First Time in Napa, California + 4 Places You Should Visit

A lot of us 90s babies are entering a new era, our 30s.

Out of my friend group, I am the oldest so I had the pleasure of turning 30 first. I threw my birthday bash last year in December and it was nice, 30 Shades of Blue was the theme and most of my guests understood the assignment.

Now it's time for my lovely friends to catch up and turn 30 as well. We recently celebrated my best friend's 30th with a trip to Napa, California.

She and I have been to California before, during our senior year of college. I applied for some immersion program related to Communications/Journalism/Media that allowed me to take a trip to LA and learn something about the media/entertainment business. I wasn't the only student selected but I invited my bestie to take the trip with me because it was spring break and we always know how to have a good time together. Plus, the program was only scheduled to consume a few hours of my days thus I still had a lot of free time that we utilized to roam the city, visit restaurants and bars, and find new things to do/try in general. We rented a car and checked out Universal Studios, the Hollywood sign, and Walk of Fame.

To this day my phone still notifies me with flashbacks of that trip. It was fun and I've always wanted to go back to California as an adult adult (if you know you know).

So we went to California again. I haven't been to Napa before but Napa is known as a wine region. There are plenty of vineyards and wineries to indulge in, and since me and my girls love wine it was very fitting to go here for vacation.

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4 Places To Visit in Napa, California

1. Napa Valley Wine Train

One of our first events was a wine train tour, and that was my absolute favorite part of the trip.

The Wine Train we booked had a number of options to choose from in terms of the experience you wanted to have. For example, they had full day experiences where you could spend 6 hours on the train with wine and meals. Other experiences were during the day for a shorter amount of time and some experiences were during the evening.

We chose a daytime experience and it was called Tasting on The Rails. With this experience we were on the train for 3 hours and received seven courses to eat. Each course included food and a wine pairing. Throughout the 3-hour journey we were taken care of by very generous staff. We learned how to properly hold a wine glass and drink from it. There were fun facts about Napa and their wine and soil, and the conditions in which wine is produced. It all was very fascinating and I have never experienced anything like Tasting on The Rails.

I was surprised by the portions of food that were served. When I think of wine tasting, I think of finger food and charcuterie boards of cheese and crackers to go with the wine. The Napa Valley Wine Train provided much more than cheese and crackers, including dessert. I think we all expected bird food and were all pleasantly surprised. There was a kitchen on the train where the chef made all the meals fresh. At the end of the ride, the chef came to introduce himself to everyone. Shoutout to him.

I would love to go back and choose a different experience for the train. An evening experience sounds intriguing and while we were on the train, the host talked to us about some of the different experiences and mentioned a murder mystery dinner experience where guests would receive wine and a meal but would also be invited to dress up to match the murder mystery theme. I think murder mysteries are cool and entertaining and to do something like that on a train while tasting wine and playing a game of whodunit sounds pretty dope.

There was not a dress code for the Wine Train but me and my girls knew that we were dressing up for all events during vacation so we had on dresses and skirts, heels, makeup, the whole nine. Everyone in our train car was dressed similarly to us.

I can't think of one complaint about the train. Everything about the experience was enjoyable. All staff members were friendly and engaging, and the train itself was very clean. We had the freedom to move around the train, take pictures, and ask questions. My friends and I sat in booths adjacent to each other, but there was additional seating, like swivel chairs for us to enjoy.

We stayed on the train for the whole duration of the ride. There are some experiences that allow you to get off the train at some Vineyards and do walkthroughs. If you choose an experience like that, make sure you're dressed for comfort. If heels are doable for you for hours then feel free to dress up like me and my girls did.

Also be mindful that it's pretty hot in Napa, especially during this time of year. Our hosts told us the real feel was around 100° so we were content that we didn't choose the experience where we got off the train.

Booking

When booking the train online, they ask about any food allergies or dietary restrictions. I have a friend who does not eat dairy or any type of sauce with her meals. Tasting on The Rails was very accommodating and provided different versions of the meals for her to enjoy. Each and every time they brought out a meal, they explained what it was and, for my friend, they explained the food substitutions. So if you have food allergies or restrictions, you can still enjoy the Wine Train experience.

