22938 Mon Feb 10 15:59:49 -0800 2003 6 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 85958 My husband and I will be visiting California in May, to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We'll stay the first night, a Sunday, in San Francisco; then we'd like to rent a car and make a loop around the Napa Valley, staying in country inns and visiting wineries. On the off chance that I'm able to score a reservation for lunch or dinner at the French Laundry on our actual anniversary, that would put us in Yountville on Thursday. And we'd end up back in San Francisco for Friday and Saturday nights. I'll be doing a lot of reading about the area but, in the meantime, I'm soliciting suggestions/advice for our itinerary - any particularly charming towns, moderately-priced inns, wineries we shouldn't miss, eating places, etc. For example, is Copia, the American Center for Wine, Food & The Arts, someplace where we'd want to spend a few hours (or longer)? Thanks! Deenso Mon Feb 10 15:59:49 -0800 2003 0 Deenso 1 85959 try this Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/20357#70447 Mon Feb 10 16:29:39 -0800 2003 85958 0 vn 1 85971 I don't believe French Laundry does lunch on Thursday (just Fri-Sun). See the thread below for tips on getting a reservation. The other thing to do in the Napa Valley (you can get burned out on wine very quickly!) is have a spa day -- lots of places around Calistoga, some very upscale, some kind of funky and old-fashioned. Most of them do packages for couples that include both the overnight and various spa treatments. Even if you don't get into French Laundry, there are many fine restaurants in the Valley. A control-F search of the word "Napa" will bring up lots of discussions. Mon Feb 10 17:29:55 -0800 2003 85958 0 Ruth Lafler 1 85977 I always recommend the following to first time visitors: Two small wineries off the beaten track, both near Calistoga: Chateau Montelena (Tubbs Lane just north of the town), a French chateau style winery with adjacent Chinese gardens with paths and islands. Very special Clos Pegas (Dunaweal Rd., just south of Calistoga) Michael Graves designed winery in the style of a Cretan temple with a lovely sculpture garden. Also the Culinary Academy in St. Helena is housed in a huge former Franciscan monastery and has a restaurant and great views. Mon Feb 10 18:08:24 -0800 2003 85958 0 Steve P 1 85994 I would very strongly encourage a visit to the Sonoma area wineries-IMO better prices, more wineries with a greater variety of wine, friendlier places, fewer tourists, etc. Mon Feb 10 19:21:07 -0800 2003 85958 0 Tom Hall 2 86049 I absolutely agree that Sonoma is more fun to visit than Napa. If you do go there and want to do more than taste wine, you can check out Ramekins, a wonderful cooking school that offers great 2-3 hour classes many of which are hands-on (http://www.ramekins.com). They also run a very nice inn in Sonoma. Other places to visit in Sonoma County -- Vella Cheese,loads of high quality wineries that don't charge for tasting, Downtown Bakery in Healdsburg, The Jimtown Store just north (about 5 miles) of Healdsburg on 128, Koslowski Farms on Gravenstein Highway in Forestville, Sonoma Sausage in the town of Sonoma, Artisan Bakery in Sonoma and lots more. Check Sonoma County out on Google. It's not as famous as Napa, but it's really worth visiting -- my husband and I (we live in San Francisco) go there often and we rarely go to Napa anymore. If you do go to Napa and are at all interested in film, then I suggest you visit Francis Ford Coppola's Niebaum-Coppola Estate Winery and movie museum. You can get more info at http://www.niebaum-coppola.com/winery.html. Enjoy!! Link: http://gocalifornia.about.com/library/weekly/aa101899.htm Tue Feb 11 12:57:05 -0800 2003 85994 0 Nancy Berry 1 86353 Although I too prefer Sonoma for the reasons mentioned, I must confess that when we leave SF for a quick couple of nights away, we always end up staying in Calistoga and eating in the Napa Valley. That's because we love staying at the spa-cum-motels, with hot pools open till late evening. Everyone who wishes to should indulge his or her desire to visit the famed Napa Wine Country. It's very beautiful, if less varied than amazing Sonoma County, with its wineries, Victorian architecture, antiques, orchards, dairies, farms, and magnificent coast. However, a quick look at a map will show that one may easily do both over 2 or 3 days. If you start out in Napa, it's a beautiful drive through the Alexander Valley and down into Sonoma. Sun Feb 16 21:26:19 -0800 2003 85958 0 Fine