Friday, January 6, 2012

Napa Valley With Kids

Napa Valley State Park ~ California ~ August 1993



            Imagine if you will a few thousand scented acres of vineyards draped across the rolling hills of picturesque Napa Valley. Keep that imagery alive in your mind with graceful tree-lined drives, shady picnic sites, and impressive reconverted barns sheltering wine enthusiasts as they enjoy an idyllic afternoon. Complete this portrait with gleaming wood-paneled tasting rooms filled with knowledgeable adults sniffing and swirling and sipping fine wine to their hearts content. Sounds delightful, doesn’t it? Most people we know would not bring their young children to Napa Valley where the principal attractions are wineries. But we are not most people, and drag our kids we did to Napa Valley for a camping vacation. Our children were then and are still great travelers, mostly well-behaved, and inquisitive studies as well. We had always wanted to visit this part of California and absolutely adore wine. So we made our camping reservations for August in hopes of escaping the heat of our home-town. Our plan was to meander through the Napa Valley then head over to San Francisco for a brief visit to the City by the Bay.


            Lest you think that we are completely out of our minds, let me tell you that there is quite a bit to do with your children in this scenic valley. Bothe-Napa Valley Campground is located five miles north of St. Helena in the heart of the valley and offers camping, hiking, swimming, and horse-back riding amongst tall groves of fir-trees, madrone, and redwoods. This state park has terrific hiking trails for day-hikers and a beautiful campground to boot. It was here on a perfectly silent summer morning that our children spotted their first deer. Our kids were thrilled to see the three of them as they carefully wandered into our campsite while we quietly breakfasted. The hiking here is truly spectacular (though we did see signs of poison oak and/or poison ivy, but I can’t remember which is which!) Just be prepared to wear long pants and keep your little darlings on the trail to avoid the rash associated with either of these plants.

     After one particularly long and dusty hike, we headed to the showers to wash up. Showers and flush-toilets are a big deal to this camper especially when our kids were younger. The showers at Bothe-Napa State Park were tiny but efficient and as is usual at most campgrounds, they were crowded early in the morning and late in the evening. We thought a mid-day shower would be perfect so Jeff and Zach headed to the men’s showers while Erin and I headed into the ladies’. I was exhausted from our hike and hoping for a nice warm shower to soothe my aching body. I turned on the water and we jumped right in and screamed because … oh my goodness ~ it was FREEZING! I don’t mean a little bit cold but absolutely bone-chilling. We hustled through that shower as fast as we could, dried off, and dashed back to our campsite. I couldn’t figure out why the guys were taking so long until Jeff returned to tell us about their enjoyable shower with the warm spray that massaged and invigorated. Ugh. Erin and I were quite dismayed to find out that all of the hot water had been diverted to the opposite shower stalls. But this was a lesson learned for the remainder of the trip as we did not chance showering when the men’s showers were occupied.


            Along with the requisite visits to nearby wineries (and there are so many to choose from!) we visited Old Faithful Geyser of California, rode horses, hiked to waterfalls and hot springs, went antiquing, rented bikes, shopped through St. Helena and Calistoga, and sampled some of the most delicious food we’ve eaten anywhere. Our children enjoyed the tours we tried at Beringer, Sutter Home, Rutherford Hill, and V. Sattui Wineries. Beringer has one of the largest and most charming properties and a tasting room that should not be missed. The tour at Rutherford Hill involves cool wine caves that are interesting and distinctive. And V. Sattui is one of the best wineries in all of Napa Valley due to their accommodating staff and inviting picnic area. This winery is famous for their cool and shady grounds and can become quite crowded, so plan your visit accordingly. Their wines are also deliciously affordable gems that are available directly from the winery only. We truly appreciated the graciousness of our tour guides as they entertained all questions and comments from their younger audience members at every single winery. There are plenty of places to find tasty food throughout Napa and Sonoma but I’d like to give a shout-out to ‘Juanita-Juanita’ in Sonoma for some of the best Mexican food around. This cozy little jewel is located on Arnold Avenue in Sonoma, and if you’re lucky the wait staff will kick your butt at Trivial Pursuit. Don’t miss it!


            As an aside, we have visited Napa and Sonoma Valley several times since this trip and thoroughly enjoyed many more wineries than those listed above. You alone know your taste and should avail yourself of the ample resources available online or in travel guides specific to planning a wine-tasting tour. Love the wines ambiance at Ravenswood in Sonoma and Rombauer in Napa. We have enjoyed limo rides and hot-air balloon rides while sampling our way through the valley. The above-mentioned trip was a camping trip, but we have also stayed (sans children) at the Renaissance Lodge at Sonoma Resort and Spa, and the Napa Valley Marriot and found both to be tranquil resting places.


            For more help in planning your trip to Napa Valley, go to www.napavalley.com for a good sampling of information on lodging, wineries, and other things to do. For Napa-Bothe State Park, visit http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=477  to plan a camping vacation. Just over the hill from Napa is Sonoma Valley and their tourism website is located at www.sonomavalley.com. Again, there are so many wineries to visit, but I urge you to make a stop at V.Sattui for a nice lunch and great bottle of wine. You can research them ahead of time at www.vsattui.com.

