Napa & Sonoma :: November 2008

One of my favorites.....because I was there in the fall, the grapevines and trees were turning brilliant shades of scarlet and orange, and there was a hazy and sleepy element to the air. Although Napa can get quite hot in the summer, in November it was just starting to get seriously chilly - perfect for me, as I avoid hot weather.

I must have been feeling flush financially at the time because I reserved a room at the Churchill Manor, a showcase B&B in Napa that was quite expensive.

I paid $250 for my room for one night - I now consider that to be quite foolish, because of my current circumstances. The room was nice but the bathroom was stupendous and almost as large as the main room. I have this habit of taking a bath in every B&B (I'm normally a shower gal), and in the tub I inevitably think, "Is this worth [insert price of room]?" My mental response will indicate whether I feel I've wasted my money. And at the Churchill Manor, it was an emphatic "YES!"

But the best thing about the mansion was the mansion itself. The owners have taken 20 years to bring it back to its former glory, with museum-quality antiques galore in the main rooms. Every room had walls of polished walnut. There was a large veranda/porch encircling the house and I spent some lovely hours there.

While driving through Calistoga, I came across signs that advertised "Petrified Forest". When my sister and I were small tots, our parents took us on a trip to San Francisco and the surrounding areas. I've always wondered where the petrified forest was, and upon entering the forest, I nearly cried. There was the little prospector, the same little guy I'd been looking at in my pictures for almost 50 years (oh, and if you click on the colored pic below, you may see someone else hiding in a tree).

I did a major amount of driving around the area in this trip, and I had a blast doing it. I'm not a wine devotee, so I didn't visit any wineries. It's really important to get up early to start driving because there's only one main highway thru the valley, and it gets crowded very easily.

I discovered that there was a huge VA-type of place on a mountain above Yountville, where old soldiers went to fade away. As I drove through the property, I noticed empty wheelchairs, sitting there like sad dogs waiting for their owners - and learned later that the residents take the bus into Yountville, drink all day, then return at night to their wheelchairs.

Rants & Raves:

*Churchill Manor: definitely recommended, if you can afford it. There are three floors however and there is no elevator so be prepared to lug your suitcases, which is not uncommon in B&Bs. They have high-speed wireless, but only in the library below and not in rooms. No TVs in rooms but one in library. Very clean, amenities like soap/shampoo are a high-class organic brand that I tried to find when I got home. Beds have down comforters and pillow tops, very comfortable. Breakfast: food was very good and you have a choice of what you'd like to eat from the paper menu, which is handed to youwhen you arrive at the table. But - the portions are much too small - have you ever seen a baby omelet? - something I've run into with many B&Bs - why do so many owners feel it's ok to gyp you with mini-portions? It's tacky, it's bad business, it doesn't cost them much more to give you a full-sized portion, and I don't like it at all. : [ HUMPH! Oh, and coffee was weak (uck).

Surprisingly, Churchill Manor is on the edge (i.e. right across the street) from a bad part of town but if you walk up one block, you're in the good part with some cool mansions. You have to go for a walk if you stay there! I walked into downtown Napa several times which was a good stretch, but perfect as I needed exercise.

*Towns (definitely my humble opinion, others may think very differently):

-Sonoma: very touristy (VERY) - quite crowded on weekends. There is a "square" downtown which is where most people hang out. Lots of restaurants, antiques, galleries, specialty stores. There are two really old hotels directly on the square and one is supposed to be quite haunted. Hotels are expensive and not as nice as the Churchill Manor, but are a kick to walk into and explore.

-St. Helena. Disappointing. There is one main street and that's it. Cute stores, but the main drag (the only drag) gets VERY crowded during the day and it's impossible to find a place to park (I tried many times).

-Yountville. I loved Yountville. It's beautiful, slightly off the main highway, and it has a small-town, homey, friendly atmosphere to it. There is a farmer's market on weekends. Gorgeous area, just below the big VA-type place.

-Calistoga. Really liked Calistoga, although the stores on the main street are a little disappointing. I had fun going into Indian Springs Resort (very hoity-toity). I wanted to see what the women's spa looked like, so I walked in, pretended I was one of their wealthy clients ("Can I help you?" "Oh, I'm only looking until my husband can join me - meanwhile I want to buy some soap"). If you need a bathroom, they have the best bathroom around (and the soap was lovely).

Restaurants: Had one of my best dinners ever at the Ristorante Allergria, which is situated in a former bank in downtown Napa. Here's a link: http://ristoranteallegria.com/ I loved the fact that they turned the vault into a private dining room ; ) The building itself reminded me of a bank my mother took me to in Santa Monica when I was very small. I sat at the bar to eat, mainly because the bartender was sexier than hell.