Napa Ca. Area
 

Need help with where to stay.Don't mind spending between 300-400 a night.Would like nice atmosphere with central location to wineries.

Hi,<BR><BR>My wife and I spent 3 nites with my parents in Healdsburg (Sonoma County) at a terrific B&B called the Haydon Street Inn which is located near the Plaza. The B&B has a great website www.haydon.com. Mom and dad stayed in the first floor of the cottage house and it was fabulous. Essentially the first floor of a house complete with living room, TV, kitchen, master bath, and hot tub off in the private garden. We stayed in the house in the Turret Room with a fire place and claw tub which was lovely altho if you're tall it might not be the best choice. The owners are very friendly and helpful and their dog, Cody, steals the show. I prefer Sonoma County because most of the wine tasting is free, there are about as many wineries there as there are in Napa and many claim they are better on average, the wineries tend to be on a smaller, more intimate scale, and Napa County, which I recommend visiting, is just a 40 minute drive (from Healdsburg). In the Healdsburg area alone, there are 50 wineries. I think its a good central location for covering both counties. Healdsburg is also home to the Madrona Manor which is a more upscale B&B and supposedly fabulous. Hope this is helpful. Dave

Yountville is a very central location in the Napa Valley. The Villagio Inn and Spa (www.villagio.com) that is located there is an excellent place to stay and would easily fit within your price range. Some of the best restaurants in the Napa Valley are located close by. All the major wineries are an easy drive. Have a great time.

If you must stay in Napa, I think St helena is the best choice. Central location, beautiful town- great shops, etc.However, I agree with Dave. My husband and I did 2 days in Napa, 2 in Sonoma and we liked Sonoma SO much better than Napa. Napa lacks charm, all the traffic and noise. Sonoma is like a different world- and the wines are fantastic!

It is so discouraging to hear over and over again on these Napa/Sonoma posts how superior Sonoma is to Napa. As first time visitors to the Napa Valley & having already made reservations in Calistoga, it makes my heart sink to hear all these negative comments.

Denise, don't be discouraged! I love Calistoga. It is a quaint old town with great restaurants and spas. I don't detect anything snobby about it. I think when you are driving from winery to winery you will encounter more traffic in Napa and maybe more attitude at the wineries, but all in all both Napa and Sonoma are great. You'll have a wonderful time. For a great meal check out Catahoula!

Denise,<BR> We stayed at Cottage Grove Inn in calistoga. It's a cute little town ans at the northern part of Napa, so there's less traffic. We loved Wappo Grill in Calistoga! Be sure to drive up to Chateau Montelana and walk the grounds- lovely! That road is a spectacular drive over to Sonoma- you can do N. Sonoma one day , then drive back to Calistoga- an easy trip.

Is it OK to like them both?<BR>Since they are so close, you can usually "do justice" to both of the valleys in 2-3 days, even on a bike.<BR><BR>I've been in some terrible traffic jams in both valleys. I've been in Sonoma where it was as crowded as Union Sq. in SF the day after Thanskgiving. Still very enjoyable, tho. <BR>We've stayed in both and Yountville is still our favorite. It's off the Hwy so most of the traffic is out of the way.<BR><BR>The Villagio is a nice place in Yountville. Restaurants abound and are within walking distance.<BR><BR>St Helena is also a fun place. Give the Martini House a try.<BR><BR>The Oakville Grade from Napa Valley over to Sonoma Valley is a beautiful drive.<BR>Kal

What can anyone tell me about<BR>Auberge du Soleil(Rutherford)<BR>Meadowood (St. Helena)<BR>La Residence (Yountville)<BR><BR>I'm looking to spend 2-3 nights in wine country and would like a special place that would make it easy to travel around the area. Thanks<BR>

Denise<BR>Don't worry about the negative posts by Linda. She does it every time someone asks about the Napa Valley. You would think she works for the Sonoma Chamber of Commerce. Actually, both valleys are quite nice and both have great wineries. There are probably more top restaurants in the Napa Valley, which is not to say there aren't also some very good restaurants in the Sonoma Valley. As Kal said, the two valleys are close enough that you can see both in two days and make up your own mind as to which you like better. <BR><BR>Cheryl<BR>Auberg du Soleil and Meadowood are two first class properties with prices to match. I'm not familiar with La Residence as I usually stay at the Villagio Inn in Yountville. Meadowood is set up quite beautifully, has first class amenities, and is very romantic. My wife and I go there for our special occasions. I have eaten at Auberg du Soleil and the restaurant is very good. The place itself looks very nice and has great views of the Valley. I'm sure the rooms would be great. Between the two, I would choose Meadowood, but that's just my personal opinion. I'm sure you would like either one.

Meadowood is my favorite, and Auberge is my husband's. Both are FANTASTIC. We would happily go to either at any opportunity.<BR><BR>Auberge is up on a hill with phenomenal views of the valley. Rooms have balconies with similar views. Pool is great, although not overly private, as it is below the restaurant deck.<BR><BR>Meadowood is set in a valley of its own. It has a beautiful croquet lawn and golf course stretching out from the rooms. The restaurant has a peaceful deck setting that overlooks the golf course. Very secluded and quiet.<BR><BR>You cannot go wrong with either. (Other than the damage they do to your pocketbook.)

If you like small B&Bs, check out Castle in the Clouds which has a newcomer to the Napa Valley scene that has gotten a lot of press lately. Web site: www.castleintheclouds.com<BR><BR>We soaked in their hot tub and looked out at Harlan, Silver Oak, Opus One, Cardinale, Mondavi, and others. It is fabulous, but difficult to get a reservation at, since they only have 4 rooms. <BR><BR>If you can't get in there try, Harvest Inn in St. Helena. Auberge and Meadowood are great too, but bigger and busier.

Thank you Linda, Susan & Tony for the encouraging words! I've printed out about 50 pages from all the posts about Napa/Sonoma and have some great recommendations. We'll have to narrow it down to not much more than 8-10 wineries in 2 days, I imagine. It helps a lot to read what everyone's favorites were.

<BR><BR>We just returned from a trip to California and spent 3 days in Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Both have really nice wineries and very similar personalities. We stayed in St. Helena at Vinyard Country Inn and use that as a home base to explore from. <BR><BR>Nice rooms with living room with fireplace. Our back patio looked out onto a vinyard next door. Breakfast is included and was better than average.<BR><BR>http://www.vineyardcountryinn.com/home.html<BR><BR>Hope this is helpful . . Rich<BR>

<BR><BR>sorry . . the first link is not very helpful . . this one is better.<BR><BR>http://www.vineyardcountryinn.com/