Napa trail spiral - in one end, out the other

.

I was out hiking by myself on a trail up in the hills above Calistoga (north end of Napa Valley), when the trail took an unexpected detour.  One minute I was striding down a fairly typical trail, admiring the views of the valley.  Then next, I was going around and around and around in circles!  Then back to the normal trail -- just carry on as though nothing had happened.  What an odd feeling!

Somebody had put in considerable effort, out here in the middle of nowhere, to add this rock spiral to the trail.  What you can't tell from the photo (because I didn't have the bird's eye view) is that it's a double spiral, so you go in one end, follow it into the center, then keep going and you come out the other side.

Now I know that some people would say the area should stay as natural as possible, and would want to remove this spiral.  Personally, I thought it was a lovely, unexpected addition.  After all, the other 99.99% of the area is still left as-is, and this is rearranging a few rocks that were already there, not pouring concrete.  Of course, if there were rock spirals everywhere, that would be a different matter, but it doesn't seem to have caught on that well. 

The trail is up in Robert Louis Stevenson State Park.  On our Napa Valley tours, we visit this park and take a different trail, so that we can see the site of his famous abandoned mine honeymoon.  I still wonder what his new bride thought of that!

On the way back to the car, I found I was looking forward to finding the spiral again.   Sure enough, it was still there.  (It's hard to find a more distinctive trail marker!)  I dutifully walked through it the other way on my way back.

Afterwards, I had a thought.  Does reversing the steps through it undo the magic from going through forward the first time?  Could I have won the lottery and found true love if only I didn't "unwind" the spiral on the way back?  Shoot!  I might just have to go back. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We'll be back in Napa Valley this Sept/Oct for our women's trip to San Francisco and Napa.  I love going back there every year!  Both San Francisco and Napa rate way up there on my list of favorite places on earth.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related posts:

1. Photo: Napa Valley, vine-covered winery
2. Mud baths and mine squatters
3. Maltese Falcon - with and without the fire

There was an amazing sailboat in the bay at the time -- the Maltese Falcon, reportedly the largest sailing yacht in the world.

Here's the "before" picture, taken on Saturday, with the Maltese Falcon, and Angel Island in the background.

Maltese Falcon & Angel Island - day before fire

.

Boat, Island, Fire

Here's the "after picture, taken on Sunday. Same boat, same island. What a difference a day makes!

Burning photo is at Sailing Anarchy.  Click the thumbnail for the full amazing photo.

.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was in San Francisco for our annual Napa Valley & San Francisco tour, and stayed an extra day to go sailing.  Little did I realize that about the time I was getting home from my trip, this fire was starting on Angel Island.

Related posts:

1. So there we were... with a gazillion boats
2. So there we were.. power lounging at White Bay
3. Photo: Napa Valley, vine-covered winery

San Francisco Bay, from the Golden Gate Bridge

.
A few days later, the scene was a bit more crowded! Fleet Week gets all the once-a-year boaters out on the water, and everybody heads for the middle of the bay. If you want to rent a sailboat for this time, book early, and be prepared for an extra-steep deductible, since the folks at the Modern Sailing Academy in Sausalito said this amateur hour leads to accidents every year.  It's easy to see how!  There were hundreds of boats out here near Alcatraz, all jockeying for position, while craning their necks and peering up at the sky.  Some were anchored, some were motoring about, some drifted slowly with the current, and occasional show-offs tacked through the crowd under full sail.

Fleet Week crowd near Alcatraz

.
And here's what everybody was waiting for -- the Blue Angels.  They were the featured act, following a number of other air show entries, which were pretty astounding in their own right.  But there's nothing like seeing (and hearing) the angels roar over your boat as they zoom over the bay in impossibly tight formation.  They do a lot of stunts over the water, and from a boat on the bay, you feel like you're right in the middle of the action.  Very impressive!

Blue Angels, buzzing the bay

.
All in all, the day was a blast!  We had a nice sail on the bay, then lunch anchored by Angel Island (the day before the island burned, as it turns out).  Follow that with the thrills of the air show (and the attendant boat show), and you've got the makings of a great day!

Just one caveat.  If you go, make sure one person on board is keeping an eye on the boat traffic, and you're not all shooting plane pix at the same time. It's a zoo out there!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was in San Francisco for our annual San Francisco and Napa Valley trip.  We do some hiking, some sightseeing, some wine tasting - and even a sunset sail on the bay. Fall is the perfect time of year there, too!

