Have any of you been to Napa Valley for vacation?
Safe to say it's my favorite travel destination in California for a
long romantic weekend. We can't all afford to take a couple weeks off
and fly to Tuscany, of course - but the sea breeze, the rolling hills,
and the miles upon miles of vineyards
make Napa Valley a reasonable substitute. Sure, there's no medieval or

Renaissance-era casles and villas in California, but other than that,
well. Napa Valley is just perfect.

There are a lot of ways to
spend your money in Napa Valley, though, so budget travelers be
forewarned. With the Culinary Institute of America (West Coast
division) being right there, you know the restaurants in Napa Valley
towns are going to be some of the best in the country. I especially
love Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen
for lunch, and everyone who indulges in high-end culinary travel knows
about the French Laundry. I've never eaten there - you need to make a
reservation two months in advance, no earlier or later, yet it's always
booked - but there are plenty of great Napa Valley restaurants that
have to be just as good.

And of course, what is upscale dining
without the wine list? Napa Valley wines are finally respected
throughout the world. It took some time, but French and Italian
vintners are grugingly admitting that Napa Valley
wines are superior to many Old World wines. This is largely due to the
ideal climate and soil of Northern California, as well as the expertise
of the vineyard owners (many of whom hired away the old pros from
Europe in the first place!) to make world-class, award winning
Cabernets and Chardonnays. Because of this, even middle-of-the-road,
casual restaurants in Napa have amazing wine lists. And wine tasting tours can be very fun and surprisingly educational as well. Who knew there was such science behind a fine glass of wine?

Yes, it is romantic beyond compare to take a long weekend with a loved one in Napa Valley. The 5-star hotels, charming B&Bs, and sweet sprawling resorts there only add the the romance. For those of us who can't afford to jet off to Provence or Florence for a romantic vacation, Napa Valley California is the way to go.