Napa Riverfront & Calistoga Hot Springs

The two market halls on the Napa River opened in 2008 and immediately became the primary reason to visit downtown Napa beyond the winery circuit. Hog Island Oyster Company's counter, the Fatted Calf Charcuterie (renowned for its house-cured meats and weekly rillettes), Five Dot Ranch Butchers, and the model Bakery (James Beard Award-recognized baker Karen Mitchell's croissants and morning buns) make the morning hours here the best food-per-square-foot of any market in the North Bay.

Thomas Keller's family-style restaurant in Yountville, opened in 2006 as a temporary experiment that became permanent due to immediate popularity — a fixed four-course family-style menu that changes daily based on seasonal availability. The fried chicken (served Sundays) has become the most replicated recipe from Keller's restaurants; the Monday burger menu uses Niman Ranch beef. The dining room's industrial-chic design contrasts with the elaborateness of the cooking.

A 36-mile round-trip excursion through the Napa Valley floor in restored 1915–1952 Pullman dining cars, from downtown Napa to St. Helena and back — a 3-hour wine and food experience that provides a different perspective on the valley's geography. The train passes through 12 of the valley's 16 wine AVAs; the sommelier-guided wine service uses small-production Napa producers not available at retail. The Gourmet Express dining car serves an afternoon California menu.

A Calistoga resort operating since 1862 on Sam Brannan's original spa site, and one of California's oldest resort destinations — it uses geothermal water drawn from wells on the property — the same volcanic source that feeds the Old Faithful Geyser of California adjacent to the property, which erupts every 30–40 minutes. The mud bath treatment uses volcanic ash mixed with mineral spring water at 104°F; the 1913 Olympic-size pool (the oldest thermal pool in California) is maintained at 102°F year-round by the geothermal wells. Book the mud bath 2–3 weeks in advance for weekend visits.

The resort restaurant serving California-Italian cuisine in an indoor-outdoor space with views of the thermal pool and the surrounding palm gardens. The lunch menu features house-made pizza from the wood-fired oven, seasonal salads using Napa Valley produce, and the resort's signature tacos with house-made tortillas. A casual and satisfying midday option within the resort grounds.

Dario Sattui spent 14 years and $30 million constructing a 107-room 13th-century Tuscan castle in Calistoga between 1994 and 2007, using hand-chiseled stone blocks imported from Europe, 850,000 reclaimed bricks, hand-painted Italian ceiling frescoes, and wrought-iron hardware fabricated by a German blacksmith. The structure includes a great hall, dungeon, moat bridge, and eight underground cave levels. The winery produces Italian varietals — Sangiovese, Pinot Grigio, Dolcetto — grown on 171 acres of Napa estate. The afternoon tour through the caves and castle architecture runs 45–60 minutes.