Anyone have suggestions for a honeymoon in Napa Valley? I lost my wife about 5 years ago and I am going to remarry in August of this year. We won't leave for a honeymoon right after the wedding, but in September we do want to get away for a week or so. So, suggestions will be most appreciated.
I like Sonoma and the Russian River area better: It is prettier. I could provide better assistance with things to do rather than hotels as I lived there and had no need for a place to stay. With that said, what are you looking for? There are some nice boutique hotels and B&Bs but they probably get old after a few days. There are some nice golf course hotels but they may or may not be to your suiting. And of course you could stay in a nearby area such as San Francisco or Bodega Bay which are less than 40min from wineries. There is a Ritz in San Francisco and one in Half Moon Bay (which is far from the wine country). There is also a Fairmont in San Francisco and Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa . For small hotels in the wine region consider Auberge du Soleil, Alexander Valley Lodge, Calistoga Ranch, and Gaige House. Activities for a long stay in the region might include seeing Bodega Bay, whale watching, San Fran stuff, Ano Nuevo elephant seal reserve, and Monterey and Pebble Beach (which is probably 1.5 hrs away without traffic).
I agree with Uninformed. My recommendation is to get a suite in the tower at The Fairmont in SFO, preferrably above hte 16th floor and defintely facing north. From there you can drive to the wine country (both Sonoma and Napa, or down to Carmel, Half Moon Bay, and Mavericks. I have been to Napa & Sonoma many times. I love Fairmont hotels but the Sonoma Fairmont is little more than an overpriced Marriott with a glamorous name. I have yet to find an accomodation in the wine country that I thought was worth half the money. If you are a Hitchcock fan, the school house used in "The Birds" is actually now a bed n breakfast, but not very fancy. It's in the town of Bodega, not to be confused with Bodega Bay.
f**k this thread, dude. We need the lowdown on your wife's passing, what you went through, and how you met the new wife, how the whole thing feels, etc. This is bigger than the honeymoon thread. Give it up.
I like to stay in Yountville. It is centrally located in the Napa Valley and easy to walk to restaurants for dinner. We usually stay at Villagio or Vintage Inn, there are newer places built in the past few years but I haven't stayed at any of them. Depends on your price point and priorities. After a day of wine tasting I like being able to walk to dinner. Downtown Napa has also improved greatly in the past 5 years or so. There's an Avia and a Westin that are fairly new there and also provide easy walking distance dinner restaurants. There are cheaper alternatives further north in the valley but the dinner restaurants aren't as nice. Calistoga is a decent place for less $$ but is generally the hottest part of the valley and would still be pretty warm in September. I assume you know which wineries you want to visit and that's why you've chosen NV. We generally stay in SF either the first or last night of our trip depending on when our flights arrive/leave. SF parking rates tend to be very high. We usually unload our luggage at the hotel, leave the rental car at the airport and then ride BART back to the hotel for the last night and then back to the airport the next morning. Have fun!
I second Yountville. Very central, and you can walk to some really nice restaurants. If you want a special treat, try to get into French Laundry. Without a doubt the best meal I've ever had in my life. It was also the most expensive - by a wide margin - of any meal that I've ever had, and I eat at some pretty nice places.
