One Week in California Wine Country – Napa and Sonoma
To celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary, my husband and I combined two of our favorite things … travel and wine! We stayed in three different towns and explored, ate, drank, relaxed and had a great time. Come with me to experience one week in California Wine Country – Napa and Sonoma!
this post contains affiliate links which means if you make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you
We flew into San Francisco and rented a car then took the two hour drive to our first stop, downtown Napa.
Downtown Napa
Downtown Napa was founded in 1850 and has historic architecture plus there are tons of restaurants, shops and wine bars all in walking distance if you choose to stay downtown.
We spent two nights and enjoyed the location which is walkable to everything. There are also tons of great wineries a short drive away.
We loved the Andaz Napa but there are lots of great hotels, B&B’s and Inns from which to choose.
Day Trip – Electric Scooter Tour
my viral faux suede bubble jacket here
Driving this electric trike through the vineyards for a few hours was so much fun! We stopped a few times to learn the history of some old buildings, then stopped for a wine tasting (owned by three former NFL players) with charcuterie and snacks.
Time to leave Napa and head to our next stop. We skipped breakfast to save room for lunch at Gott’s Roadside, a James Beard award winning restaurant that serves roadside classics in a very casual setting (get the burger)!
St. Helena
St. Helena is such a cute little town with a small but bustling Main Street with gorgeous architecture, great restaurants and shops.
We stayed three nights at my new favorite hotel, Alila Napa and I could not believe my luck!
We were upgraded to the most incredible suite overlooking a vineyard and a babbling creek that included a huge wrap around deck with fire pit!
It was so fabulous, that we spent an entire rainy day, staying cozy by the fire pit and enjoying the incredible views.
When we did tear ourselves away from our room, we had fun exploring the Julia Child exhibit at The MAC – Napa Valley Museum of Art and Culture.
I think I love butter as much as Julia Child did!
A scenic 15 minute drive from Healdsburg led us to our favorite winery experience, Tamber Bey, located on a working horse farm!
The courtyard was gorgeous, friendly horses and a stunning view of Mt. Saint Helena, an extinct volcano.
After three glorious nights in St. Helena, we packed up to head to our next stop but made sure to stop at Under-Study for breakfast. They are known for their outstanding pastries including my favorite, the croissant.
Sadly, our time in St. Helena has come to an end so we’re heading to our next destination.
On our way, we made a pit stop at Armstrong Redwoods Reserve to walk among the magnificent redwood trees that dwarfed us!
Healdsburg
Healdsburg was our favorite town that’s straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting with it’s charming town square, tons of shops and restaurants, rooftop bars, art galleries, tasting rooms and more.
Located in the Russian River Valley, it was high on our list to visit because some of our favorite wineries are located there.
We stayed at a little B&B in a charming old house a few short blocks from the town square.
We’ve been ordering wine from Martinelli for years, it was fun to finally visit and enjoy a tasting in the vineyard.
After two nights in Healdsburg, we sadly packed our bags and drove back to San Francisco for our flight home to New Jersey.
Hope you enjoyed seeing the highlights of my one week in California Wine Country – Napa and Sonoma!
Cheers!
What a nice trip! Beautiful! Happy 30th Anniversary!
Thanks so much Kathy! Stay tuned … we have another trip planned for December!