Hiker's Guide to Napa

Description:

The Carneros Inn is made up of 86 individual cottages, including 10 suites. All cottages are set amidst beautiful landscaped courtyards. The cottages are an ideal combination of country comfort and modern day amenities. Go wine-tasting and then snuggle up by the stone hearth and roaring fire. Watch your favorite DVD on the large flat-screen or just laze around with a book. Each cottage has a private patio and a garden, so take advantage of the great weather and spend time outdoors. The bathroom is flooded with natural light, and features fine limestone, tile, and heated slate floors. In most rooms, a soaking tub is nestled under a tub-length, garden-side casement window or guests can step outside for a romantic alfresco shower! Cottages boast between 975-1800 sq ft of private indoor and outdoor living space.

Our Local Expert Says:

Best place to see works by famous artists displayed in nature

Description:

Give yourself a couple of hours to immerse yourself in modern art, indoors and out, at the Di Rosa preserve. Created and curated by San Francisco art afficionados Rene and Veronica Di Rosa, the 217-acre preserve today showcases 2,200 works of art by more than 900 contemporary artists, most from northern Californi. Indoor galleries are well lit and organized, but the most fun is to be had wandering the trails through the meadows, where works of art pop out of you in surprising places. The art gallery and lawn area are available for rental for weddings and other special events.

Our Local Expert Says:

Best spa resort for girlfriend getaways at an affordable price

Description:

Surrounded by private vineyards and wineries on eight rolling acres, close to the Chardonnay Golf Course and all the recreational opportunities of the Napa River and the rustic Carneros region, the Meritage Resort is a modern full-service resort perfect for business functions and luxury spa lovers. The extensive grounds include two spacious pool areas with poolside lounging and dining reminiscent of a Scottsdale-style resort. Behind the resort, inside a cool, stone-walled wine cave, are the award-winning Terra Spa, a private banquet facility, and a tasting room were local wineries pour their latest vintages. While the hotel's restaurant, Siena, is popular with families and groups, it's the spa that stands out, with a deep jacuzzi, eucalyptus steam room, health-oriented cafe, and relaxation room. A lively atmosphere prevails at the Meritage Wine Bar, which serves signature cocktails and 250 different California wines.

Businesses hold frequent events and retreats in the resort's extensive conference facilities. There's also a business center and hotel-wide wi-fi. Meritage is also becoming popular for weddings thanks to affordable packages, roomy event spaces, and the onsite Our Lady... read more

Description:

Located in an underground cave and part of The Meritage Resort at Napa, Spa Terra offers unmatched services in the whole of Napa. Feast your senses with an array of facials, massages, body scrubs, stone therapy and more offered here. Apart from this, the spa offers a variety of packages which are unbeatable in terms of service and worth the price. Spa Terra also features a couples package and offers a lunch menu to treat its guests.

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This locally owned grocery store specializes in gourmet, organic and locally produced foods. Additionally, it offers a full-service deli counter, butcher, and seafood department with a fresh selection of quality meats. And the produce area offers many organic fruits and vegetables. You can stop by for a plethora of goodies for a Wine Country picnic consisting of extra virgin olive oil and fresh-baked bread, fine wine and renowned California cheese.

Description:

Semi-technical ride on 90% singletrack in Skyline Wilderness Park, this ride comes highly recommended for a medium loop. The loop includes the Skyline Trail, Chaparral Trail, Rim Rocks Trail, and Marie Creek Trail.

Description:

Owner Joe Salerno recreates his childhood memories of stirring sauces and making sausage in this popular downtown cafe. Voted the best Italian restaurant in Napa by locals, the menu features homemade pastas and sausages, fresh seafood and pizzas. Specialties include Veal Piccata and Fettucine Mare with a choice of three sauces. The family-style dinners include a choice of lasagna or two types of spaghetti, with bread. The wine list includes worthy offerings from local wineries as well as a few Italian wines. Follow dinner with an espresso and decadent dessert. A good spot for live music - check online for a current schedule.

