California is a land with rich wineries. It is an exquisite adventure to tour Californian wineries for a die hard wine lover. There are many ways to travel in the wine country. Napa Valley wine tour and Sonoma county tour operators provide extensive and memorable ways to travel. Read on to choose the one that suits you best.
Balloon
Napa Valley wine tours will be an adventurous experience for you if you choose to take a tour in one of the hot air balloons. The beautiful sunrise and the view of wineries from the top will be etched in your mind forever. There are complimentary breakfasts that come with the ride.
Train
Sonoma County and Napa Valley can be viewed by traveling in trains. The Napa wine train provides a unique travel experience. It is a 3 hour ride. There are various options to choose from. From dinner adventure to luncheon package the list is endless. Napa Valley wine tours through trains are another option to a memorable experience.
Car
This is the most common and easiest way to visit Sonoma County and Napa Valley. You can easily rent a car and grab few brochures of wineries and drive away to your destinations. You can consider traveling on jeeps to make your Napa Valley wine tours much easier. They drop you in the vineyards too!
Bus
This is one of the cheapest methods to tour the wine country. It is a stress free way to visit Napa Valley and Sonoma County.
Limo
It is a luxurious way to travel in the wine country. If you have money you can flaunt it. The tours can be custom made for you. Limos offer you hassle free wine tours. There is a driver who takes care of taking you to your preferred destination at the time you want him to. The only thing you are expected to do is to taste the wines.
Bike
There are 6 day itineraries that can allow you to peddle away to the wineries you want to visit. Many young people prefer to bike on Napa Valley as they can enjoy the climate and lazy away through the wineries as long as they can.
Foot
You can experience hiking too. There are 5 day itineraries that provide adventurous hiking experience. You can catch up the wine makers up close and gain knowledge from them at personal level.
Horseback
There are several itineraries that can take you around the country on horse back. This may eat your time too. So choose a less extensive type of itinerary that can keep you busy all the time.
It is recommended to choose the one hat will sit you best. Have a word with people who are accompanying you and then decide the travel method.
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by wallyg
With 5 million tourists visiting every year, the only bigger travel destination in California than Napa County is Disneyland. These amazing numbers of people come here mainly to tour the vineyards, but there are many other reasons to spend time in this area. There are an incredible amount of attractions, festivals, restaurants, museums, entertainment, and outdoor activities to enjoy that make Napa County a top U.S. vacation spot. As well, Napa County has many kinds of accommodations including world class resorts, rejuvenating spas, ranches, bed and breakfasts, and time shares for those who want to make Napa County a more frequent place to stay.
Probably the most therapeutic place to visit in Napa County is the City of Calistoga, where you can find various spas that feature hot spring pools and volcanic ash mud baths. Calistoga Spa Hot springs, which is located just off of Main Street, is open to the public and provides four naturally heated mineral pools, along with volcanic ash mud baths, mineral and steam baths, blanket wraps, and massage. Visitors have been coming to Calistoga for spa treatments since the early nineteen hundreds, and many swear that the therapeutic combination of volcanic ash, Canadian peat, and mineral spring submersion is an incredible healing experience.
On a grander scale, Napa county also offers several world class resorts. Settled on a private estate, Meadowood is the center of social and viticultural life for both frequent visitors and residents alike. The luxury of this 250 acre resort is unparalleled in the valley and features championship croquet lawns, seven tennis courts, a nine-hole walking golf course, hiking trails, swimming, a full-service health spa, a wine educator, and many more amenities along with wonderful wine county cuisine. The Silverado Resort, set among the rolling hills of Napa County, offers everything that you would expect from a first class resort including championship golf, spa, fine dining, and a conference center. While both resorts are private and secluded, they are only minutes away from all major attractions and many of the wineries.
Since Napa is also famous for its agriculture, those who want to enjoy it closer up will love the Mountain Home Ranch Resort. This is a bed and breakfast group retreat that offers a different kind of adventure. There aren’t any phones or televisions here at the ranch. What you will find is 300 acres of hiking trails, two swimming pools, tennis courts, basketball, volleyball, horseshoes, croquet, lake fishing, barbeque pit, and the peace and quiet of the Napa Valley.
