Hi

We are considering a trip to this area the week of Thanksgiving. We would like upscale lodging that is in a town that we could walk to great restaurants during the evening.

Also, I have never been to Sonoma/Napa but have been to SF over that week. Will the weather be much different?

Any input would be much appreciated.

thank you

ttt

I was in Napa in early November, and it was quite chilly. I'm from Hawaii, though, so I suppose "chilly" is relative, depending on what you're used to.

We like staying in Yountville, where there are many renowned restaurants, including the French Laundry, Bouchon, and Etoile at Domaine Chandon. You can visit this website for a list of the nearby restaurants: http://yountville.com/page.php?url=n...ey-restaurants

Thanksgiving weekend is very busy in the Wine Country. This is when locals from the Bay Area head up on day trips. The restaurants and tasting rooms will be filled to the brim. Most wineries are closed on Thursday.

Yountville would probably be your best choice. You can walk to restaurants and there is upscale lodging and shopping.

Weather will be similar to SF. Could be nice and clear or wet and stormy.

Thanksgiving would not be a time I would choose for my first visit to Paradise.

Instead, consider a visit to the Oregon Wine Country. They have an open house weekend over Thanksgiving which provides visitors with a glimpse of some wineries that are not usually open. Crowds are much smaller than in Napa/Sonoma and the Willamette countryside is gorgeous. However, the weather will be a little colder and probably wetter.

Thanksgiving can be a magical time in NorCal. If you're not a part of the world where the leaves change, you can experience this transition in all it's magic. (I'm a SoCal beach native transplant and it's still "neat" to me). If the harvest is over, the winery workers are relaxed and will chat about the harvest. If it's a late harvest, they are all a-buzz about the prospects for the coming year. The weather can be pleasant, or it can be rainy. Truthfully--is there any place that can say the weather will be 'normal'? Good grapes, good food, fabulous folk--what's not to like?

Thank you for the replys.

We will most likley be arriving the Saturday before Thanksgiving and staying 3 or 4 nights and then a couple nights in SF before heading back to DC.

I will check out Yountsville.

Thank you

Yountville is nice--I prefer Calistoga. Not only is it a great town to walk, but you're at the north end of Napa Valley and can avoid some of the traffic as head up valley later in the day (assuming you're wine tasting). It's also a fairly easy drive over Petrified Forest Rd to the Sonoma side. Lots of places to stay in Calistoga--you can even enjoy the mud baths!

"We will most likley be arriving the Saturday before Thanksgiving and staying 3 or 4 nights and then a couple nights in SF"

That's a good plan. The Wine Country will not be busy at all just before Thanksgiving. And SF should be quiet. You might be able to get good hotel rates.

Also if you fly home on Thursday, flights will be much easier to obtain and the airports wont be crowded.

In your original post, you said you wanted to be able to "walk to great restaurants during the evening". That would be Yountville. Calistoga is a great town but it doesn't have any "great" restaurants. Yountville has several.