This is a long-overdue review of a very special place that is near and dear to my heart…read more Napa Valley is a destination that people travel from all over the world to experience. Living in the Bay Area, we are lucky enough to have it right in our backyard. My partner and I have not taken our good fortune for granted, and have spent many weekends and mini-vacations in Napa. Napa Valley is a place of relaxation, romance, enjoyment, and incredible natural beauty. It is the perfect reprieve from the stressors of urban life. A short trip from the Bay Area, but a different world. In accordance with the serene environment, the locals of Napa Valley are so welcoming, and genuinely kind. We have experienced so much kindness from the people here, even total strangers. Truly some of the nicest people we have met. One time we pulled over on the road to get something from the trunk of our car. A truck pulled up in front of us, and in all our urbanite disillusionment, we were both sure something nefarious was about to go down. Instead, an incredibly nice gentleman came up to us and asked if we needed any assistance, being on the side of the road and all. We were floored. Napa Valley is one of the world's premier wine-growing regions, so obviously the area's many outstanding wineries are a huge draw. Our favorites include Trefethen, Paraduxx, Duckhorn (Paraduxx's older, more stoic sibling), Vine Cliff, Rutherford Hill, Pine Ridge, Conn Creek, and Black Stallion. Fun fact: if you go to Black Stallion, you will find a picture of my partner in the tasting room from his horse-riding days when what is now Black Stallion used to be an equestrian center! Napa Valley is also the destination for many incredible eateries. Most notably, the world-famous French Laundry, which we have had the privilege of dining at multiple times. Take a look at my review for The French Laundry for more about this very special restaurant. Another restaurant I would highly recommend, in the heart of downtown Napa, is Cole's Chop House. Unparalleled service and food in a classic steakhouse atmosphere. The owner Eric is wonderful, and you can usually find him on the floor of the restaurant, actively checking in on everything. I don't even eat steak, but this is one of my favorite restaurants; they have the best salmon I have ever had in a restaurant, hands down; I order it every time. If you go to Cole's, ask for Andrea & Richard's corner table, and you will find our picture on the wall. While you're in downtown Napa, check out a very sweet little store called Miyamo on 1st Street. Beautiful gifts to get for yourself or others, especially the bracelets with different sayings on them. I have a collection of them and wear them constantly. Oh, one more place to add to your list, also in downtown Napa, is Downtown Joe's. Right on the Napa River, this is both a great place to party/karaoke late into the night, and enjoy a leisurely all-American breakfast at in the morning. When looking at places to stay, the Indigo is our usual go-to. Fairly-priced, it meets our needs and is a short Uber ride away from downtown Napa and many wineries in the area. Speaking of Uber, listen to your ride-share drivers, they have a lot of good recommendations to share about the places to check out (and occasionally avoid) in the area. I can't say enough about the Napa Valley in one review, but feel free to message me if you want more recommendations. This magical part of Northern California has kept me sane throughout many years of living in the rat race. I can't wait for our next visit.

Napa Valley is absolutely gorgeous! It's known for its incredible wine and food! Many of the…read morewineries are on stunningly beautiful properties. There are lots of spas and Calistoga, the northernmost city in Napa Valley, is known for its geothermal hot springs and mud baths. It's an excellent place for relaxation with stunning vineyard views. If you are a foodie, you will love the restaurants in Napa Valley. The food is so fresh and flavorful. If you are into hiking and being in nature, there are plenty of places for that as well! I would consider Yountville the most upscale city in Napa Valley. All of the towns are charming with the town of Napa being the most city like. There are plenty of places to shop as well. For all of these reasons and more, it's an excellent place for a girls getaway, romantic couples getaway, and so much more! The biggest drawback in my personal opinion is that since this is a destination location, it comes with a price and things can add up with resort fees and other fees that come along with it being a destination location and the prices of things having gone up over the years significantly.

The once-a-year cultural festival is one of Hercules's signature events. It had been on hiatus…read moresince the start of Covid. This weekend was perfect for a return. I am not sure if people would come from all over the area to attend. However, it is perfect for locals. This year there were a lot of good choices for food. Bands played and people danced. People sat on the lawn and visited and watched the local dance schools and marshal art schools perform. There were community and craft booths. All and all a nice community celebration.

Hercules' Cultural Festival is an annual event. Even though I've lived in Hercules for 4 years,…read more2008 was the first year I attended. It was smaller then I had expected. There's a kid's area where you can purchase tickets for games. The adult's area featured food, one of the two stages, vendors selling items and city services. A great opportunity for Herculeans to get out, sit in the park and enjoy the people watching.

Napa, how I love you. I try to make an effort every year to visit but sometimes the timing is never…read morethere. Each and every visit has alway been amazing. Normally it's wine tasting with friends for a couple of days. The many wineries throughout the area. Literally one after the other. Besides being in an area that so pretty with vineyards surrounding you. There's a lot of amazing restaurants to try. You have all the local favorites as well as the well known restaurants that can take months to get a reservation. Napa is known for loads of nice places to eat. Even walking through town, the main downtown area does get pretty packed with holiday makers. More tasting rooms, nice restaurants, you have some shopping and some good souvenirs shops. Mainly higher priced items but still worth checking out. Can't leave out all nice fancy hotels. More intimate with most of them but with the feel that you're well taken care of. Napa isn't cheap as you'll want to do loads of tasting and eating. It's a place that's worth checking out if you've never been. It's a few hours from San Francisco. We've done day trips from there loads of times. A fun has alway been here and can't wait till the next time.

