Escape to Napa Valley

The entrance to Domaine Chandon
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Our stay in Napa Valley was like a fairy tale.  We awoke each morning to a lovely breakfast at the Napa Inn, and spent the day driving through the hill-lined valleys of the wine country -- in a convertible.  (If you do that, make sure to wear sunscreen.  We forgot ours, and our faces were glowing red for the rest of the trip!)  The weather was perfect (about 70 degrees) the whole week, and it didn't rain until the day we left, which was unusual for Spring.  Touring and tasting at the wineries was lots of fun, but just the beauty of the place and spending time with my husband made it extra special.  Everywhere you go, the food is fresh and fantastic.  Not having been to the West coast, my husband my surprised at how friendly everyone was.  Everyone we met was so easygoing and helpful.

The charming Napa Inn
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Thursday was very quiet in Napa Valley, but once Saturday rolled around, there were people everywhere.  The wineries were packed with people escaping from the city.  Just a word of caution -- if you want to picnic, call ahead and make sure you have a spot.  On Saturday went to the Oakville grocery, which is this lovely gourmet food store, and got some sandwiches and snacks as we headed to picnic at a winery.  When we got there, there were so many people that we had to sit inside to eat.  It was such a beautiful day, and we totally missed out on the experience.

Napa vineyard in early spring
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Getting around Napa and Sonoma was fairly easy, but my husband and I were thankful that we spent the extra $10 a day to rent a GPS at the rental car place.  Many of these wineries are off the beaten path and we would have been a bit lost without it.  Nevertheless, even if we did get lost there was plenty of beautiful scenery to enjoy.

Our favorite wineries were the ones that weren't so publicized.  As a matter of fact, we enjoyed those recommended by our friends more than the one's recommended by Frommer's travel guide.  Don't miss Frank Family Vineyards or VanDerHeyden vineyards.  They are fun and relaxed.  Our favorite wine tour was at the Benziger Family winery.