What the Fork?? So…read moreinteresting to find a "Fork in the Road" near the Culinary Arts Institute at COPIA. This monumental fork sculpture is made out of....forks. Over 8,500 recycled stainless steel forks make up The Fork. Sculpted by local Napa artist Gordon Huether, the piece pays homage to the role that food plays in Napa. Farming. Farm to Table. Culinary Arts. Sustainability. A very creative piece in Napa.

Classic old homes and structures line both sides of this historic street which is the City of…read moreNapa's only official Historic Landmarks District. In the late 19th and 20th centuries, Calistoga Avenue was a major transportation artery between old historic Napa and the city of Calistoga (hence its name), turning sharply north at what is now Jefferson Street. In this area some homes were built as early as the 1800's, but real growth occurred after the construction of the electric railway in 1904-1905, which allowed workers to travel from jobs in Vallejo and at the Mare Island shipyards to homes in Napa. The simple Queen Anne / Eastlake cottages reflect the lifestyles of the inhabitants, but there is much attention to detail along cornices, porch columns, and window treatments, even in the rental houses. Some cottages picked up Italianate details in decorative trim, and many have hipped roofs. I stayed here for over a week and walked the neighborhood a dozen times. The houses here are beautiful, classic and worth your time to admire when you come to Napa. Or you can perhaps book some time in one of the B&B's. [Review 17556 overall - 352 in California - 1074 of 2022.]

On our latest "Foody" adventure in the City of Napa , California, our walking tour happen to pass…read moreone of the most recognizable buildings in the city " The Winship-Smernes Building" also known as the "Hennessy Building". This building is a fine example of late 19 century "Italianate Victorian " architecture. In 1887, a wealthy gentleman from Minneapolis by the name of Edward H. Winship had local architect " Luther M. Turton" design plans for the building. The most notable feature of the building was it's octagon tower, which was damaged and later removed after the devastating 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. The turreted tower you see today was reinstalled during the renovation and restoration of the building in 1985. Thanks to the restoration efforts of developer " Ging Chan " architect "Dan Paterson ", and builder " William Cook", the Winship Building has won the covenant " Napa Chamber of Commerce Civic Improvement Award for Historic Preservation " and was placed in the National Registry of Historic Places in 1977. The street level store front was first occupied by druggist "Springsteen" and then soon bought out by "Levinsons Drug Store" in 1897 and operated in this location for the next 80 years ! Today the building is home to one of Napa's most popular coffee roasters " Napa Valley Coffee Roasting Co." So if you ever happen to be in the City of Napa, sit back , sip some wine and take in its amazing history ! I will surely be back soon ! Thanks for reading !

It's hard to miss this brightly colored building in downtown Napa and the historical marker on the…read moreside. I wasn't in a mood for drinking but I'm sure in a mood for a historical marker to share some of what has been. The marker is on the front of the building and reads, "Built in 1893, the Oberon was the hub of activity in downtown Napa. Patrons could buy a cigar, get a shave and a haircut for two bits, or relax with a cold beer while playing a leisurely game of pool or cards. Many a shoe was shined here. In 1932 the building burned down. Two years later the building was restored to its current Art Deco style. The Oberon was a hangout for boxing legend Rocky Marciano while training for fights. In 2010 the building was earthquake retrofitted by the present owner Joe Peatman and since 1994 has been the home of Downtown Joe's Restaurant and Microbrewery." "Dedicated September 21, 2013 by Sam Brannan Chapter #1004, E Clampus Vitus." There is street parking and while the beers aren't two bits any more, you can still get beer here though no shaves or haircuts. [Review 17658 overall - 449 in California - 1179 of 2022.]

My Favorite Valley In The World…read more SITREP Seriously. I mean it. I ain't shittin you. In fact, if somebody were sweet enough to gift me (hint hint) with an opportunity to have a home and asked me where would I want it to be? I'd keep my apartment here in Sacramento, but choose to have my home off of the Silverado Trail of the Napa Valley, high in the hills overlooking the Yountville / Stag's Leap regions where I could have full-on bay windows taking in the valley as well as view some dynamic sunsets over the Pacific Ocean just in the distance. THE SETUP Over the last 25 years, I've joyfully made treks from the Davis / Sacramento areas to visit family and friends and former college buddies who have all taken up residence in the valley. These wonderful people introduced me to the wonders of wine-tasting. I actually did not have my first class of wine until I was 28 years old, and credit for bursting my wine-virginity goes to the now defunct Napa Creek Winery that was on the lower Silverado Trail just south of Mumms. My gateway wine was Gewürztraminer (since it is sweeter than most whites & reds), and so needless to say this varietal will always hold a special place in my heart. COMMUNITIES The small cities and towns that I have fallen in love with would have to include , in no particular order, Calistoga, Napa, St. Helena, Yountville, and Angwin. They each have their own character and strengths during different seasons of the year. WINERIES VISITED Over the years, wineries that I have enjoyed here- and revisited on more than one occasion - include (but are not limited to since I can't remember them all): * Napa Creek Winery * Mumms * Mondavi's * Opus One * Sutter Home * Beringer's * Christian Brothers * Krug * Sterling * Silverado * Sutter Home * Robert Sinskey * Picu * Trumball * Rombauer * Rubicon * Vincent Arroyo * Chateau Boswell Outstanding restaurant stops would have to include Bistro Jeanty and The French Laundry. But even the most humble stores & markets in the valley all seem to be elegant, teeming with incredible wines that you could not possibly expect to find any like-gas station in Sacramento, for instnace. THE LOWDOWN I count myself very lucky to live near my favorite region on this planet.

