Napa CA attractions aren't all about wine! I'm sure you'll want to visit Napa wineries during your visit - yes, definitely! After all, Napa California is world-renowned for its wines and its wineries! And we'll talk a little about them here as well.
But there's a whole lot more to attract you to Napa and to make you want to stay!
The scenery alone is enough! Drive - or better yet, ride a bicycle -
through the rural landscape to enjoy the sight of thousands of acres of
vineyards covered with yellow-flowered mustard during the Spring, Tuscan-styled mansions set in their midst, coveys of quail fleet-footing it across the tree-lined lanes...
And that's just the beginning!
Been to Napa? Live in Napa?
I know - Napa's your favorite place in the whole world!
Share your story here!
While you're planning your trip to California's Wine Country, find the best prices on Napa Valley hotels:
|
Napa takes its food seriously, too! Napa is seriously gourmet, ditto green, ditto local, and ditto organic - all of which is reflected in its farmers' markets. Two of Napa County's best are Napa Chef's Market in the town of Napa, and St. Helena's Farmers' Market in St. Helena!
|
And speaking of food, be sure to visit the CIA - another iconic Napa CA attraction! No, not the spies - this CIA is the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. It's a class-act professional cooking school located in what used to be the Christian Brothers Winery at Greystone Cellars. Visitors are welcome!
Food, Fun, & Wine: Napa Valley Wine Train
Iconically, Napa California's most unique restaurant - lunch or dinner aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train is a must-do experience!
Book a trip and you'll experience truly gourmet wining and dining while enjoying the beautiful vistas of the Napa Valley Wine Country as your vintage dining car meanders past the vineyards and castle-esque wineries that dot the countryside. You'll feel as if you're sitting in the Lap of Luxury - and you won't be wrong!
Fun: Hot Air Balloons
Who hasn't at least heard of this Napa CA attraction - Napa's hot air balloons?
There's nothing more beautiful than seeing a group of these kaleidoscopic globes of color floating over the Napa Valley on a bright clear day!
Unless it's the view of the Napa Valley when you're up there in one!
And an early morning hot air balloon flight is a breathtaking experience, whether it's your first time or your 60th!
Beauty: Mud Baths
Speaking of the Lap of Luxury - how does a mud bath sound? It sounds to me like you're about to get pampered!
Calistoga is a charming little town at the north end of the Napa Valley, and it's famous for these Napa CA attractions: hot springs and mud baths.
There's a selection of luxury resorts and spas from which to choose, but just stroll along the main street - you'll find numerous shops advertising mud baths, Jacuzzis and blanket wraps.
Follow the famous Silverado Trail - so named because it was silver that brought the rush to the Napa area, rather than gold.
With wineries like the outrageously excessive Darioush, and Del Dotto's cave experience, there are plenty of wonderful stops!
But your visit should definitely include Stag's Leap Wine Cellars!
Why? Because in 1976 two Napa California wines won top prize in their respective categories during the infamous Judgement of Paris, a blind tasting competition that pitted French wines against California wines.
The red wine that won was a '73 Cabernet Sauvigon from none other than Stag's Leap Wine Cellars!
But only 40 of Napa Valley's well-over 200 wineries are on the Silverado Trail. The rest - including Chateau Montelena, which won the white wine division of the Judgment of Paris and makes our favorite Cabernet - are scattered throughout Napa Valley and Napa County. Be sure to include some of these in your visit as well!
One of Napa's wineries we can personally recommend to you is Artesa Vineyards and Winery, as we were there in February 2011 with friends, and it was wonderful - built into a hill, with the wine tasting set-up at the top of the hill, the views are to die for and the wine is pretty darned good as well!
For some insider tips on the rites and rituals of wine tasting, don't miss Discover Northern California's Wine Tasting Tips!
Sparkling Wines
These are the wineries which produce what would be - albeit, for where they are produced - called champagnes. But the Champagne region of France has a lock on that nom de plume, so ours are called sparkling wines.
Even if you've toured a million wineries, you'll want to take a tour of one of the Napa Valley wineries that produce sparkling wines - Domaine Carneros Winery, Shramsberg, and Mumm Napa are three that come to mind.
You'll find that, not only are the grapes different from regular winemaking, but the process of producing the wines is also different - making for a truly unique experience!
We'll have more to share with you about Napa County in the coming weeks, including, but not limited to:
Please continue your exploration of what Northern California has to offer by using the Nav Bars in the left and right columns or by using the links at the bottom of the page.
Like what you're finding here at Discovering Northern California? Then please share with the Social Network of your choice.
And thanks for coming!
Related Articles
Napa County
Related Pages
Wine Country
Related Pages
Hints & Tips
Beach Safety Tips
Best Kept Travel Secrets
Family Camping Tips
iPhone Travel Apps
Nude Beaches
Tide Pool Tips
Travel Sites We Love
Travel Tips
Whale Watching Tips
Wine Tasting Tips
Winter Driving Tips
Related Pages
Things To Do
Activity Village
Attractions
Beaches
Beer Lovers Delight
Burney Falls
Camping
Casa de Fruta
Day Trips
Gold Panning
Gold Rush Sites
Healdsburg
Historic Grass Valley
Lake Shasta Caverns
Lodi
Missions
Nevada City
RV Destinations
Ski Resorts
Tide Pool Tips
Travel Tips
Weekend Trips
Whale Watching
Wine Tasting
Related Pages
Free Things To Do
Free in Big Sur
Free in Chico
Free in San Francisco
Free in Sonoma
Related Pages
Insider Secrets
Best Kept Travel Secrets
Best Winter Whitewater
Boring Road? Nope
CA Admission Day
Climbing at Castle Rock
Crabbing Spots
Dream of Dreams
Fall in Eastern Sierras
Ghost Stories
Glass Beach
Great Stays, Low Pays
How to be a Valley Girl
Jade Beach
Lake Shasta Caverns
Lassen Volcanic SP
Lost Coast
Mono Lake
Moss Landing: Whales
New Clairvaux Abbey
Panning for Gold
Pygmy Forest
Mendo to Eureka
RV Destinations
SF Great Places to Eat
SF: More About Eating
SF Neighborhoods
SF Giants Baseball
Santa Cruz: Memories
Santa Cruz: Old Friends
Sonoma Cooking Class
Sonoma History
Sonoma Top Wine Stop
Tahoe: Discovery Trail
Underground Gardens
Yosemite: Family Hikes
Yosemite: High Country
YNP: Off the Beaten Path
Yosemite: Taft Point
Ziplines