The redwood forests became a distant past today as we left the coast of Mendocino for the inland wine region of the Napa Valley. We followed the fairly quiet highway 128 which follows the Navarro river. Heavy logging in the 1850s devastated the original redwood forests, but look closely at many of the trees today and one can notice the secondary growth that has sprouted from the cut stumps of the original redwoods. To their benefit has been the Navarro river which has nourished their regrowth.
At least 100 miles of our 150 mile journey ran between the many vineyards – mostly small-scale producers. We passed row after row of vines, sheltered by low lying hills and mountains either side.
One of the many vineyards running along the highway
Tomorrow we are to go on a wine tasting tour and hope to find out why the Napa Valley is known worldwide for its viniculture.
A three-hour journey led us to our destination, the town of Napa and upon arriving it seemed rather different to the areas we have visited so far. The buildings look so modern and clean, which belied the fact that the town dates back to 1847. Images from the 1800s show buildings in Main Street and First Street (where we have just eaten) that still exist today. The shops and restaurants look highly fashionable and enticing. There is also a lot of artistic work all around the town.
We took a stroll along the Napa river (along which our hotel is located) to the nearby market. Again, this was not as we expected. It contained lots of trendy companies selling coffees, ice creams, nicely displayed fruit and vegetables, sushi and meats. This was, without doubt, the most enticing and uplifting market we have seen.
Oysters are so popular they have dedicated outlets
Our hotel too is arty and brightly presented. Its floor to ceiling entrance displays show only books with white or beige covers, and they are not dummies.
So tomorrow the focus is on wine tasting. Well, it would be a shame not to when in this wine growing region.
Copyright: words and photos Sue Barnard 2019