2 Nights In Napa
If you’re looking at this post wondering why the cover image is of Aperol Spritz and not wine, well, because it’s really kind of exhausting drinking real-deal wine all day! I had to switch by Day 3 to maintain a semblance of my composure otherwise I’d be slurring all over the place drinking just wine, so sue me okay. Napa is a place that had been on our list for so long and we FINALLY made it after years of talking about it. To be honest, I was a little intimidated going – everyone says it’s boujee, which I obviously love, but not in the fun way. More like the type of boujee where you feel too young and they judge you for drinking too much wine and falling asleep….which did NOT happen (in public) lol.
Anyway, for Paul’s birthday I decided to plan an early getaway for just the two of us. We rarely get alone time anymore so I figured a quick getaway that isn’t too far away would be the best option. Let me just say that even planning a 3-day trip for Paul was one of the most stressful things of my life because we know how Richardy he can be when it comes to travel. He over-researches everything and I was nervous to take us somewhere new because his expectations would be HIGH. Thankfully I have some friends who have been and I relied on our hotel concierge to help me out with reservations and suggestions, too.
BTW, for everyone asking about the physical itinerary I made and printed for Paul, I just did it on Photoshop. There’s no app or secret, you just have to know how to use the program so sorry I can’t be more helpful!
So here’s the breakdown of what we did in Napa:
Friday
+ Jet Suites flight out of Burbank into Sonoma at 8:30AM – highly recommend flying JSX! It was so easy and hassle-free. It was our first time flying JSX and I loved every minute of it. We arrived an hour later and had a 2-hour drive into Napa. I hired a private car to take us from the airport to the hotel.
+ We checked into Calistoga Ranch and immediately had lunch by the pool. We got super lucky with beautiful weather so we could enjoy all the gorgeous scenery. Calistoga Ranch did not disappoint. It was secluded, peaceful, quiet, and super cozy. The rooms are equipped with an outdoor fireplace, hot tub, & lounging area so you don’t even have to leave your room. Obviously while we enjoyed our room we had a bottle of their house Chardonnay chilled and ready to go at all times. I would 100% return to this hotel!
+ That afternoon we had spa appointments at the hotel. We both got the Spirit Animal Experience, which was super relaxing and different.
+ For dinner we stayed at the hotel and ate at The Lake House. The food at the restaurant is incredibly delicious and it overlooks the lake. Highly recommend eating here even if you’re not staying at the hotel.
Saturday
+ We started our morning by picking fresh eggs from the Calistoga Ranch farm. This was a fun experience and it’s just made even better by the fact that you’re surrounded by a vineyard.
+ I hired a private car for the day, which was very pricey but worth it, to take us around for our day of wine tasting. FYI, I didn’t realize the wineries we visited were so close to the hotel, otherwise I would have probably taken Ubers. BUT, it was really nice to have that luxury, not wait, and have someone who knew the area to show us around.
+ We started at the Frank Family vineyard / tasting room and loved it. I love that in Napa you can enjoy your wine tasting experience outdoors. As I mentioned, the weather was incredible so it was extra nice to be outside. We left the vineyard with a little buzz and some bottle of wine to enjoy later.
+ Next up was the Hourglass winery. This was super unique, as they only take on 2 tastings each day. We had a private guide take us through and explain the process and history, which was all very intriguing, before we headed into their wine “cave” underground. This was something straight out of Game of Thrones. So decadent and beautiful, and the wine was amazing! We ended up buying a few bottles from this vineyard and are excited to enjoy them for a special occasion.
+ Since we had our driver for the day we maximized our time and stopped into a random tasting room in St. Helena. By this point I was drunk and don’t really remember the name lol. However, it was definitely not as fab as the first 2.
+ We stopped into the Restoration Hardware store / restaurant and while it was beautiful (like all their stores) it seemed to be a very busy tourist destination so decided against staying.
+ For dinner we are at Goose & Gander. I picked this spot because it seems like most places in Napa are super red meat-y, which is not something Paul or myself really eat. Their menu had fish and chicken options so it seemed like a good option. It was good, but not great.
+ After dinner we walked down the road, which is the main “downtown” portion of Napa but unfortunately everything was closed. I did see some really cute boutiques that I wish I had seen earlier in the day. I think it’s safe to say that Napa doesn’t have the most happening nightlight, and I’m totally okay with that.
Sunday
+ On our way to the airport we stopped at the Solage hotel for brunch. It has an insane view of Napa from the restaurant. We roamed around after brunch to check out the hotel and decided that while this one has an incredible view, we prefer the vibe of Calistoga better.
+ We took a 2:45PM JSX flight out of Sonoma back to Burbank and were back home by 4:30PM! Unreal. So worth flying that way for this trip, especially because we made it back in time to spend some time with Capri.
There is obviously a TON more to see and do in Napa, but for us, this was perfect. Easy, chill, mellow, and very us. Has anyone else been to Napa? Would love for you to share your recommendations down below in the comments so I have a reference for our next trip!
P.S. I linked my all black outfit here and my wine tasting outfit here.