Who doesn't love Napa Valley? You must be crazy if you don't pay a visit to Napa Valley Wine…read moreCountry, then I'd suggest visiting Napa State Hospital. Although, wine is cheaper than therapy =) Long before Real Housewives of Orange County, we would make the trek up to Napa Valley from SF for day trips. There's so much to do here year-round. No matter the season, Napa is our getaway. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. People from all over the world come here. Dine, shop, eat, drink, stay, sip & stroll, catch the Napa Valley Wine Train, stop and smell the roses. Napa Valley is the BEST in the WEST! Cheers :)

Known locally as the "Beaver Bridge" as a family of beavers has recently taken up space under the…read morebridge and even built a couple of dams. This is a big deal because it means that there is a habitat strong enough for them to recolonize an area that wasn't so great before. Though despite crossing the bridge a handful of times and trying to quietly spot them, they went unnoticed. The bridge joins links the West Street parking lot to a plaza near the historic Napa Valley Opera House. It is 80 feet long and a quite wide pedestrian bridge that is smooth enough for bicycles and baby strollers. The railings are quite high and easy enough to climb on so you can safely lean over to search for the beavers. The bridge was installed in 2019 and replaces and earlier laminated and glued timber bridge that had concrete decking which was damaged during the 2014 earthquake. If you spot the beavers and get a photo, let me know! [Review 17570 overall - 366 in California - 1088 of 2022.]

The Commandant's Residence, built in 1860, used to be the hot spot for fine dining in Benicia in…read morethe 70's and 80's. From 1975 to 1986, the Commandant's Residence served continental cuisine to many patrons in various settings ranging from one of their dining rooms to banquets outside the facility and even to banquets in the Clocktower Fortress across the street. Unfortunately a fire in 1986 brought an end to the restaurant's operations and the building sat empty and rarely used for years. Now, Arts Benicia has adorned the facility with many works of art created by local artists, not solely from Benicia, but mostly from areas nearby. It's a pleasure to see the facility restored and updated in many ways, including new electrical, an elevator, and new ADA compliant restrooms. There's a very small gift shop near the main entrance. Not a huge inventory of merchandise, but what is there is quite unique and artsy. Some items are not priced and the volunteers, (all of whom were very kind and cordial), may have difficulty getting a price if you're interested in purchasing one of those items. Hours are very limited, I believe they're open Thursday-Saturday from 1 pm to 5 pm. For me, it was a stroll down memory lane since I worked in the restaurant in the early 80's; but I believe most art enthusiasts would find a visit quite worthwhile.

The Old Napa Register Building was constructed in 1905 and back then, this wasn't a downtown spot…read more Coombs and First Street was relatively far from the city center but the city grew and expanded to the point that this is quite the popular commercial neighborhood. The Napa Register, founded in 1863 as a weekly, is Napa County's largest newspaper. It began daily publication in 1872. George Milton Francis became sole owner and publisher in 1876 and ran it until the 1920s when his son, George R. Francis, took over. The Register moved to new offices on Soscol Avenue in 2018. This building was designed by Napa's leading architect of the time, Luther M. Turton. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It survived the Great Earthquake of 1906 and the 2000 Yountville Earthquake. Following the Napa Earthquake of 2014, the building was purchased and restored by the grapegrower Beckstoffer Family. It is worth stopping by to look back 100 years in time. It was built of brick and covered with rusticated cement to give the appearance of stone. It is one of the few surviving examples of early 20th century commercial architecture in downtown Napa. Originally, both the first and second floors contained one large room each. The first floor housed the Napa Register and the second floor housed a dance studio. It's pretty darned awesome and I'm glad I had a chance to visit! [Review 17560 overall - 356 in California - 1078 of 2022.]