Napa Rocks
Napa rocks! Literally! Little did I know that when I finally fell asleep at 1:30 a.m. after traveling nearly 3,000 miles for a vacation to Napa, I would be awakened in less than two hours by a severe 6.0 earthquake in downtown Napa at 3:20 a.m. I thought Jesus was coming back! The 6.0 magnitude originated only 6 miles from the beautiful home where we stayed, the strongest earthquake in 25 years.
Upon closer examination, a walk through downtown Napa revealed that earthquake damage impacted a very small part of the valley, mainly the historic downtown area, where the post office, library, a 141-room hotel, 150 homes, and buildings were deemed unsafe to occupy. The Belfor Restoration trucks were already busy restoring the damaged historic buildings.
I thought all I needed to do to prepare for a vacation to wine country in Napa Valley was view the movie Bottle Shock. In 2008, the American comedy-drama based on the 1976 wine competition called the “Judgement of Paris,” when California wine defeated French wine in a blind taste test.
I am eager to see and learn about grape growing history, having heard about the beautiful rolling hills, the picturesque countrysides of grapevines, the loamy California soil, and the beautiful climate suitable for growing the right size and quality grape for the ultimate chalice of nectar, welcome to Napa Valley! Napa rocks!
John Patchett planted the first vineyard in 1854, started making wine in 1857, and established his winery in 1858. Today, there are nearly 2,100 wineries and tasting rooms. There’s even an app, Winery Geek, to help you search out wineries by variety and amenities. As you see, growing grapes is big business; no earthquake is going to stop tourism here.
Napa does an excellent job helping one experience the valley with private tastings of world-class wines and educational wine tours, which we enjoyed at Sterling Winery. At Del Dotto’s historic winery and cave, we relished the spectacular architecture and were in awe of how they age their wines in their caves. The Wooden Valley Winery in nearby Fairfield, a hidden gem, a family-owned winery for three generations, has mastered award-winning wines on a smaller scale.
There was a slight detour as we ventured up the coast to more fabulous, foggier Bodega Bay in Sonoma County, the location scenes in the Alfred Hitchcock-directed film The Birds (1963). We ate lunch at the The Tides Wharf and Restaurant (although rebuilt from fire in 1968). We couldn’t help but notice the seagulls eerily flying about the bay.
The town markets itself with the film in many ways, including its Birds-theme visitor’s center. Tippi Hedren, star in The Birds, is scheduled to make her annual appearance in Bodega Bay over Labor Day weekend. The schoolhouse and church featured in the film are the originals that still attract visitors like us to the Bodega area. Did we ever find out why the birds attack the small town?
You know it is time to say goodbye to summer when vacations end, children go back to school, and in Napa, you see the grapes stomping, which means it is time to harvest them. Side note: I loved the no-humidity weather and saw one non-stinging bee and one fly. I hope you agree that Napa rocks not only for its earthquakes but also for the charm, beauty, and fun that Napa Valley has to offer.
