Wine Country

[barndweller Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close barndweller]

I agree with Ken on St. Helena. The Napa Riverpoint is really very nice (friends own there) but for the quaint, wine reqion feel you need to be in the heart of it.

Being a native to N. Calif. I prefer the Paso Robles or San Luis Obispo wine regions now. The San Luis Bay Inn has a tour every week you can sign up for & not worry about driving.And you have the California Coast as a bonus. Heck, even Worldmark Angels Camp gets you into the wine regions of the Sierra Foothills and Yosemite & goldrush history besides.

But for the classic California Wine Country experience they should stay in Calistoga or St. Helena.

[Faust Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Faust]

If you look at this map, Worldmark at Windsor is right above Santa Rosa. There are a lot of wine grapes growing above Santa Rosa all the way up to Cloverdale, which makes it wine country. This area seems to me fairy new to wine grapes. The scenery is pretty but there is not a lot of interesting towns to see. It takes about 1hr to go to Calistoga or St.Helena.

Napa Riverpoint is in Napa town it is about ½ hr from Calistoga or St.Helena, but remember Napa town is a large town not a quiet little wine town that one would be looking for. It is on the outskirt of the wine country.


For me, I prefer Worldmark Angels Camp there is more for me to do there, since I like gold panning and I like the gold mining little towns in the area. The wine region is just an extra bonus.

For anyone coming for the first time, they should start in Calistoga or St.Helena because these are the towns you are expecting to see and the experience you are looking for.

2004061616040

[riverdees05 Platinum Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close riverdees05]

Thanks for the input, keep it coming. I am copying and sending this information to my daughter.

[JoJo Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JoJo]

If you are looking to stay at a timeshare, I'd put my vote in for Worldmark Windsor. I live about 15 minutes away, and there are lots of nice backroads and wineries to explore in the Healdsburg/Windsor/Russian River area. We've also got the redwoods- Armstrong Woods State Park in Guerneville is wonderful place to enjoy the quiet peace of a redwood forest. And the Sonoma coast is not too far off- it's only 30 miles from Windsor, but the drive would qualify as "scenic", so it takes about an hour to get there. If you are visiting in the summer, there is also the Russian River to enjoy for canoeing, kayaking, etc.

Here is the Sonoma County Tourism Bureau site:

Sonoma, Sonoma County, Sonoma County Wineries, Sonoma County Spas, Sonoma County Coast, lodging, wineries, wine, wine tasting, spas.

[riverdees05 Platinum Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close riverdees05]

Would they be better off staying one place for a day or two and then move to a different location? They had also expressed an interest in going to Yosemite National Park for a couple of nights.

[Luanne Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Luanne]

Would they be better off staying one place for a day or two and then move to a different location? They had also expressed an interest in going to Yosemite National Park for a couple of nights.

They're talking Labor Day this year, right? If so, they most likely will NOT be able to book a place in Yosemite at this point. Most places book months and month ahead.

[Faust Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Faust]

Would they be better off staying one place for a day or two and then move to a different location? They had also expressed an interest in going to Yosemite National Park for a couple of nights.

How long will they be on the west coast?

[riverdees05 Platinum Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close riverdees05]

One week.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

If they want to stay in Monterey instead of Napa, TPI has a studio at Pine Acres for 9/2.

Pine Acres - Pacific Grove, CA, United States
Dates: Sep 02, 2007 - Sep 09, 2007
Size: Studio Sleeps 2
Occupancy: 2

A good base. Near the wineries, Big Sur, Monterey and driveable to SFO

SECTION 1 Title 1 Title 2 Title 3

[grest Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close grest]

I'll say up front that I have nothing else in California to compare it to, but we stayed at Worldmark Windsor in October last fall and found it to be a perfect location for us. There are over 100 vineyards in Sonoma County...it was lovely. This was during the harvest season, so the vines were pregnant with grapes, beautiful. Just roaming the countryside, visiting Healsburg, traveling up some of the Pacific Coast Highway north of San Francisco, the whole experience was very nice. There is also a very friendly casino about 15 miles from the resort if you like to gamble.
Connie

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

September/October are the busiest time in Wine Country

Travel: Quick tips for visiting Napa Valley - OCRegister.com


Sunday, September 9, 2007
Quick tips for visiting Napa Valley
September and October are busiest time in Wine Country.
By D.L. STEWART
Cox News Service

Although it's hard to go too wrong in the Napa Valley, it's easy to go too late if you don't plan ahead. While the harvest months of September and October are the most popular times to visit, they're also the toughest in which to get hotel rooms.


Some highlights to consider:


Domaine Chandon, Yountville

Open daily May through December from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day); January through April open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays. Tours at 11 a.m. and 1, 3 and 5 p.m.

Reservations: (888) 242-6366; Domaine Chandon Sparkling Wine and Napa Valley Restaurant, Vineyard, Still Wines, Wine Club and Yountville Fine Dining, Champagne.

St. Supery, Rutherford

Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (closed on major holidays. Call 707-963-4507; e-mail divinecab@stsupery.com.



Not into vino? Don't whine. There are plenty of other things to do in the Napa Valley:


Olive Oil Tasting, 8576 St. Helena Hwy. (Route 29), Rutherford - Sample gourmet vinegar and extra virgin olive oil: St. Helena Olive Oil Co., 800-939-9880.

The Wine Train, 1275 McKinstry Street, Napa - Choose from a variety of round-trip train rides through the valley. Train fare only is $49.50. Luncheon options priced from $89 to $144; dinner packages from $97 to $150. Reservations: 800-427-4124, Napa Valley Wine Train -- The official website of the Napa Valley Wine Train -- Home Page.

Balloon rides, Washington Square, Yountville -Launches at sunrise and floats over grape vines and between mountains. Concludes with a champagne brunch. $215 per person Internet rate. Reservations required: Napa Valley Balloons Inc., Yountville. 800-253-2224, Napa Valley Balloons, Inc. ~ Hot Air Balloons over the Napa Valley Wine Country.

Napa Valley Museum, 55 President's Circle, Yountville - Napa Valley's only interactive wine exhibit. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Monday, adults $4.50, students and seniors $3.50, children ages 7-17 $250. 707-944-0500, Napa Valley Museum.

Country Store, St. Helena Hwy. (Rte. 29) Oakville - An institution in the Napa Valley, with fresh caviar, truffles in season, charcuterie, artisinal bread, sandwiches, espresso. Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

Old Faithful geyser, 1299 Tubbs Lane, Calistoga - See one of only three Old Faithfuls in the world. Not to mention Tennessee Fainting Sheep, Four-Horned Goats and Guard Llamas. Adults $8, seniors $7, children ages 6-12 $3. Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily in summer, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in winter. 707-942-6463, Old Faithful Geyser.

Mud Bath, 1713 Lake Street, Calistoga - Get dirty with someone you love with a $54 per person couples mud bath. Golden Haven Hot Springs. 707-942-8000, Calistoga Golden Haven Hot Springs Spa & Resort, Napa Valley, California.

[Icc5 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Icc5]

Windsor

I would also be for Windsor. We own with Worldmark and have stayed at Windsor 3 times. The last time we were there we set up my nieces wedding and were able to use fax time and booked about 15 rooms. Everyone of the guests thought it was fantastic and some stayed an extra day or two and did wine touring in a group. They all said they would love to do it again.
Bart