Napa in December???
 

My 30th birthday is the end of November and my husband and I would like to celebrate with a trip. I would love to go to Napa Valley.

Is this a rational idea to spend late November/December in Napa/Sonoma? It will be our first trip to the wine country. Are the wineries open? I saw that the area has some festivals, etc during this time. Also - we are traveling with our baby (will be four/five months around the trip).

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Thank you in advance!

The wine region has different charms at each time of the year. In November/December you may find holiday festivals and faires. The wineries will be open every day except holidays (some wineries are only open by appt. all the time) and you can expect that it may be cold and/or rainy. But it will be less crowded.

Remember there are more wine areas than just Napa Valley. I am a much bigger fan of the Sonoma County (Dry Creek, Alexander Valley, Russian River wine areas). They are less commercial. Healdsburg makes a great base. www.wineroad.com

Thanksgiving weekend is a very busy one in Napa and Sonoma. This is when many Bay Area folks bring their friends and relatives who are visiting for the holidays. The tasting rooms and the highways will be crowded.

The two weeks after the Thanksgiving weekend are possibly the least crowded weeks of the year. Not many people travel then. Crowds pick up again when school lets out for the Christmas holidays.

The weather can be either good or not so good. This is the early part of the winter season and rain is common. Also, of course, the days are very short. It's an excellent time to visit for those seriously into wine. For the more casual visitor, however, it might not be as interesting as other times of the year when there is more to see in the vineyards.

Usually, you can get good hotel rates in the first half of December. Shop around and don't hesitate to call and make an offer - especially at B&Bs.

Having a baby with you certainly limits what you can do but it shouldn't prohibit you from enjoying your holiday. I would just choose my accomodations carefully so there wasn't much time spent in the car driving each day.

I'd suggest with a baby you might prefer a vacation rental. They can be the same cost as a hotel or B&B but you have more room and more of a kitchen. Usually you'll have at least one bedroom, a living room and kitchen/dining area.
I too suggest you consider Healdsburg in Sonoma County. You could tour Napa too... but Hbg. is charming. I'd suggest checking out www.sonomacountyvacations.com Good luck......

Early Dec. is better and my wife and I really like the Healdsburg area with Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley and a little north into Gyserville, Cloverdale, etc. Also, mid week will be much quieter than weekends, esp in Napa.