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.
Since Mike had so much gear for the race, we packed the car (to the brim) and made the 8 hour drive north. Our girls actually do pretty well on car trips with the DVD player and a few fun snacks + suckers. We woke up SUPER early and hit the road so they sleep through some of it.
Or if you prefer to fly it’s easy to travel into Oakland, San Francisco or Sacramento, rent a car and make the 1.5-2 hour drive.
St. Helena is rich with scenic countryside and small town charm boasting some of the world’s best wineries, great shops, art galleries, theaters and an almost an overwhelming amount of amazing dining opportunities.
The Wydown Hotel is located in the heart of it all~on the north end of Main Street, a few steps to just about everything.
Mark and his wife Kris bought the 12 room Inn a few years ago, fully remodeled it and re-opened it in May 2011 and named it after their favorite street in Mark’s hometown of St. Louis.
It is gorgeous. I was SO impressed. I just loved all the choices they’ve made, the feel is cozy but with very clean lines. The architecture is classic, yet has a current vibe.
The Wydown is just oozing with charm. There is a puzzle on the table in the lobby just screaming at you: s l o w d o w n. You’re on vacation!
It totally feels more like you’re visiting a super stylish designer home rather than a big chain hotel.
Our room was just perfect- everything is brand new and it feels it! Clean and plush and elegant, with very high ceilings. They’ve thought of everything down to the adorable smaller Keurig coffee makers and mini fridges in each room.
Our room even had this uber cozy tempur-pedic pull out chair bed. Perfect for our Sadie to cozy up on each night.
As a guest at the Wydown you can enjoy a free coffee at the nearby Napa Valley Roasting Company, work out/swim at the Health Spa Napa Valley, wine taste at the Materra Tasting Room (adjacent to the lobby) or utilize the Conceirge to set up a wine tours, dinners or other activities in Napa Valley.
We had such a blast galavanting around the Valley we can’t wait for our next visit! I would have never thought of visiting the Wine Country with my kids but it turns out there are a ton of fun family friendly things to do in this area.
Stay tuned for a Post of Mark & Kris’s “10 Favorite Family Friendly Things to do in Napa Valley”…
Wydown Hotel
1424 Main Street
St. Helena, CA 94574
707.963.5100