The late afternoon sun sprays its last delicate golden rays across the Carneros vineyards in California’s wine country. In the distance, the Mayacama Mountains lend a shadowy backdrop against rolling green hills, scattered with perfectly rounded oak and apple trees, their leaves rustling in the bay breezes. This archetype region is where a large quantity of chardonnay grapes are grown. The region’s distinct microclimate and soil conditions are supreme for chardonnays, sparkling wines and pinot noir.

Carneros Inn

The Carneros region, between Napa and Sonoma, is a picturesque landscape and idyllic setting for the magnificent and ŕ la mode Carneros Inn Established three-and-a-half years ago, the 27-acre PlumpJack Resort was created to take advantage of the natural surroundings and incorporate an environment conducive to relaxation and well-being. The modern rancher-farmesk design of the inn integrates throughout the grounds and structures with an appealing draw. The guest cottages are unequaled in their light-filled, yet cozy atmosphere. Exquisitely luxurious Frette sheets adorn the beds and Brazilian cherry wood floors capture the flickering light from an eco wood-burning fireplace. French doors lead to a private, landscaped garden and natural wood patio, with rockers and outdoor space heaters for cooler months. The bathroom is an utterly amazing affair with heated slate floors, a limestone-countered vanity and a garden-view soaking tub. The tile and glass-encased shower features a door that opens to an outside private shower with an incredible view of green pastures and vineyards.

The utter seclusion and beauty of Carneros Inn’s guest cottages purvey the perfect country life with modern amenities and a focus on green-friendly products and practices. The inn’s three restaurants offer locally and organically grown cuisine. The Farm Restaurant is a particularly inviting with indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor seating reflects the comforts of a large, square shaped living room with fireplaces and vast ceilings. The delectable Farm fare ranges from wood-stone oven pizza with tapenade to Pacific salmon. Of course, the 14-page wine list is a veritable treasure chest of offerings for wine enthusiasts. The dining options at Carneros Inn are as casual as the Boon Fly café, to ordering a special meal prepared and served in your private cottage or patio. The culinary talents of the inn’s chefs are exceptional! Spa services at Carneros are truly extraordinary and offer guests a palette of natural herbs, flowers, berries and minerals in their alchemy of massage treatments. In cottage, or in the airy and lovely surroundings of the spa facilities with spectacular views, the bliss of drifting off into total relaxation is sublime. Try the warm goat butter massage; it is completely soothing and your skin feels like silk for days afterwards.

The guest facilities at the inn, such as the perfectly still, outdoor pool with expansive views of farmland and grape vineyards, are splendid. The shimmering pool is juxtaposed with wooden chaise lounges atop a small hill and is open for guests 24-hours. The spacious hot tub, located in the pool area, is also open 24 hours, seven days a week and is perfect for those who wish the remarkable experience of watching the sun come up over the hill.

The Carneros Inn is a magnificent resort and rated one of the leading romantic get-a-ways in the United States. The attention to detail is superb and the amenities and services of the inn are too numerous to list. This country retreat is essential for those seeking a tranquil environment a world away.

Napa River Inn

The lovely Napa River Inn, located by the river in historic downtown Napa on Main Street, is a chic boutique hotel. This gorgeous brick inn was once a mill in 1884, then became a roller rink and was later renovated. It is now a National Registered Landmark. The inn’s rooms feature a Victorian design, but are sumptuous, well appointed and spacious. Each uniquely designed room offers the luxury of another era but with modern reproductions and amenities. Richly warm tongue and groove floors (restored from the roller rink), combined with white mantled or stone fireplaces, canopied beds, lavish claw-footed bathtubs and river-view balconies, gracefully adorn the various suites. Indeed, the rooms are not reminiscent of a typical luxury hotel, but reflect the taste and style of a private upscale Victorian residence. The hotel’s designers didn’t stop with the rooms. The hallways, business office, conference rooms and lobby all feature décor of wainscoting, cornice moldings, ornate brass chandeliers and original features such as a 1905 punched-tin wall.

The hotel services and amenities include European spa treatments, indoor and outdoor theater, cabaret and many additional luxuries one would expect of this caliber of hotel. For dining options, The Napa Mill (all within the same complexes as the Napa River Inn) offers a variety of award-winning restaurants from French country cuisine to the delicious Sweetie Pies bakery. In fact, the heavenly aroma of breads and baked goods waft up into the guest rooms of the hotel during the day. It’s a good thing the hotel offers the bakery’s fare for their guests’ breakfast. Sweetie Pies has an amazing selection of the best tasting pastries, specialty desserts and savory items that will no doubt cause guests to walk an extra few miles just to atone for their bakery indulgences.

