Travel Guide: Calistoga, CA
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Like I mentioned in my Where to Stay in Napa Valley post, a couple weeks ago, Nick and I stayed in the valley for the first time, instead of staying in San Francisco. We were lucky enough to stay at Triple S Ranch, which is an experience in general, but I'm so happy it was in Calistoga, just 10ish minuted from downtown Calistoga!
You'd think that if anything, Calistoga would be famous for its wine and not to say that it isn't, but over all, Calistoga is know for its water! Nicknamed "the hot springs of the west", Samuel Brannan was the first to come in a and build a spa, inspired by his similar concept in Saratoga, NY. To get the wealthy San Franciscans out there, he and some other businessman built a railroad to travel there, which the Napa Valley Wine Train emulates today. Several years later, Giuseppe Musante found a hot springs geyser and started bottling and selling the water. It is known as the Calistoga Brand Mineral Water and is still sold to this day, under the Calistoga Beverage Company name. Besides water, Calistoga IS also known for its vineyards, food, and serene location. To be honest, I just dipped my toe into the water (pun intended) of all that is Calistoga, but here's a great place to begin, if you're planning a trip!
WHERE TO STAY:
WHERE TO EAT:
Palisades Deli Cafe (one of the best breakfast burritos I've ever had!)
Sam's Social Club (get the churros and fried brussels sprouts)
Evangeline
Cafe Sarafornia
Calistoga Roastery
Solbar
WHERE TO DRINK:
Side note, I was asking Nick to help me with this part and when he was describing Calistoga, he said "it's a sexy place to grow grapes - it's a vineyard town. You'll find more vineyards than wineries." To that note, I'm not going to list a lot of wineries. Calistoga is near a lot of other great wineries, they just aren't in Calistoga, so here's some in town!
Frank Family Vineyards
Tedeschi Family Winery
Chateau Montelena Winery
WHAT TO DO:
Just saying...there's so much more to do than just drink wine;)
Safari West (technically Santa Rosa, but super close)
Petrified Forest
Sharpsteen Museum
Robert Louis Stevenson State Park
Old Faithful Geyser
Castello di Amorosa (also a winery, but it's a sight to behold, because it's a castle!)
Calistoga Spa Hot Springs
Another thing about Calistoga is that the Tubbs fire affected it. It was pretty eerie to drive through and see all the aftermath almost 4 months later and still see so much to do. It's heartbreaking, but I'm excited to see the area bounce back, stronger. Have you ever been to Calistoga? Anything I left off, so I can visit next time I'm in town?
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Tips for Wine Tasting in Napa Valley
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