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"Other Than Wine Tasting"

By: Calistoga Spa Hot Springs / 11 Feb 2020

"Other Than Wine Tasting" what else is there to do in the Napa Valley? A great question we often are asked. Cabernet is King in the Napa Valley but there are other grape varieties to explore experience and appreciate. So too are the myriad of other activities to experience outside of wine tasting.

From the outdoor activities like hiking, biking, ballooning and sightseeing to indoor experiences such as art galleries, main street shopping, culinary classes and music venues. We have assembled a brief list to help guide you to an expanded appreciation of Calistoga and the Napa Valley as a multi-experiential destination

OK here's an easy one to get started, no trip to Calistoga should be made without a Volcanic Ash Mud Bath  in our famous Geothermal Mineral Water. The blend of source minerals from the volcanic ash mixed with mineral water and relaxation is the ticket.

Hike the Oat Hill Mine Trail to the Palisades or journey a little farther up Highway 29 to Robert Louis Stevenson State Park and hike up to Table Rock. Views of the valley and surrounding mountain ranges are endless.

Rent a bike at Calistoga Bike Shop and do a leisurely tour around Calistoga or choose a performance model and ride the routes used by the Amgen Tour of California

To get a "bird eye" view of the valley Napa Valley Balloons  picks you up on Lincoln Avenue in Calistoga and shuttles you to the launch site where you will see the valley as few have. After the flight a mid-morning brunch is provided.

For the art centric visitor art galleries and installations are found throughout the valley. Some of our local favorites include Ira Yeager Studios, Sofie Contemporary Arts   Villa Ca' Toga, Lee Youngman Gallery  and outside Calistoga the Napa Valley Museum and Hess Collection.

Music venues and theaters include the Cameo Cinema  in St. Helena, JaM Cellars and Blue Note in Napa and the Lincoln Theatre in Younteville. Live music in Calistoga can be found on the patio at Calistoga Inn and on Friday's at Picayune Cellars here on Lincoln Avenue. Visit Calistoga produces Calistoga's Concerts in the Park featuring local and regional musicians each Thursday evening during the summer. Side note: order a picnic basket of fried chicken and sides from Evangeline and bring a blanket to enjoy this uniquely Calistoga experience.

The Napa Valley is home to some of America's greatest chefs including Thomas Keller, Michael Chiarello and Christopher Kostow. Test your culinary prowess with a class at the CIA at Copia or tour the 150 year old Culinary Institute of America at Greystone for inspiration.

The CIA at Copia recently opened the Chuck Williams Culinary Arts Museum celebrating the founder of Williams Sonoma. Feast on garden-picked ingredients from the culinary gardens, play bocce and relax in on the patio. But most of all immerse yourself in the wonderful world of food!  

Don't forget the world famous Napa Valley Wine Train a 36-mile round-trip discovery to St. Helena and back, stopping at celebrated wineries along the way. But it's more than a train. It's a luxuriously vintage setting. A lush, mesmerizing landscape. A divine four-course meal.

Our goal is to provide a different view of Calistoga and the Napa Valley outside of traditional wine tasting and we hope we have succeeded. That being said many of our wineries are architectural masterpieces and many house there won art collections such as Clos Pegase, Hall Wines and Raymond Vineyards.  Share your favorites experiences with us here on our Facebook page.  

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