For visitors who prefer a more intimate setting when they vacation, Napa County has many high-end bed and breakfasts. The Bel Abri, a fifteen room French Country Inn located in the City of Napa, is designed to make you feel like you are staying in a real chateau. French tapestries, hand crafted furniture, slate floors, and stately wrought iron accents create an ambience that is both warm and luxurious.
As you can imagine, Napa County has many accommodations for every type of traveler that are as diverse as the valley itself. Just remember to book ahead when you are traveling to the Napa Valley, because space is definitely at a premium.
Images by PSI at septillion.net Calistoga is known for its Hot Springs, Cool Wines, Warm Welcome. Located at the very top of the beautiful Napa Valley, Calistoga is the hot springs resort destination. Visitors can relax and rejuvenate in our renowned spas, discover world-class wines, explore artisan shops and fine restaurants, all in a small-town setting with a sophisticated yet friendly feel. Lodging choices range from elegant modern resorts to intimate bed and breakfast inns. Images by PSI at septillion.net “Bonita” by the Pimps of Joytime Images by PSI licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License creativecommons.org Photos of Calistoga fed from Public Images on Picasa Web Albums: CalistogaPhotos.com
Murder trial starts Tuesday in Calistoga shooting death
The man accused of shooting his ex-girlfriend’s boyfriend to death in Calistoga in 2009 is scheduled to go on trial for murder Tuesday in Napa County Superior Court.
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The cities and towns of Napa County are small, friendly and diverse. If you have the good fortune to live here, you might start your morning off with a “hello” to a neighbor riding a horse, stop in at the local produce stand to pick up something for dinner, or even have an iced coffee and a slice of freshly made raisin bread at the locally owned bakery on Main Street.
You might be retired, work in light industry or tourism, or be raising a family. On any given day, you might enjoy the multitude of festivals, performing arts, and outdoor activities or other entertainment that the towns of Napa County offer. Conversely, you might want to take advantage of being close to major U.S. cities like San Francisco and Sacramento, which are just a short drive away. So you might just say that when you live in the cities and towns of Napa County, you have the best combination of nature and civilized living that you can possibly imagine here on earth.
Napa County has quite a few charming cities, with the city of Napa itself being the largest. At a population of about 75,000, the city of Napa is the business and economic center of the valley, and as such, is also the county seat. The city of Napa is also the oldest city in the county. It was founded in 1847 and has quite a history, including playing a major part in the great California Silver Rush of 1858. Today, it is a flourishing city with many local businesses, shops, restaurants, several art galleries, and is home to the Napa Valley Opera House and Lincoln Theater. The City of Napa is a key participant in the continuing development of the wineries, agriculture, and tourism that continue to make the region flourish.
Further north from the City of Napa is the town of Calistoga, whose name comes from combining the names of California and Saratoga. While its economy was originally based on silver mining, Calistoga is now more famous for the hot springs and volcanic ash that supply the local spas with highly sought after therapeutic treatments. Calistoga is also the gateway for several natural wonders like the “Old Faithful” geyser of California, the petrified forest, and the Robert Louis Stevenson State Park. Calistoga retains much of its charm of yesteryear thanks to being an official desination of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Other cities of Napa County include American Canyon, St. Helena, Yountville, Milliken Creek, and Putah Creek. These are all smaller towns that center around a walkable and usually historic downtown area featuring a “Main Street” atmosphere with many local eateries, shops, and businesses. There are many famous residents that own property in the valley and while there is quite a bit of tourism in the area, most towns are zoned to protect the privacy of local residents. So, if you like the sophistication of a metropolitan area combined with a small town atmosphere, Napa County is the perfect place to be.
Calistoga Police and Fire Log: Fighters flee bar, one caught, booked
12:57 a.m., Officers responded to a residential alarm sounding on Grant Street. The home was found to be secure. 10:37 a.m., A motorist reported a rock slide on Mount St. Helena. CHP and Caltrans were notified.
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