Before Orange County tourism became such an economic powerhouse, the area was best known for growing and distributing oranges. A new real estate development that incorporates buildings from that period – called the Anaheim Packing District – is set to open Summer 2012 in downtown Anaheim to celebrate the area’s agricultural history while simultaneously opening doors to a bright culinary future.

Anchoring the development is the restoration of the historic Anaheim Citrus Packing House (which dates back to 1914) along with the nearby iconic Packard automobile showroom. While the packing house restoration will create a giant, upscale food hall (envisioned to eventually house up to 25 restaurants), the Packard building’s first tenant – Anaheim Brewery – is already in place and welcoming visitors to its 700sf tasting room.

Anaheim Brewery has quite a history, itself, dating back to a prior incarnation in downtown Anaheim in the late 1800s. Until recently, the brewery was on a 90-year hiatus courtesy of Prohibition, and new owners Barbara and Greg Gerovac have approached its rebirth with an inspiring combination of passion and purpose. Having developed a love for fresh, local beer during their seven years living in Bavaria, the Gerovacs’ new endeavor seems THE perfect fit for “Anaheim” – a name bestowed by the area’s original German-immigrant farmers to describe their “home” (heim) by the Santa Ana River.

The eponymous (not to mention wildly popular) Los Angeles gourmet burger bar Umami is slated to open its sixth location in the Anaheim Brewery complex this spring, and we predict this craft beer and savory food pairing will soon be revered as nothing short of Foodie Nirvana in Orange County. When the development is complete, the three-acre Anaheim Packing District site will include a public park situated between the two revitalized buildings in which OC residents and visitors alike will enjoy festivals, musical events, outdoor movie screenings and weekend produce markets.

In the video below, it certainly looks like the Anaheim Packing District will be an awesome addition to Orange County’s already robust entertainment repertoire, and we’ll be sure to check it out the next time we’re in the neighborhood. We hear you’ll be able to see Disneyland’s nightly fireworks show from the outdoor gardens!

If you’re in downtown Anaheim visiting the Anaheim Packing District, be sure to check out The MUZEO. Opened in 2007, it’s the newest addition in this fabulous list of Orange County museums and, housed in what was once the Carnegie Library (built in 1908), it’s yet another past-meets-present feather in Anaheim’s hat.

While the Anaheim Packing District building renovations were funded by the City of Anaheim Redevelopment Agency, the facility will be managed by acclaimed “anti-mall” advocate Shaheen Sadeghi’s LAB Holding company. Locally and nationally respected for progressive outdoor shopping centers like The LAB and The Camp in Costa Mesa, Sadeghi’s plans for the Anaheim property seem both innovative and reverent. He told the Orange County Register, “We don’t have a lot of buildings like this left. It’s a precious magical feeling when you walk inside.”

Click here to view more Orange County Travel blog posts or click here to select an article from our Orange County vacation guide.

Photo of Anaheim Palm Trees by baldiri via flickr (Creative Commons).

Several movies have used this popular California vacation destination as a filming location, the first of which was 1924’s ‘Rose-Marie’ (famous for Jeanette McDonald’s rendition of the song “Indian Love Call”). Here’s a clip:

You can also witness Lake Tahoe’s beauty in a movie filmed 50 years later – the Oscar-winning ‘Godfather II’ starring Marlon Brando and Al Pacino. In that film, the wedding and infamous “horse head” scenes took place at Fleur de Lac on the lake’s west shore. The private home is not open to the public, but here’s a video tour of that infamous ‘Godfather’ house:

Another well-known film that featured Lake Tahoe is 1992’s ‘The Bodyguard’ starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston. Fallen Leaf Lake, a relatively small lake (compared to Lake Tahoe) that’s located between Emerald Bay State Park and Washoe State Park on Tahoe’s south shore, was where the pop singer and her entourage retreated for a break from Los Angeles. Here’s a clip from ‘The Bodyguard’ where the lake makes a couple of brief appearances:

Fallen Leaf Lake also made an appearance in ‘City of Angels’ starring Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan.

If you plan to watch any of these movies, you should do so before your Tahoe vacation. Believe me: you won’t want to spend your time there inside watching movies. You’ll want to be outside, enjoying the lake and the surrounding Sierra Nevada Mountains!