Related posts:

1. Maltese Falcon - with and without the fire
2. San Francisco - home again
3. Photo: Napa Valley, vine-covered winery

Fall colors at vine-covered Beaulieu Vineyards

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our next San Francisco and Napa Valley tour will be this October. San Francisco is one of the most beautiful cities on earth, and when you can combine that with harvest season in Napa, a coastal hike, and a sail on the bay -- well, what could be better?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related posts:

1. Napa Valley - Rock spiral on the trail
2. Photo: Sailing away in the BVI
3. San Francisco - home again

It's enlightening to see how much difference one person can make. He didn't do it all by himself, but nobody can deny that he was a major force for change. Napa and California (and possibly all of the US wine industry) would not be what it is now without Robert Mondavi. And to think he started his own winery at the age of 52, after being kicked out of the family business. (Yes, all the stories are told in the book!) There's no such thing as starting too late! It certainly gives ME hope.

If you're thinking of visiting Napa, it's also fun to read about how Napa was a few decades ago. My, how things have changed. Not the sleepy little farm towns anymore.

The other thing I find inspiring is the spirit. He shows his hard-driving business side, and admits that had some serious impacts on his family and those around him. But there's a level of joy throughout, too. How many business owners view their endeavors as "harvests of joy"? I love it!

Recommended for:
- Anyone who wants to follow their dream,
- People visiting Napa Valley.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We do a Napa Valley tour for women each fall at harvest season. It's a stunning place - beautiful and sophisticated. Funny to think how different it was, not so long ago...

Related posts:

1. Mud baths and mine squatters
2. Photo: Napa Valley, vine-covered winery
3. San Francisco - home again

Calistoga is famous for its hot springs and geysers. The town was founded in 1859 by a gold-rush entrepreneur, Sam Brannan, who built a resort here to take advantage of these. The name is a combination of California and Saratoga (the famous New York state spa). Stories tell that Brannan came up with the name accidentally, after imbibing a bit much at a dinner party.

Most of our party chose to have a spa morning, trying out the famous Calistoga mud baths, and/or a more traditional massage.

Those with a bit more energy headed up to Robert Louis Stevenson state park for a hike. The author (most famous for Treasure Island), came here for one of the most unusual honeymoons ever. He and his bride found an abandoned, rundown shack at the closed Silverado Mine, and made it their honeymoon home. Wonder if she knew what she was getting into? He wrote The Silverado Squatters about their experiences here. Aside from telling of his odd honeymoon, the book is interesting in sharing its views of Napa Valley life in 1880. Even then, most of the redwood trees were already gone, and a few people were growing grapes and making wine.

We had a lovely day for the hike and a final picnic overlooking the vines. The leaves have turned more yellow in just the last few days. There was rain yesterday, and the vineyards are scrambling to get the rest of the harvest in as quickly as possible. It seems that winter is coming early this year, but for today, we can just enjoy the fall colors.

Related posts:

1. Napa Valley - Rock spiral on the trail
2. Photo: Napa Valley, vine-covered winery
3. San Francisco - home again

It's my favorite city in the world. I never get tired of it. The beautiful skyline, the constantly changing bay, the vibrant city life, the quirky characters, and of course the food! It's hard to put any city above New York, Rome or Paris, but for me, San Francisco takes the prize. Whenever I get back here, it makes me feel good. I felt my heart soar as I crossed the Bay Bridge and saw the city before me.

I'm in town for our Napa Valley & San Francisco trip. It's the first time we're doing this one, so there's an extra bit of excitement before the trip. Every trip is an unknown before you start. No matter how many times you've done a particular trip, each one is different. What will the people on this one be like? What will the weather do? What little surprises are in store for us? On this one, I'm also wondering "will they like my favorite places?" I love San Francisco and the surrounding area so much, I hope I'm able to share some of what I feel with our guests.

The downsides? Parking (difficult or expensive) and prices (sky high housing). But once you're here, you understand why people are willing to pay so much to live here.

We stay at the Orchard Hotel, a lovely boutique hotel downtown. Dinner tonight is in North Beach, the Italian section of the city (my fave), then a cable car back to the hotel. What could be more perfect?

Tomorrow we meet the group, and begin our adventure! - Deanna

Related posts:

1. So there we were... with a gazillion boats
2. Photo: Napa Valley, vine-covered winery
3. Ahhh... back to the red rocks