Calistoga, CA (3/16 & 17/2020)

My drive from Monterey to Calistoga was pleasant enough, good weather and relatively light traffic for this area.  I opted to use Interstate 680 to skirt the San Francisco Bay area on the East side.  The only issue was crossing the toll bridge from Richmond to San Rafael.  While cars were paying a $6 toll, my charge was $21.  I assumed it would be the same if I had used the Golden Gate Bridge, so I looked it up to satisfy my curiosity.  Actually, my charge on the GG would have been a whopping $33.  Another example of the high cost of visiting the "Golden State".

Calistoga is a small town, just over 5000 population, located at the northern end of Napa Valley.  There are several wineries I wanted to visit, as well as a few other attractions.  Since the governor had just issued a "shelter in place" order, most of those places were now closed.  No wine tastings, no tours of wineries, no dinner at the Culinary Institute of America.  Bummer.  Nothing to do but make the best of it, viewing places from the outside and interacting with no one.

Driving around, I noticed some interesting architecture in homes, churches and wineries.

A Russian Orthodox Church was just down the street from my RV park.

And there are a few spas taking advantage of the hot springs that occur naturally here.  It surprised me that palm trees do well in this region.

 One of the wineries I really wanted to visit is Castello di Amorosa, the Castle of Love, built in 2007 in the style of a 13th century Italian Tuscan castle.  With 121,000 square feet of winery, tasting rooms, dining rooms, etc, this is a very popular stop in Napa Valley.  Tasting and tour starts at $30 per person and escalates according to what's included, ending well over $100.  (I was thinking of the $30 experience.)  Even with no tours and tastings, they were nice enough to leave the gate open so people could at least tour th grounds.

I stopped by other wineries, including the beautiful Behringer facility, which I toured many years ago.

The Culinary Institute of America is a world-famous cooking college that provides more than classroom education.  Advanced students prepare some of the finest gourmet meals found anywhere (and awesome desserts) .  I've enjoyed meals at the New York location and wanted to visit this one in St. Helena.  The CIA bought the 117,000 square foot Greystone property in 1993.  It was built in 1889 as a wine cellar and was owned by different wineries over the years, the last being Christian Brothers from 1945 to 1989.

I enjoyed the colors of Spring flowers and blooming trees.  Although the vineyards had just started to leaf out, they were also quite colorful with the mustard cover crop's bright yellow blooms.  Mustard grows wild all over California, as you may have noticed in some of my photos.  Legend has it that Franciscan Monks spread mustard seed as they traveled around searching for suitable mission sites.  Vineyards benefit from the plant in several ways.

Not only is mustard attractive while booming, it stabilizes the soil to prevent erosion.  Once seeds form, the plants are "turned" into the soil with cultivating equipment.  Something in the seeds discourages nematodes and other pests without use of chemicals, and it nourishes the soil by replacing nitrogen and potassium needed by the vines.  Mustard seeds can stay in the soil for many years before germinating when conditions are right.

Although I have never been to Italy, Napa Valley feels to me like Tuscany.  The climate is much the same, which is why the vineyards are successful.  Also, the architecture is decidedly Mediterranean, and many vineyards follow that theme by lining their driveways with Italian cypress or olive trees, much as you would expect in Tuscany.

Vineyards find cute ways to identify their entrances, such as an old wine press or a vintage pick-up truck.

Despite the closures, I enjoyed my time in Calistoga and hope you enjoy the photos while being shut in by the corona virus.  Stay safe.