Category: Travel

10 Family Friendly Things to do in Napa Valley

In general, one does not think “Napa Valley + Kids”, but on our recent visit, our kids had the best time (and so did we!)  Here is a guide from our friends Mark & Kris Hoffmeister of the Wydown Hotel in St. Helena and their  favorite picks for 10 Family Friendly Things to do in Napa Valley…

Here’s what Kris wrote:

My husband and I love living, working and most importantly raising our three little girls (ages 5,4 & 1) in a truly beautiful and unique place, the Napa Valley. Our kids are exposed to nature, agriculture, fresh, wholesome food and have limited knowledge of fast food and strip malls (no chain restaurants are allowed up valley). While most visitors come to Napa for girls’ weekend, birthday celebrations and romantic getaways, there are many family friendly options as well. Here is a list of our favorite family activities (the list does not end here). . . . . Happy reading and cheers to planning your wine country weekend!

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£10 and Scarpetta at Montage Beverly Hills

In June my husband and I had the rare pleasure of visiting the Montage Beverly Hills property for an absolutely stellar overnight stay. After a deliriously great day at the rooftop pool, treatment at Spa Montage and blowout at Kim Vo Salon, we had reservations for a pre-dinner drink at £10 followed by dinner at their world renowned Italian restaurant, Scarpetta.

Feeling relaxed and happier than I had been in forever, we headed off hand in hand to £10. I had no idea what was in store and just the name intrigued me.

Hidden above Scarpetta in a private lounge area, this unique bar requires a host to let you in using a private key card ~ 007 style. Oozing with style, £10 invites true spirit connoisseurs to enjoy specialty cocktails and their selection of the world’s most precious whisky, The Macallan Single Malt.

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The Wydown Hotel in St. Helena

A couple of weeks ago my husband, Mike, took part in the Vineman 70.3 race up in Sonoma County.  He spent so much time training & prepping for this race over the last 6 months we decided the girls and I had to be there to cheer him cross the finish line.  He finished strong and we were SO proud!  As a treat, after the race we extended our stay and ventured over to the Wydown Hotel in St. Helena for a few days of R&R.

When Mike signed up for this race he called our friend Mark from college to see if we could come stay at his newly remodeled boutique hotel called The Wydown.  The Wydown is located in historic downtown St. Helena in the breathtaking Napa Valley.

Click here to read more about Susanne’s trip…

Montage Beverly Hills: An Unparalleled Urban Retreat

It’s no secret that I love Orange County.  I love it so much that I rarely leave my little Orange Bubble by the beach.

However, last month I had the opportunity to visit the elegant Montage Beverly Hills and it was a great reminder of how exciting it is to venture out of the Bubble every now again to experience a destination so close to home, but one that feels like an entirely different, glamorous world.

This unparalleled urban retreat was a welcome escape for us after all of the end of the school year hoopla…

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