Description:

Soda Canyon Store is considered the best cafe stop on Silver Trail in Napa. The deli is famous for the delicious and homemade sandwiches along with a notable collection of local wines. The deli also features a full espresso bar and store that caters to the locals. With wooden counters and panels the deli is a neat one and deserves a visit. The fruit smoothies served here are famous and must be tried.

Our Local Expert Says:

The perfect place to pretend you've arrived by steamer in 1885

Description:

Sooner or later most visitors to Sausalito look up and wonder at the ornate mansion on the hill. It's part of Casa Madrona, a hideaway by the bay built in 1885 by a wealthy lumber baron. The epitome of luxury in its day, the mansion had slipped into decay when John Gallagher purchased it in 1910 and converted it into a hotel. By 1976 it was damaged and facing the threat of demolition when John Mays acquired the property and revitalized the hotel. Successive renovations and extensions added a rambling, New England-style building to the hillside below the main house. Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the hotel offers whimsically decorated rooms, suites, and cottages, which are accessed by steep, gorgeously landscaped pathways. The 16 free-standing units, the seven cottages, and the rooms in the mansion have individual themes such as Lilac and Lace, Renoir, and the Artist's Loft. Some have claw-foot tubs and others have fireplaces. Rooms in the newer adjoining building have a chic contemporary decor, four-poster beds, marble bathrooms, and great marina views from some rooms. The classy Italian Poggio restaurant has been a Sausalito favorite since opening, and the...

Description:

Just beyond Sausalito's yacht club and ferry dock, right on the water's edge, sits The Inn Above Tide. The only hotel in the entire Bay Area ON the water. All of its 29 guest rooms enjoy panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay and skyline. Most have furnished private decks over the water, fireplaces and oversized or spa tubs. All rooms include generous amenities, wireless internet throughout, attentive service, and binoculars. A stunning new suite features an in-window, over-the-water, free-standing spa/soaking tub for 2, two flat screen TVs, Euro-Asian design and 30 foot over-the-Bay deck.

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Description:

If you haven't heard the buzz of Sausalito's new grand dame, you've been living on another planet these past few years. The Lodge, which occupies Golden Gate National Park's century-old, former Army quarters in Fort Baker, finally opened its doors in the summer of 2008 to much national acclaim and anticipation after nearly a decade in the making. The 17 red-roofed, colonial-style buildings form a horseshoe pattern overlooking the San Francisco skyline at the bay's edge with Adirondack chairs placed throughout the knee-high grassy knolls for lounging. A visit is a bit what I imagine time travel to early-20th-century Williamsburg might be like, only present day and just a mile outside of the San Francisco city limits.

You have your pick of rooms: Roughly half are the old officers' quarters in the historic lodging, which give off a rustic, nostalgic feel -- prices start a bit lower for these than the more dressed-up rooms -- while the newer buildings have a more contemporary flair. At least that's what the hotel employees will tell you -- if you ask me, there aren't too many discernible differences between the two models. The majority of rooms have unobstructed views of the Golden Gate...

Description:

This restaurant gets its name from its picturesque location. 'Poggio' stands for a hillside place in Italian. The interesting bit is that all the exotic ingredients are grown on a nearby terraced hillside and used in the food by chef Christopher Fernandez. Most of the cooking is done in a large wood-fired rotisserie and a wood-roasting oven. The place also offers its facilities for banquets and private parties.