Lake Tahoe is located in California’s Sierras & Gold Country area; check out our Lake Tahoe travel information guide here. Alternatively, you can click here to view more Sierras & Gold Country travel blog posts or click here to select an article from our Sierras & Gold Country vacation guide.

You need only check out our San Francisco Food Tours article to know we love San Francisco and its unique food offerings, and here’s where we hope to be this weekend.

On Saturday, January 14, 2012, the popular Ferry Building Marketplace will host the winners of the second annual Good Food Awards (to be announced at the preceding Friday night gala ceremony). Organized by The Seedling Projects (a San Francisco-based organization that supports the sustainable-food movement), the Good Food Awards’ mission is to spread the word about small, local and sustainable food producers across the nation, and 26 states are represented in this year’s competition that encompasses eight categories: charcuterie, cheese, coffee, chocolate, pickles, preserves, beer and spirits.

At Saturday’s Ferry Building event, which runs from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., this year’s winners will sell their artisanal foodstuffs downstairs while the upstairs area will host the new-this-year Beer and Spirits Garden. The event’s $5 admission allows you to meet the makers and pick up some of their award-winning foodstuffs, and there’s an additional $12 charge for the Beer and Spirits Garden. This additional charge entitles you to five tastings, which include 4 oz. of beer, a ¾ oz. taste of straight spirits or a sample cocktail pour. Additional tasting tickets will be available for $2 each.

Tickets for Saturday’s Good Foods Marketplace can be purchased here.

Photo of San Francisco Ferry Building by CasualCapture via flickr Creative Commons.

Click here to view more San Francisco Bay Area Travel blog posts or click here to select an article from our San Francisco Bay Area vacation guide.

Entrance fees for the California National Parks vary from park to park. For example, Yosemite’s current entrance fee is $20/car, but no entrance fee will be required if you decide to incorporate a visit to Channel Island National Park on your Los Angeles vacation (although you will have to pay for transportation – either by air or by boat – to the islands).

The National Park Service sets aside fee-free days each year, and you will have five opportunities in 2012 to enjoy a visit to Yosemite National Park free of cost:

January 14-16
(to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. weekend)

April 21-29
(to celebrate National Park Week

June 9
(to celebrate Get Outdoors Day)

September 29
(to celebrate National Public Lands Day)

November 10-12
(to celebrate Veterans Day weekend)

The above fee-free days apply to all National Parks in California and in the other states, as well, and provide travelers on a budget an opportunity to save a little money. It should be noted, however, that other park fees (such as reservation, camping, tours, concession and fees collected by third parties) will not be waived unless specifically stated otherwise.

Click these links for other Yosemite vacation ideas or for further information about other Sierras & Gold Country travel destinations you may want to visit while in the area.

If you’ve never been to Yosemite, you might want to check out the two-minute introductory video below. It really is an incredible place!

Photo of Vernal Falls by Alaskan Dude via flickr (Creative Commons).

Click here to return to the Sierras & Gold Country Travel Blog…

Many Napa wineries pair art with their offerings, and there are also wineries housed in historic and/or architecturally significant buildings that are artistic creations in their own right.

If you enjoy architecture – or photography, for that matter – you will want to consider the following recommendations as you make your Napa Valley winery tour plans.

Touring the valley from north to south:

Castello di Amorosa (Calistoga) – It is easy to see why this winery is often called “the Wine Country Castle” as erecting the extraordinary Tuscan-styled building – truly fit for a king! – took a $30M investment and a 15-year commitment from owner Daryl Sattui. You will definitely want to avail yourself of Castello di Amorosa’s guided tour option and, if possible, to try to visit during the off-season or to book the tour for a non-peak day/time. Be sure to wear your walking shoes, too, as the castle consists of four floors of stairs, hallways and all-around opulence!

Beringer (St. Helena) – In 2001, this iconic Napa Valley winery was recognized by the National Register of Historic Places. Its stone-walled buildings, stained glass windows and country estate gardens honor its heritage as one of the valley’s earliest wineries and, in fact, the oldest of those that boast continuous operation.

The grounds are extensive and several different tours, ranging from 30-90 minutes, are available. The tunnels in the mountainside behind the winery – hand-chiseled by Chinese workers who had returned to the Bay Area after helping build the Trans-Continental Railroad – provide a rare insight into the creativity of these early winemakers, and they remain a perfect place to age and store fine wine. Again, this is a popular winery; plan your visit for a non-peak day/time, if possible, and reservations are recommended.

