Dozen Distinctive Destinations
Napa, CA
Year Listed: 2004
In addition to being the center of a world-famous wine-making region, the city of Napa is a historic and culinary landmark in its own right. Founded in 1847, this beautiful community on the Napa River was a staging site for the Gold Rush of the late 1850s. Although many of the city's buildings were damaged or demolished in the earthquake of 1906, Napa's historic downtown still exhibits reminders of the miners and merchants who helped establish the city as the economic hub of the Napa Valley - such as the historic Hatt/Napa Mill buildings, dating from the 1880s and still among the most prominent structures on Main Street, which now house the elegant Napa River Inn (a member of the National Trust's Historic Hotels of America), shops, a spa and delightful restaurants.
Napa Valley Inn, located in Napa, California.
Credit: Napa Valley Conference & Visitors Bureau
Visitors are also sure to enjoy a performance at the newly restored Napa Valley Opera House or the Jarvis Conservatory; a visit to COPIA: The American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts; a magical hot-air balloon flight above the area's famed wineries; or a walking or biking tour through the city's historic residential neighborhoods. Whether it's food, wine, beautiful scenery, relaxation or culture that you desire, the city of Napa has it all - including the pleasing year-round climate for which California is famous.
