch that you can eat in the orchard and of course drink their wine), Silver Oak (an incredible caberent producer), Beringer and Domaine Chandon. Domaine Chandon has a fantastic restaurant that is really wonderful. I also liked Mustards for dinner. Napa can be a truly magical, romantic experience and I hope this helps a little.

Please let us know what you think about it when you get back.

 

[dwheatl]

Don't know what all you are looking for, but DH and I love Calistoga, and I see several B & Bs there listed on the purple roofs website. It's more small town, old-fashioned than Napa, with a Main Street with a lot of funky little shops and great restaurants. There's even a tiny museum, the Sharpsteen Museum, that tells the history of the town and was donated by Ben Sharpsteen, a retired Disney animator (gotta throw in Disney somewhere, right?) And then, of course, there are the spas. Calistoga is built around hot springs, and you can get mud baths, massages, the works. That's my 2 cents, from a CA native.

 

[M4travels]

We've never done B&Bs but we love going up to the Napa Valley and/or the Somona Valley. We used to go 3 or 4 times a year but our visitng has gone down a bit the past couple of years. If you've got the time I would definitely second the restaurant at Domaine Chandon in Yountville. Lunch has always been wonderful and I'm sure dinner would be as well; pricey, yes, but take your time and enjoy!

Michael

 

[padalyn]

WOW - thanks to everyone for the information. We picked Napa since we have free airfare on Jet Blue and they fly into that region.
A few more questions if people don't mind:

which airport is better to fly into from JFK?

How long will the drive actually take - from airport to that region?

How many days should we plan on spending there?

I am assuming a rental car is needed - is this true?

Which wine tours do you reccommend?

again - thanks for your answers in advance!

 

[dwheatl]

WOW - thanks to everyone for the information. We picked Napa since we have free airfare on Jet Blue and they fly into that region.
A few more questions if people don't mind:

which airport is better to fly into from JFK?

How long will the drive actually take - from airport to that region?

How many days should we plan on spending there?

I am assuming a rental car is needed - is this true?

Which wine tours do you recommend?

again - thanks for your answers in advance!

I'd say you would want to rent a car. It's more of a straight shot if you fly into Oakland, but if you fly into SFO, you get to drive over the Golden gate Bridge on your way to Napa. SFO is also more chaotic than Oakland, so you might want to take that into account. Either way, the drive is just slightly less than an hour if traffic is good.

I can't recommend any wine tours as I haven't done any, but the wine train is popular. BTW, Calistoga and Yountville are both a stone's throw from Napa, so only a difference of another 20 minutes or a half hour if you decide you want to visit them. I would think four or five days would give you time to relax and enjoy the area.

Have a great trip and a happy anniversary!