Came to Napa for a 2026 New Year's getaway with my boyfriend, and even though it was rainy and wet,…read morethe whole trip felt incredibly romantic. The majestic mountains wrapped in dark gray skies created this moody, cinematic backdrop that made the valley feel extra cozy. Wineries are truly everywhere -- you can take your pick and your poison -- and each one has its own charm. We flew in from Las Vegas and arrived at Sacramento Airport, then rented a car and made the drive to Napa. It took about an hour and fifteen minutes. Just a heads‑up: the drive gets very dark at night, especially once you leave the city areas, so make sure your headlights are on and you're comfortable with winding roads. Despite the weather, Napa still delivered that peaceful, wine‑country magic. If you're looking for a quiet, romantic escape -- even in the rain -- this place doesn't disappoint.

Oakville's Carmelite Monastery is a historically fascinating spot in the Napa Valley. There were…read moreplans for this mansion to be a Summer White House on the West Coast. It had the same designer as Golden Gate Park- https://noehill.com/napa/poi_carmelite_monastery.asp The South Napa quake of 2014 severely damaged the monastery, yet the chapel remained intact. Miraculously, the chapel is having Masses to this day. They are celebrating Holy Week&Easter. They have a small gift shop- not sure if it's still being restored/renovated. A serene, beautiful oasis for prayer.

Whether you go there to take in the Catholicism or you just want to see the "Great Gatsby" style…read moremansion, the place is something to see. The grand mansion built in the 1920's has a history and I think even a ghost. You know those types of stories, a well-to-do family with a fortune and then a stepmother or father walks into the scene, something like that. The place is well worth the visit on the Napa Valley wine country tour. Take a few minutes to visit the little town of Oakville, which is close to St. Helena. It is among the few small town spots left in Northern California. See the Carmelite's web site for details about retreats and events. And, they also have a gift shop. http://www.oakvillecarmelites.org/

***GRAND OPENING*** for 'Off the Grid' in Pittsburg, California…read more Got off work and battled traffic on hwy 4 to get home and enjoy a beautiful Friday afternoon in my town. The excitement of something fun and cool finally gracing downtown Pittsburg with it's presence was overwhelming! Parking was tough, everyone in Pittsburg turned out for the event. I would suggest carpooling with friends in the future. The weather was perfect, the people were in great spirits, the music was on par, low riders, motorcyclists, show cars, ***the works***. !!! There's no place like home !!! There were four food trucks and a small trailer for beer. The lines were tremendous at each truck. Off the Grid truly failed to plan for this event. I can understand that many of my favorite OTG trucks would not make the journey out and sit in traffic for this event. However, if Off the Grid promises to deliver...they should do just that. I chose to stand in line for 39 minutes at the taco truck because I spotted the small, square, green sign indicating gluten free options. They had one gluten free taco to offer and I'm certain cross contamination was present (I had a reaction after consuming the delicious taco - dang Celiac!). The ice cream/fruit freeze truck may have had something gluten free, but due to tremendous wait times, boredom in line, and frustration I didn't check them out. I wish there were more vendors/trucks, it would've made the experience so much better. The lines would not have been as long, people around us wouldn't have been so frustrated, and I would have stayed longer (and spent more $$$). Most of the people were bunched together in the same area creating congestion and making it difficult to explore and wiggle through to the other trucks. Perhaps they should spread out more so people can disperse and comfortably make use of the large open space provided. My friends and I left disappointed but hopeful things would improve with future event. It would be very exciting if Curry Up Now made the journey out (please please please come!) To conclude: Downtown Pittsburg is the perfect chill location for off the Grid events. Unfortunately the first one fell short of expectations.

Along Main Street where it parallels the Napa River, this interactive artwork is also next to the…read moreparking lot. Lots of foot traffic here. It is a harp and the online caption reveals that it is made with Wood, metal, musical strings, anti-graffiti coating. The artist's description reads, "'Public Sound Harp #1' is a musical sculpture for people to touch and play. With 225+ musical strings tuned to the Earth's fundamental frequency & harmonic intervals, it is part of the Sound Cave Project: sound art installations harnessing the aural phenomenon of sympathetic resonance." The artist's name is Tyson Ayers. I poked at it a bit but I wasn't able to make any coherent sounds. But then, I'm not a musical talent. Maybe you'll do better. [Review 17605 overall - 397 in California - 1124 of 2022.]

We loved our trip so much we've organized a group ride & can't wait to be on the trail with joanread more

this is a dangerous operation. ask to see their business insurance before you ride. it doesn't…read moreexist. horses are poorly behaved and the guide regularly breaks park rules and federal Law by leading rides into protected habitats.

Both local and distant farmers congregate in one common area in Fairfield's itty-bitty urban…read morejungle. Downtown Fairfield holds its seasonal farmers' market every year. It's thee best place to buy fresh fruits & veggies without breaking the bank at the local grocer or driving deep within the farms to hand pick produce. -Veggies are pretty clean, bug free, and a large variety. -Fruits...well not as much options as I'd wish but, the standard fruits are offered. Clean, bug free, and bruise free for the most part. All produce has a set rate but, don't hesitate to bargain. Most vendors are negotiable. Aside from the produce, food vendors and live music is the norm. When its summer be prepared for major sunshine. Parking is street style so, be prepared to search. For us parallel parking impaired people, several parking lots are an option as well :)