Buon Appetito!
Deb :)




Still a Family Fave - Richardson Grove State Park

California Redwoods ~ July 1993


            If there is a mosquito within a twenty mile radius, he will alert all his buddies that there is new blood in town and they will collectively hunt me down to siphon the life out of me while digging in for a scrumptious last meal. I am super-allergic to their bite and swell up with caustic red welts that resemble some kind of rare tropical skin disease. Clusters of bites huddled in group formation will be layered on my skin so closely together that it is impossible to see where one bite begins and the next one ends. The itch will torment me morning and night and I usually wake up with my skin scratched raw to the brink of bleeding. Interestingly enough, nobody else in my family will get stung. While I lay twitching and swatting at the army of mosquitoes dive-bombing my limbs, my family will peacefully sleep the night away. There are perhaps a hundred different theories as to why some people get stung and others do not. As a mother, I prefer to think that it is my duty to protect my children from the horrible pain and itch of insect bites by being so completely vulnerable. (My husband thinks this is a crazy philosophy and he may be correct since my hypothesis has gone completely unnoticed by licensed medical professionals.) Regardless, I’ll be the only one in my family running around town with my arms and legs covered with scarlet-red blotches of pain.


            Mid-July with summer in full swing and we meandered our way to Richardson Grove State Park within Humboldt County and the California North-Coast Redwoods. My husband camped here with his family when he was younger and his mom had mentioned over the years what a wonderful time they had here camping with friends, and how lovely it was. Once again, mom was right. It was a long day’s drive from our home in Southern California, but I tried to keep our kids entertained with scavenger hunts, car games, and sing-alongs. There are an abundance of songs that continuously rattle around in my brain begging to be sung out loud, and I seem to be blessed with the ability to remember every single word. Unfortunately, my tuning is a bit off, and my family will readily attest to this fact. Yet, these songs remind me of a multitude of happy memories from any given time in my life. And though it may seem cliché, every time I hear Mary Chapin-Carpenter’s lovely voice I am reminded of driving through this amazingly beautiful place, and I am taken back to a time when my children loved singing along with me.

     Driving through the towering groves of redwood and sequoia was like nothing I had ever seen. The canopies created by the trees shade and envelop the entire area, creating a sense of contentment in a seemingly hidden world. Along the highway we saw trees that had small houses built within their branches, trees that nestled little gift shops, and a tree that you can drive straight through. We were also delighted to see that amidst these old giants were clusters of new growth that will continue to beguile generations to come.


            Settling in at our campground was very easy, and we put up our newly acquired screen tent with ease. We had purchased it specifically to avoid any and all insects and their gleeful stabbing. Our plan was to use the screen room for relaxing, dining, and playing card games in a completely “bug-free” zone. We also set up a citronella candle on our picnic table for added protection. And lastly, my thoughtful husband purchased a small battery-operated device that made a barely detectable clicking sound designed specifically to keep mosquitoes away. With all that preparation I was surely not going to be stung. My unfortunate timing continued because the largest mosquitoes I have ever seen were also visiting Richardson Grove that same week. They were in the restrooms and the showers, and we found them frolicking throughout the entire campground. Not surprisingly I awakened that first night with the sensation that my legs were on fire, and found that I was covered with bites. (I’m not kidding when I tell you that people see my bites and cruelly wonder aloud as to what malaise has bushwhacked me.) There are a variety of good anti-itch products on the market today, but in 1993 my best bet was to smear on the Campho-Phenique like nobody’s business. Unfortunately the stinky salve did not completely alleviate the itch or assuage my discomfort, and the bites continued to swell. I inquired at the ranger station about the availability of a nearby market or pharmacy. Quite luckily, we were near the charming town of Garberville. If you get the chance you must stop and visit. It is one of the only places that I know of where the shop owners all know each other, look out for each other, and recommend the services of their competitor to the public. It’s the kind of town where everyone is friendly and helpful. There were no miracle cures in the grocery store, but in one of the polite little shops on their main thoroughfare I found a caring homeopathic dealer who sold me a wonderful product called ‘SSssting Stop.’ This cream was a natural balm that soothed the itch and calmed my red welts. This product is still sold in certain health-food stores and can be found online as well. Nothing has ever appeased my mosquito bites so readily and with such a cool and refreshing feeling. I was happily renewed and ready to continue our vacation.


            The forests here are absolutely spectacular with plenty of trails to explore the significant groves of old growth redwoods, masses of huckleberry bushes, while the Eel River is available for fishing, swimming, and nearby picnicking. Don’t miss The Avenue of the Giants about 25 miles north of here. Those old-growth treese are positively amazing. Our kids enjoyed the Ranger Program and we hiked over to the little general store every afternoon for a frozen treat. The coastal fog can be very damp throughout the evening and early morning hours. Your firewood should be at least 6 months dry if possible. Please also remember that this area of the California Redwoods is located in Bear Country, so food must always be properly stored and out of sight. 

Keep in mind…

I strongly urge you to pack anti-itch creams and all of the medicine that your family requires. Prepare a list ahead of time and check off your needed balms, pills, and prescriptive medicines.

Located just seven miles south of Garberville, Richardson Grove State Park is bisected by Highway 101 and the south fork of the Eel River.  There are a couple of other campgrounds in the vicinity, namely Smithe Redwoods State Park (with a 60 foot waterfall, fishing, and swimming,) Sinkyone Wilderness, and Standish-Hickey State Park.  Information on activities and reservations for all of these campgrounds can be found at http://www.parks.ca.gov.  For more information on Humboldt County lodging, attractions, and nature adventures go to their website at http://www.redwoods.info/.  Lastly, the Garberville Chamber of Commerce visitor’s informational website can be found at http://garberville.org/site002/home/index.php.

Get Out There!
Deb :)