UNITED STATES NAPA VALLEY SEPTEMBER 2023
NAPA VALLEY,CALIFORNIA
Itinerary
Napa Valley was a delightful and relaxing experience. We embarked on a journey filled with wine, scenic beauty, and delicious cuisine, making it the perfect way to wind down summer.
Napa Valley is renowned for its world-class wineries. We had the opportunity to indulge in some exquisite wine tastings. We savored the rich flavors and aromas of the region's finest wines, learning about the art of winemaking along the way.
Napa Valley's natural beauty leaves a lasting impression on you. The sun-soaked vineyards, towering oak trees, and serene countryside provided a stunning backdrop for our trip, making it a visual treat. The laid-back atmosphere allows you to unwind and relax fully. The slow-paced lifestyle, friendly locals, and welcoming wineries created a chill and welcoming environment throughout our journey
The culinary experiences in Napa Valley were equally impressive. We enjoyed sumptuous meals at charming vineyard restaurants, savoring farm-to-table cuisine paired perfectly with local wines. From gourmet picnics to fine dining, the food was a highlight of your trip.
Flight &
Transportation
We flew into SFO from Columbus, Ohio
"Is that my Bestie in a Tessie?!" We rented a car for our duration of the trip. We were able to take the airport train from our arrival gate to the rental car area of the airport and picked up our car. The lines are long, I would definitely suggest making reservation ahead of time!
On our way back home, we stopped at the Centurion Lounge at SFO. I love a lounge but I especially love a Centurion Lounges. This Centurion Lounge offered a full Napa Valley wine tasting, which I thought was a great touch. The lounge is located in Terminal 3, which was a 15-minute walk from our gate and terminal. Take notice of your gate and how far it is away from the lounge because we almost missed our flight.
Accomodations
We stayed at the Cambria Hotel Napa Valley.
Even though we planned this trip ahead of time a lot of the hotels were fully booked. This Cambria hotel is a 3-star hotel. It was clean and comfortable. The staff was very nice and gave us free complimentary drink cards at their bar. The had free chargers for the electric cars. It was an affordable place to lay your head without breaking the bank and sacrificing comfort or safety.
Food &
Activities
Food and activities went hand in hand on this trip!
Day One:
S/O to the concept of time difference, we landed in San Francisco around 12 PM. We picked up our rental car from Hertz at the airport off we went to explore San Francisco.
Our first stop was to see the the Golden Gate Bridge and then get a quick lunch. We chose to view the bridge from Conzelman Rd. There are many beautiful vantage points on this road to view the bridge. "Top of Four Vista Points on Conzelman Rd", " Marin Headlands", and "Hawk Hill". The fog that day and time was so heavy we couldn't see anything and it was too dangerous to keep climbing the mountain so we turned around.
If you have good weather that day, there are also beautiful views of the Bay from Conzelman Rd. Views from "Headlands Lookout", "Black Sands Beach", " Battery Rathbone McIndoe" and "Fort Barry".
Lunch:
We had lunch at Marugame Udon on Shattuck Ave. They serve Udon noddles Ramen Style. It was 60 degrees Fahrenheit, cold and rainy so it hit all the right spots.
These are some other options of food we considered but didn't get a chance to try......this time.
Gram Cafe & Pancakes - Fluffy Asian Pancakes
Tony's Pizza Napoletana - Coal Fired, Roman Style Pizza
Square Pie - Detroit Style Pizza
Love Burn - Ginormous Chicken Sandwiches
Taqueria Azteca - Birria Tacos and Birria Pizza
Deli Board - Lunch Meat Sandwiches
Surisan - Korean Cuisine
Other Options:
EXAMPLE
OF THE VIEW
FROM CONZELMAN RD.
NOT MY IMAGE
Dinner:
We drove 36.4 miles ( about an hour and half due to traffic) to our hotel in Napa. We settled in and had dinner at Bottega. It is an Italian restaurant. The food was delicious and the ambiance was curated to perfection.
Napa
Day Two:
We checked in and boarded the Napa Valley Wine Train at 11:30 AM.
The wine train is a three-hour, 36 mile round trip journey from downtown Napa to St. Helena and back.
The wine train offers many different cars, courses and meals. Their website has the different options/courses and offers a 3D-tour of the different cars.
We chose the Dome Car. The Dome car offered beautiful, velvet, soft and romantic atmosphere but the booth they assigned us to was "half" of a booth. It wasn't near the window, and it felt too close the other booth. We couldn't completely enjoy each-other's company or have a private conversation. We asked to switch to another car and the only seats they had available was the Gourmet Express Pullman Dining Car. That car had a 3-course meal instead of 4 like the Dome Car.
The tour was nice, the food was alright. It was an experience and an activity to do but at the price point... I expected more.
Dinner:
We had Dinner at The Bear at Stanly Ranch. It is an American cuisine restaurant that uses locally sourced ingredients.
The ranch is absolutely beautiful. The restaurant gave "The Menu" Vibes but in a good way. I loved the architecture style and decor, the meal was also great, the purple sweet potatoes were 10/10! After Our meal we went outside and played corn-hole. Great day and night!
Wineries
Day Three:
Breakfast:
We started our day with a quick breakfast from Happy's Donut Tree on River Park and drinks from Starbucks. We had breakfast/brunch places on the itinerary but the lines were out the door, and at least a three-hour wait for both. They are listed in "Other Options" below.
Lunch:
Lunch was at Auberge du Soleil. A five-star, Californian Michelin Star. Everything we ate was 10/10. The views were also spectacular. I would recommend making a reservation, they have limited seating and are very popular.
Wineries
We went wine tasting at the following wineries:
Darioush Winery - We made a reservation to taste test five wines they produce. The wines were paired with locally sourced artisanal cheeses. The wine was wonderful and their grounds are gorgeous. Definitely Instagram approved. Reservations are required
Castelo di Amorosa - We didn't have reservations. When we arrived their next tasting group was full.
Domaine Carneros - This beautiful Chateau provides breathe taking views and exceptional sparkling wines paired with artisnal cheses. Your taste testing is accompanied with a tour of their process and facilities. Reservations are required
Dinner:
We had Dinner at Scalia, this was my favorite restaurant we patronized. It was a Sunday and the only restaurant open at 10PM. The drinks were strong, the vibes were on point and the food was exceptional. I definitely recommend the Panna Cotta 10/10. Reservations are recommended
Other Options:
Brunch:
-
Bouchon Bakery*
-
La Cheve*
*The lines for these places are LONG & they don't take reservations
-
Monday Bakery
-
Press
-
Mother's Tacos
Wineries:
-
Inglenook Winery
-
V. Sattui
-
Spottswoode
-
Artesa Vinyards & Winery
-
Luna Vineyards
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Opus One Winery
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Stag Leap Wine Cellars
-
Inglenook Winery
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Artesa Vinyards & Winery
Dinner:
-
Celadon
-
Bistro Don Giovanni
-
Angele Resauant & Bar
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FARM at Carneros