Del Dotto Winery (St. Helena and Napa) – This winery’s two locations are both fascinating (albeit for entirely different reasons) and both offer “cave tours” and barrel-samplings of the brand’s highly revered wines. Some may reject a Del Dotto tour outright simply because of the price (at the time of this writing, $50/person at the Napa location and $60/person in St. Helena), but you really will receive “a lot of bang for your buck” here.

The St. Helena location is the newer and more opulent of the two Del Dotto locations – all decked out in Italian marble, chandeliers and statuary. The historic location (on Atlas Creek Road, about 10 miles north of downtown Napa) where the caves were dug by Chinese immigrants in the 1800s is also beautiful, but it’s decidedly more laid-back. Whichever you choose, advance reservations are strongly recommended.

Both locations are incredibly generous with their wine – which is outstanding – and this invites us to share a caveat: If you’re driving, you may need to simply taste and, with deep regret, not finish every pour. (The “Del Blotto” nickname for this winery tour is well deserved.) Also, be advised Del Dotto wines are quite expensive and typically sold for future delivery; that is, if you purchase wine here, it will probably need to be shipped to you. The wine is truly extraordinary, though, and you won’t find it in stores so if you love it, by all means buy some as a remembrance of this unique winery experience.

Chateau Montelena (Calistoga) – Built in 1882, the Chateau Montelena winery is best known for the worldwide attention its wines garnered in 1976 at the famous “Judgment of Paris” blind tasting-comparison of French and California wines. Its 1973-vintage Alexander Valley Chardonnay was judged superior to the French competition, an event chronicled in the 2008 movie Bottle Shock which used the winery as a film location. The winery’s picturesque grounds – landscaped with a Chinese theme – include a man-made lake that is home to two gazebo-studded islands and assorted ducks and geese as well as two stunning black swans. The wine is pricey, but a trip to the Napa Valley really isn’t complete without a visit here.

Opus One Winery (Oakville) – When you see Opus One, you will likely not be surprised to learn it was designed by Scott Johnson of Johnson Fain, the architectural firm responsible for a San Francisco landmark building, the Transamerica Pyramid in the city’s Financial District. A joint venture between Baron Philippe de Rothschild (of the premier French Bordeaux winery, Chateau Mouton Rothschild) and Napa Valley’s own Robert Mondavi, the unique structure, completed in 1991, lives up to its founders’ vision to create a unity of winemaking, food and artful living. Although the winery is now owned by Constellation Brands and Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, one can assume the founders would still be proud of the world-class Bordeaux-style Cabernet blend it produces.

Far Niente (Oakville) – This winery’s lush gardens make it a wonderful stop any time of year, but its extensive plantings of camellias, azaleas, tulips, daffodils, rhododendrons, dogwoods, redbuds and magnolias make it must-see if you’re visiting Napa during the spring. Fall brings another glorious show, when the ginkos that line the entry drive turn to gold. Mediterranean landscapes more suited to the dry California climate are what you see at most Napa wineries, so this landscaping is not only beautiful but quite unique.

In addition to the spectacular grounds, the winery itself is quite beautiful. Originally built in 1885 and then abandoned for about 60 years following Prohibition, it was lovingly restored in the 1980s by owners Gil and Beth Nickel. During the restoration “Far Niente” – which translates to “without a care” – was found carved in stone on the front of the building, and the sentiment remains to welcome present-day visitors. While the winery is historic, it has definitely evolved into a 21st century operation. It recently installed a unique solar panel system that sits on the property’s pond and provides 100% of its electricity. You can watch a fascinating video about that here:

If that’s not enough to pique your interest, there’s more! Far Niente’s Carriage House offers visitors an opportunity to view the classic car collection the late Mr. Nickel assembled throughout his life. You don’t have to be a car lover to enjoy the treasures housed there – automobiles from Italy, Britain, Germany and America, including a 1966 Ferrari 500 Superfast, a 1961 Corvette roadster as well as several vintage BMW motorcycles – but if you are a car lover, this is a “don’t miss” stop on your Napa vacation. Guided Far Niente tours and tastings are offered several times each day, by appointment; click the preceding link for all the details.

