Wine and Spirits Travel

It always amazes me how much can be squeezed into a day and my Calistoga visit was no exception. After a good night sleep at Solage Resort , it was back on the trail for some more wining, dining and spaing. We met Eden Umble, Public Relations & Marketing Manager for the Calistoga Chamber of Commerce , downtown at Café Sarafornia .  It is known in the area as a great place for breakfast and I can’t disagree. The menu was filled with the usual and the unusual and I decided to go for the latter. The Cheese Blintz and Apple Crepe combo was just what I needed to ease my morning sweet tooth and keep me fueled for the day ahead. After we enjoyed some time learning more about the many varied accommodations, restaurants and wineries in Calistoga, we walked down the block to the tasting room for Kenefick Ranch .  Dr. Thomas Kenefick went from mastering Neurosurgery in San Francisco to operating on vines in Napa and he made the transition well.  His 2009 Pickett Road White (50% viognier,

I usually love my job, but sometimes I really love my job, like the last two days when I got to take off with my daughter Sam in Napa to check out a great hotel, two spas, four restaurants – and lots of wine. I was in Napa last summer , but it’s been a few years since I spent any time in Calistoga .  This quaint area is the perfect place to plan a girls' getaway as it appears to be the land of spas.  That’s exactly where we started, at Solage Resort & Spa , a luxury retreat in the center of Calistoga. Our cottage at Solage was just beautiful, complete with a cozy living room and a patio in the back that included a Jacuzzi.  We also had two bicycles on our front porch and though we didn’t have a chance to use them, they are a popular mode of transportation around Northern California, where gas is over $4 a gallon. The Spa at Solage has received many accolades (including a vote as the No. 1 Spa in the Americas in Conde Nast Traveller) and it was easy to see why. It’s a r