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Toasting the Moon in Napa Valley

majhonlenel

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Napa Valley – The Most Beautiful Version of Vegas on Earth

Our first trip to Napa Valley was in 2010. It was our honeymoon. We were two kids from the midwest who loved California, food, and wine. Why not Napa?

Upon entering the valley from Napa city center, we drove Highway 29 north through wine country. This is the most common route for tourists, busses, limos, etc. It’s also where GPS will likely take you.

Highway 29 has beautiful scenery, massive buildings, estates and chateaus that you have only dreamed of seeing in your life. This is NOT the down-home Napa Valley of the 1960s.

Do you ever have one of those thoughts so strong in your mind that you find yourself saying it out loud without even realizing it? This first drive through Napa Valley on Highway 29 gave me one of those moments. “This is the Vegas Strip of Wineries,” I blurted out of nowhere.

Noah busted into laughter, “I wouldn’t have said it quite like that, but, yes, you’re right.”

It’s simply overwhelming…In Millennial speak – completely extra! Vineyard after vineyard. Row and row of mesmerizing lines. Mega winery after mega winery – as far as the eye can see…. Not a dot of imperfection….

Ah….But then….We discovered the Silverado Trail. Like Audrey Hepburn to Marilyn Monroe, Blair Waldorf to Serena van der Woodsen, Klay Thompson to Steph Curry, or Dwight Shrute to Jim Halpert — the Silverado Trail is the unsung road-style frenemy of Napa Valley (can roads be frenemies? Who knows…but, I’m going with it) and the locals will quickly agree, if you ask.

The Silverado trail takes a more leisurely stroll through the vineyards with a curvy route, slightly smaller venues, and more family-style flair. If you have a choice to take one path or another, I think you’d find the Napa Valley you’d imagined on the Silverado Trail.

What to do?

There are a myriad of things to do in Napa Valley! Nightlife is slim because of the day drinking culture. Most tourists find themselves snuggled into their rooms by 10 p.m., but there a few recommendations…

Top 5 Wineries to Visit:

This is incredibly difficult to write. Noah and I have visited around 50 of the more than 400 wineries in Napa Valley. So, we’ve barely scratched the surface of what is available. These are our favorites…but…that’s because of our preferences, our tastes, our budget, our loyalties, and our vibe. Yours will likely be different. I will say that every winery in Napa Valley brings something special to the table. There’s just too many for “mediocre” to survive.

Toast the Moon Rating:

Enjoy your adventure!

Toast the Moon – Cheers,

Noah and Majhon

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