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No Need to “wine” in Napa ValleyTravel Tips for Napa ValleyBy J.J. ScottCalifornia’s Napa Valley may be all about wine but there is plenty to do between sips. Check out these fun things to do in Napa Valley, America’s Food and Wine Capital.
2. Learn about the non-wine side of the Valley at The Napa Valley Museum dedicated to promoting the cultural and environmental heritage of the Napa Valley with special, changing exhibits representing a diverse range of subjects from fine arts to history to natural sciences. www.napavalleymuseum.org, $4:50, seniors $3:50
7. Get into the “spirit” of Africa. Go on a lion hunt at Safari West. Safari tent accommodations with all the creature comforts - human creature, that is - are available complete with a deck for watching the grazing giraffes. www.safariwest.com, admission prices start at $52
10. End the day with a Sunset Napa River trip in a quiet electric boat. The cruise begins with a narrative of the Napa River, then passes through historic downtown Napa, and proceeds south into the surrounding wetlands. It is a bird watcher’s delight. See parts of Wine Country seldom seen. They offer a variety of packages beginning at $40. www.napariveradventures.com, For more information check: www.napavalley.com Images by Sandra Scott |
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1. Get high in the sky! Start
the day at the crack of dawn when the winds are gentle and the light from the
rising sun makes the valley shine like a jewel. Let the breeze usher your
balloon along the corridors of grapevines and between mountains of Napa Valley.
When earthbound celebrate with Napa Valley's finest sparkling wines at a
picnic-style celebration.
3. For art and nature in its most
fun and unique form, visit 
4. Take a cooking lesson at
Casa Lana in Calistoga. The hands-on classes are taught in a professionally
equipped kitchen and range in length from a mid-week 3-hour class to a full
5-day Culinary Learning Vacation.
5. Hot stuff. If you thought the
only U.S. geyser is Yellowstone’s Old Faithful. Think again. The Calistoga
Geyser is a slightly smaller version of Old Faithful. The geyser spouts off on a
fairly regular 45-minute cycle, shooting boiling water 60 feet into the air. $6
6. Another unknown
attraction in the Calistoga area is the Petrified Forest. Three million years
ago a volcanic eruption blew down a stand of redwoods. Over the millennia the
trunks turned into stone and the overlaid material eroded away to expose the
trunks. $4
8. For a mix of art, wine and
vineyards take a self-guided tour of the Hess Collection which includes
contemporary paintings and sculptures lining the galleries and grounds of their
visitor center. They claim it is the second largest contemporary art collection
in the world.
9. OK, so you came to Napa Valley
because of the wines, before you head off on a taste-testing tour of the myriad
of wineries visit COPIA. It is a fun, interactive center where you can
investigate the fascinating cultural intersections of wine, food and the arts.
Enjoy tastings, classes, festivals, exhibitions and performances that will
thrill the microwaver or gourmet chef, a wine novice or connoisseur, a
windowsill gardener or a proven green thumb.