Within the historic downtown area, the Napa River Inn is certainly the best choice for an elegant stay and the location is a perfect base for exploring a beautiful river walk, as well as business and leisure activities.

Walking Tours

Close to the Napa Mill, the now popular Walking Tours of Historic Napa is a popular fun and interesting expedition. The self-guided tour outlines the city’s history through its architectural legacy. The four divergent sectors feature the downtown commercial and public buildings, lower Napa, the Fuller Park districts and First Street. Many of the beautiful homes on the tour are in the Victorian style and scrupulously maintained. A wonderful free book that takes visitors on a self-guided tour is published by the Napa Downtown Association and gives a detailed map, house and building sketches and a numbered history of each residence or establishment. To obtain a copy of the Historic Walking Tours of Napa book, call (707) 257-0322.

Restaurants & Cafés

Napa Town Center on Main Street features a bevy of great cafes. Gillwoods Café is certainly the locals’ choice for breakfast and lunch. The stone and woodwork interior lend a comfortable atmosphere for a hearty home-style breakfast that is served all day. Their on premise bakery makes scrumptious goodies and a cinnamon roll twice the size of your hand.

Caffé Cicero, located on First Street, offers an Italian/American menu and delectable sandwiches and gourmet coffees. The café is a wonderful place to sit and chat over a cup of joe, or enjoy live music several nights a week. The café has the distinction of serving breakfast until midnight Thursday - Saturday.

The French Laundry located in Yountville, is probably the most recognized restaurant in the Napa Valley area and the United States. Chef Thomas Keller is famous for his “tasting menus.” The cuisine is based on a nine-course tasting menu or the nine-course vegetable tasting menu. The wine list is excellent and designed for pairings. The menu changes daily and reservations are required two months in advance. Yes, the cuisine is that good and a culinary experience of this nature must be indulged in at least once and preferably several more in a lifetime! The dinner is an extended event and in 2007, one should expect a meal for two without tax or wines to run about $500.

The Culinary Institute of America is the ultimate chef school. However, located on their exquisitely beautiful campus resides their Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant. This upscale restaurant is another culinary feast to experience, but is a bit less formal, requiring business casual attire. The terrace views of Napa vineyards are breathtaking and the cuisine is a luscious varied affair with a focus on California components. The Institute is located 1/4 mile north of the town of St. Helena on the left-hand side.

Spas

Part of the California Wine Country’s draw is the Calistoga spas. Whether you want to engulf yourself in a warm encompassing mud bath, or zone out with a glorious massage, Calistoga offers many inns and spas to accommodate those seeking bodily solace. Calistoga Village Inn & Spa, located on Lincoln Avenue in Calistoga, offers mud baths and even mustard baths. The Village Spa’s combination of soothing baths and massages will make you glad you elected to stay at their inn. For additional information visit,

If you prefer mineral baths, visit the Calistoga Spa Hot Springs. Located on Washington Street in Calistoga, the spa offers rooms with kitchenettes. They also offer an exercise room. Their mineral pools (some even covered) are open to the public and vary in temperature. Spa treatments include whirlpool mineral baths, mud baths, massages and blanket wraps. The Calistoga Spa Hot Springs is another excellent place to relax and is reasonably priced as well.

Calistoga’s bevy of spas and hot springs offer guests a multitude of options; however, if you wish to just take a dip in the mineral ponds or hot springs and stay elsewhere there are numerous spas that feature public dips for an equitable price. Make sure to ask the spa of your choice for these options.

Events

Napa Valley events occur all-year round. Check with the Chamber of Commerce for dates and times One fun and popular event is the annual Mustard Festival that generally takes place at the end of January to the end of March.

Valley Wine Train

The Valley Wine Train tours are marvelous. The train tours wineries throughout the Valley and the company offers dinner and mystery excursions as well. Their Moonlight Escapade incorporates champagne and a gourmet dinner under the stars and through the valley.

With so many wineries, spas, restaurants, shops, events and activities, Napa can seem a land of too many choices and not enough pertinent information. A new trend in travel is to consult a personal travel concierge. Generally, these Concierges live in the city you wish to visit and can offer a local’s knowledge and perspective. Kathie Peterson of My Travel Concierge is an experienced travel agent, who grew up in California’s Napa Valley. She knows virtually every establishment and business owner in the Valley. Let Peterson know what kind of trip you wish to book and she can help you cut through the miles of online and brochure advertisements. She can help you create a holiday specifically suited to your needs, time frame and budget. For additional information contact Kathie Peterson at kpete52844@aol.com

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