DISCOVER
NAPA COUNTY CALIFORNIA

It can't lay claim to the first premium winery in California - that
honor belongs to Sonoma - but Napa is world famous as a premium wine region, having beat the French at their own game in the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976 (otherwise known as the Judgement of Paris)!

Are you heading for Napa this weekend? Compare hotel prices at
over 30 hotel booking sites at once:

Napa River

Discover exciting Napa tours; from wine tasting to hot hot air
balloons to biking tours at Reserve123.com:

The town of Napa is in transition - It doesn't have the same charm
and personality that you'll find in Sonoma and around Sonoma Plaza, but it's definitely working on it! For some photos of the transition, check out our Napa Album on Facebook.

Napa's Hat Building, Named for Obvious Reasons

Historic buildings
have been restored -

- just to name a few!

The downtown is being renovated with stylishly designed hotels, shops, restaurants, cafes, and galleries, all well-devised to blend with the historic look Napans wish to preserve.

The Napa Town Center area on First Street between Franklin and Main is one shining example, as is the area around First Squeeze.

Not to be outdone is the Napa
River Front District, which includes the Napa Mill.

So have a walk around the town - visit the historic buildings, shop in and around the Town Center and the River Front District, take a walking history tour, have a lovely meal with wonderful wine, and walk the river front! You'll enjoy it, I promise!

Napa Valley's history is every bit as venerable as Sonoma's - the Wappo Indians contributed the name; Padre Jose Altimura wrote about it in 1823; and the population began exploding during the California Gold Rush.

Napa Valley Wine Region

Napa Valley has been known for quicksilver mines, lumber mills,
its natural beauty, its water ways, the healing springs and geysers, and a wide variety of agricultural crops.

Today this thirty-five mile long valley nestled between rolling hills
is known as a premier premium wine region - the place to come for exquisite wines that rival those from anywhere in the world, gourmet food, beautiful scenery, leisurely bike rides through the countryside, healing springs and geysers, hot air ballooning, the Napa Valley Wine Train, and - of course - Napa Valley wineries!

What's left to talk about, you might be wondering. The answer is, Lots! Napa and Napa Valley get all the attention, but the rest of Napa County has plenty to offer also!

Lake Hennessey

It's home to the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge; several lakes, including Lakes Berryessa and Hennessey, offer recreational opportunities; you'll find fishing, boating, camping, and white water; take a drive in the country and up into the foothills; visit a petrified forest or Old Faithful Geyser of California.

Spend some time at Skyline Wilderness Park for the hiking, biking,
and horse trails; or the Carolyn Parr Nature Museum near Westwood Hills Park; and, of course the Robert Louis Stevenson State Park where the famous man spent his 1880 honeymoon - you'll enjoy the wild terrain and evergreen forests! If you're very brave and fit, make the climb to the top of Mount St. Helena.

But, I have to admit, most people come to Napa County for the wineries, the fine food, the luxurious spas, and - did I mention? - the wine tasting (check here for some Wine Tasting Tips!)

Whatever your reason for coming you're sure to have a wonderful time, whether you come for the day, the week, or for a month!

We'll have more to share with you about Napa County in the coming weeks; things like:

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