After you book your tour, you'll receive a tour itinerary with details on arrival time, departure time, etc. The Wine Train was the most expensive part of the trip, around $400/500 per person. Different wine train experiences cost different amounts so keep this in mind when booking your tour.

2. Gondola Cruise

Similar to the Wine Train, there were different gondola ride options to choose from. That worked for us pretty well because we were a group of six and I believe that is the max amount of people who can do a ride. The experiences seem to be broken down by the amount of people in your party, there are rides for four and two guests as well.

We chose a "sunset" gondola ride at 7:00. Unfortunately, the sun didn't actually set until around 8:30 or 9:00 but I still think the time we went was perfect.

We gathered at a dock near a waterfront restaurant and was greeted by the person who would be guiding us on the gondola. He helped us down into the boat and poured us a cup of wine before we took off on the water. We were out there for an hour and it was so serene. It was quiet being off the water, it provided a breeze during the warm day, and it was just great views and great vibes.

It would definitely be a great date night idea for couples. It was giving romance vibes even though I was with my girls. We took pictures and our guide took pictures of us as well. He was super hospitable, and sang us a song in another language. It was just a very good time.

We were allowed to bring our own 21+ beverages and we did, but we were so wrapped up in the moment that I believe most of us didn't make it through half of what we brought to drink. Like the Wine Train, this was a 10/10. If you ever get the opportunity to do a gondola ride, even if it is not in California, I recommend it.

3. Ristorante Allegria Restaurant

This is where we went for the main birthday dinner and we sat in "The Vault."

This Italian restaurant used to be a bank and they have a vault room for private parties that seats up to 10, which was perfect for us because we had extra space to set our belongings.

It was a nice dining experience and the waiters were attentive. The food was served in generous portions and was pretty tasty. The lighting was dim but depending on the mood that you're in that could work for you. It wasn't very conducive for our picture taking but overall I didn't mind. I actually prefer dimly lit dinner settings.

Though we ate at night the room/vault was pretty warm. I wonder if that's a normal thing considering it wasn't a ventilated room with windows. This is somewhere nice to experience if you're looking for something different to try. The restaurant also had outdoor dining, which is my go to during the spring and summer.

4. Union Square in San Francisco, California

As you can see, Union Square is not in Napa but it's only an hour away in San Francisco and if you've never been to California the drive should be enjoyable. At least it was for us. We enjoyed seeing the water and driving over the bridge.

Union Square is a public plaza in downtown San Francisco and features many department stores, upscale boutiques, restaurants, and galleries. When I say upscale, I mean upscale. As we looked for parking, we passed by storefronts for Yves Saint Laurent, Neiman Marcus, Bvlgari, Cartier, Chanel, Gucci, things like that.

We didn't have anything planned in San Francisco except picking up a surprise dessert from the Cheesecake Factory, which was located inside of Macy's on the top floor. Too bad we didn't stay and dine because they had outdoor seating with a nice view that we didn't take advantage of.

However, we did explore Macy's and on the 3rd floor we found a café/bakery that served mimosas. Me and the girls love mimosas so we sat and enjoyed a flight. There were four flavors that I can't remember but we all enjoyed the drinks. We sat by a large window and enjoyed some natural light and caught some views. It was a nice, spontaneous vibe.

We also walked around Union Square a bit, which I recommend, and popped into a store that was going out of business. I can't remember the name but everything was super discounted and a couple of the girls found some shoes to buy.

When traveling, I always recommend walking around the area and sightseeing, especially if the weather is warm.

We found a dispensary on our walk. I would also recommend dispensaries in California (if you're into that). We went to a couple, but the dispensary in San Fran was nice. We viewed all of the products on an iPad and just told the sales person what we were looking for and they pulled it for us. There was also a smoking lounge where we could sit and enjoy the products we purchased. Here in Michigan that's not a thing yet.

Unfortunately, we didn't stay and enjoy the lounge but that is a pretty cool addition to a dispensary. Like other things on the trip, I forgot the name of the one we went to but Google will help you find some good options.

I love traveling, especially to new places, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Napa, California. There were things that didn't make the list that helped make the trip special as well. If you're looking to travel domestically, I recommend Cali as a place to visit if you've never been. I recommend the places above if you're looking for a well rounded trip, where you can try new things both upscale and inexpensive.

Stay tuned for more travel updates. Stay safe!