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This past Saturday, we watched the famous (in these parts anyway) Lighted Tractor Parade from the balcony at the Calistoga Inn.

With kiddo and her two little friends in tow, it was the perfect spot above the fray.

We sipped wine and hot cocoa, nibbled on holiday cookies and waved to friends passing by.

We delighted in the creative vehicles (not all were tractors), cheered for our favorites and cuddled with the little ones.

Small town holiday spirit at its best, indeed.

Did you know that The Old Faithful Geyser of California in Calistoga is one of only three geysers in the world with the designation “old faithful”? To achieve that designation the geyser must perform at regular intervals.

And this one does.
And it’s pretty cool.

We were told that the timing of the performance is dependent upon the time of year and the amount of rain we had the prior winter. When we visited, it erupted about every 10 minutes or so.

Open 7 days a week, including holidays, from 9am-5pm in the winter and 9am-6pm in the summer, it’s a place where the family can spend the day. There is a nice picnic area. We brought our usual provisions from Sunshine along with a nice bottle of wine.

From our table, we watched the geyser:

After lunch, we headed over to the petting zoo (bring quarters for the food dispensers) and checked out the Tennessee Fainting Goats and Jacob’s Four-Horn Sheep:

And a llama checked us out:

Then we explored the bamboo forest that surrounds the entire area:

Who: All ages

What: An easy, casual, affordable, and interesting place where you can picnic and the kids can run around and explore nature

Where: 1299 Tubbs Lane, Calistoga

When: According to the website they’re open every day of the year, but I’d avoid rainy days as everything is outdoors

Why: A totally unique experience, unlike anything else in the Napa Valley

Admissions:
Adult: $10
Senior: $7
Children 6-12: $3
Children under 6: Free

Check out the website for coupons.

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It’s hard to believe that another Fourth of July weekend is winding down. Has an entire year really gone by?

This year, with Samantha going on five, has been much different than last.
Last year she was still more of a toddler; this year, she is surely a little girl.
She has opinions on what to do, how to do it, and when to do it.

So this year, we started with bocce on Thursday night.
There were friendly conversations, high fives, and fireworks on the courts.

This year, we went to the farmers market.
There were beautiful flowers, fruits, and vegetables.

This year, we went swimming with friends.
There were girly giggles, squabbles, and hugs.

This year, we went to Cheers! St Helena.
There were ladybug bracelets, music, and wine.

This year, we relaxed and we did chores.
We shopped and we napped.
We made ribs, corn on the cob, and salad.

This year, we went to the parade in Calistoga.
There were horses with flags…

dancing horses…

…even a unicorn.

There were patriotic headbands.

There were firetrucks.
Old-fashioned…

and new.

There were dancing ladies.

There were antique cars…

and modern motorcycles.

And of course, there was the high school band…

and ice cream.

Through it all, we’ve remembered that the Fourth of July is not only about pool parties, BBQs, and days off work.

It’s about independence, freedom, and gratitude for all those who have fought and are fighting to make our country the best in the world.

We hope you had a happy Fourth of July too.

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2010 Silverado Fourth of July Parade | Calistoga

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While Sangiovese is not a grape varietal widely planted in the Napa Valley, there are a handful of producers such as Benessere Vineyards in Calistoga.

I do not know the exact date these grapes were picked, but due to the recent wild weather, I understand that most grapes that will come in, have come in.

If you’re going to be in the Napa Valley this upcoming Independence Day weekend, we recommend taking the family to the Silverado July 4th parade in Calistoga.

A small-town, old-fashion parade at its finest, festivities begin at 11am. Get there early though–and bring lots of water. Due to its northernmost location in the valley, Calistoga is always several degrees hotter than the town of Napa, and even than Saint Helena.

Be sure to stay afterwards and walk along the very Old West-ish downtown streets. There are several wonderful restaurants, or you can purchase lunch items at the grocery store and head to the park or one of the nearby wineries to picnic.

Then plan to spend the day; calistogavisitors.com offers this great guide for more family activities.

Who: All ages

What: A most traditional parade

Where: Downtown Calistoga

When: July 4th at 11am

Why: To celebrate and honor the wonderful country in which we live

Last night was Very Napa Valley.

Ten of us–all friends from the world’s finest bocce team, Joanie Loves Bocce–began the evening with bubbles and cheese at Brittany’s most adorable cottage here in Saint Helena.

From there, we headed up to Castello di Amorosa–simply called ‘the Castle’ here in the valley–via a chauffeured shuttle (a very thoughtful courtesy of the host of the evening, our good friend Tony).

And it truly is a castle. The owner spent a lot of time and money painstakingly creating a medieval-style castle right here in the hills above Calistoga.

Some locals think it’s hideous, some think it’s a joke, some think it’s awesome. It may be little of all of that (plus a dash of Disneyland), but it is jaw-droppingly astonishing. Oh and it’s a winery too.

As we were there for a Red Cross charity event, we did not participate in the usual tour-and-taste-experience. I am not complaining–we enjoyed a lovely three-course dinner paired with excellent Napa Valley wines.

But we do now have put a return trip to the Castle on our list. We’re thinking it may be just the place to take certain guests (Tom’s dad) from out of town. We’ll let you know…

As I didn’t feel comfortable shooting tons of photos, I only have a few to share:

Courtyard

Fire

Well

A lot of wineries have a resident animal(s).

Cats, of course, with their mousing skills are a natural.

An entire book has been published about Winery Dogs.

Casa Nuestra Winery even has goats.

We recently visited Cuvaison Winery up in Calistoga as part of our family-friendly wineries project. Here is their adorably friendly and amazingly calm kitty:

P.S. We all had a great time at Cuvaison. I’ll post more about the experience soon.