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Sushi Ran, rated one of the best restaurants in the Bay area by critics and locals alike, is an Asian culinary haven. Chefs Haruo Komatsu together and Scott Whitman work wonders to create truly delectable dishes, and traditional Japanese sushi with inventive fusion cuisine is served by the friendly staff. The excess rush of loyal customers and tourists led the owner Yoshi Tome to open a wine bar alongside the eatery, and sushi eaters' competitions and picnics are also held often. Hi-tech meets tradition at this sleekly contemporary sushi bar. The nigiri, maki and hand rolls are expertly prepared from quality ingredients. Even old favorites such as California Rolls seem new again with the freshness of the ingredients and the up-to-the-nanosecond-hip surroundings. You will also find excellent tempura, both as an entree and in the sushi. The service, however, is delightfully old-fashioned with its efficiency and friendliness. Do not miss the Spider, a hand roll filled with crab tempura and the house's special sauce.

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Inside is a museum dedicated to educating visitors about winemaking history and technique--a great way to juice your wine knowledge. Open since 1991, Artesa specializes in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The courtyard, reminiscent of an Italian manor home, features a reflecting pool, sculpture, and fountains.

Our Local Expert Says:

Most memorable view of the Napa Valley

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A hot air balloon ride over the Napa Valley is an unforgettable way to commemorate your visit...and the Facebook photos will certainly be memorable! A typical adventure includes an hour-long balloon ride followed by a garden Champagne brunch, but several packages are available. The pilots are well-informed locals who tell you all about the history and culture of the Napa Valley while you soar above it. Launches begin at sunrise. Enjoy incredible aerial views of Napa vineyards. Wind conditions are a factor; if it's too windy balloons can't take off, but that's fairly rare.

Our Local Expert Says:

Best tasting room art

Description:

A little bit gallery, a little bit pouring room, a little bit family salon, Ceja Vineyards' new "tasting salon" in downtown Napa is just a lot of fun. A lively, "let us show you a good time" atmostphere prevails, courtesy of the good humored Ceja family members themselves. The Cejas are, like many of the Latino families in Napa, among the founding generation of the valley's winemaking industry. Proud of their Latin American heritage, the Cejas bring a bit of fiesta to liven up the pouring process. A block away is Ariel Ceja's Bistro Sabor, offering a great "small plates" menu consisting of specialties from all over Latin America. (Don't miss the salmon ceviche tostadas or the churros.)

Our Local Expert Says:

Best way to wear out kids between wine tastings.

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One of those awe-inspiring projects built entirely with community energy and support, Playground Fantastico is unbelievably fun and cool. From the minute you spot the shiny rocket-shaped towers designed by architect Matt Eisenberg, you can see this is no ordinary park. There are stone geysers, castles, swinging ramps, and sculptures that give off strange sounds. Everything was designed with kid and community input and it's all whimsical and fun. The only issue is shade -- it gets hot in Napa in the summertime and the lot feels a little bare. The community is trying to address this with a fundraising effort to plant shade trees.

Our Local Expert Says:

Best vegetarian restaurant in Napa.

Description:

Ubuntu is an upscale vegetarian restaurant that garnered one Michelin star in 2011. Ingredients for Ubuntu's creative dishes are primarily grown in the restaurant's own gardens, following the principle of biodynamic farming. Biodynamic farmers place high emphasis on healing and supplying the earth with ingredients that encourage regeneration. Chef Aaron London and his team begin each morning at the gardens, and prepare dishes that bring out the natural flavors of the herbs and vegetables. Ubuntu restaurant is a manifestation of a dream to bring together many of the things that owner Sandy Lawrence enjoys in the hope that it may benefit others. Wines are both local and international, selected for sustainable growing and harvesting practices. After dinner if you're not too full, you can take a yoga class in the studio above.

Description:

Brix Restaurant and Gardens is a wine country classic with a renewed focus on farm-to-table dining. The daily-changing menu draws inspiration both from the restaurant's extensive grounds (with vegetables beds, fruit and citrus orchards, extensive flowering gardens and vineyards) and from the traditions of the winemaking regions of Southern France and Northern Italy. Expect entrees like Sonoma duck breast with creamy spring onion farro risotto and charcoal-grilled line-caught swordfish with brussel sprouts, with locally grown ingredients featured in every dish. A 800-bottle wine list includes a one-of-kind Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon list.