The Rubicon Estate Winery (Rutherford) – In 1975, film director Francis Ford Coppola used money he earned from The Godfather to purchase 1,560 acres of the historic Inglenook winery, and he and his wife made the property’s old Victorian mansion their family home. Then in 1995, when the portion of the Inglenook property which included the 1879-vintage grand chateau winery was put up for sale, Coppola bought that, too, and turned the estate into a center for celebrating the things he values most: family, food, wine and movies.

Rubicon Estate’s grounds and the ivy-draped historic stone chateau are, quite simply, beautiful. The inviting European-style courtyard includes fountains, park benches modeled after Paris’ Luxembourg Gardens and bocce ball courts. Visitors must pay an “entrance fee” ($25 at the time of this writing), but it does include a tasting of five Rubicon wines as well as valet parking, a tour of the grounds and access to the wine bar, retail center and unique Centennial Museum where the winery’s fascinating history is showcased alongside Coppola film memorabilia. (Insider tip: Don’t miss the Chocolate Wine Sauce!)

Artesa Winery (Napa) – This Napa winery’s parent company – the renowned Spanish Codorníu Group – has combined art and architecture with winemaking for a good number of years. Way back in 1895, Catalán architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch was commissioned to design the Codorníu Cellars just outside Barcelona, and that building is now a Spanish national historical monument. The tradition begun by the Raventós family in Spain continues at Napa’s Artesa Winery, where fountains, sculptures and other works of art enhance the modernistic architecture and embrace the natural beauty you find here on the Carneros side of the Napa Valley.

Designed by renowned Barcelona architect Domingo Triay and built in the early 1990′s, Artesa (pronounced “ahr TESS uh” and meaning “hand crafted” in Catalan Spanish), the winery is set into the highest hill of this 350-acre estate and sports native grasses serving as its roof – the first “green” roof ever used in commercial construction.

Darioush (Napa) – With travertine quarried from Iran, Persian rugs and Le Corbusier furniture, this is another Napa Valley winery that will evoke a sense of transatlantic time traveling. The Persepolis-inspired design of the 22,000-square foot building and its surrounding landscaping celebrate owners Darioush and Shahpar Khaledis’ Persian heritage. Born to a winemaking family in Iran, Darioush immigrated to the U.S. during the Islamic Revolution found economic success with a Los Angeles based grocery store chain. This winery – and the superb Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Viognier wines it produces – allows the craftsman to pay homage to his roots and heritage. Several different tastings are available, and you may want to consider opting for one of the more expensive private pairings here given the knowledgeable staff and the quality of the wine.

Photo of Beringer Vineyards by lyng883 via flickr (Creative Commons); Photo of Chateau Montelena Winery by Julie Smith David via flickr (Creative Commons); Photo of Far Niente Winery by -Mark- via flickr (Creative Commons); Photo of Rubicon Estate Winery by carl_r_grant via flickr (Creative Commons); and Photo of waterfall stairway at Darioush Winery by vmabney via flickr (Creative Commons).

Napa Valley Wineries

Napa Valley Wineries with Art

Napa Valley Tours

Napa Valley Hotels

Napa Valley Tourist Attractions

Sonoma Valley Tourist Attractions

Western and Sonoma Coast Tourist Attractions

Misc. Travel Resources

Note: Information in this article was accurate
when it was published, but hours, prices, etc.
change constantly. Please confirm details
with local contacts before traveling.

Imagine stepping off the platform (which is equipped with sustainable solar lighting for your safety, by the way) and then gliding into total darkness beneath a canopy of the moon and stars. You’ll soar at heights up to 300 feet above the canyon floor and travel over 40 mph on five separate lines that traverse about three-quarters of a mile. Talk about breathtaking!

And, to add a bit of education to this awesome adventure, you’ll find guides stationed at each of the platforms to share information about this Southern California island’s fascinating history, culture and ecological diversity, including its nocturnal wildlife — of which YOU are now officially a member!

Since night filming is problematic, you’ll just have to use your imagination as you watch the shot-in-daylight Catalina zipline video below.

After viewing it, if you’re like us, you’ll be thinking “full moon” and “soft summer night” and then perhaps begin to plan an Orange County vacation for Summer 2012.

Santa Catalina Zipline details can be found here; reservations are strongly recommended.

What follows are some recommendations for enjoying art at Napa Valley wineries, arranged from north to south, and you may find the Napa-Sonoma Wine Country map in this article provides a helpful orientation to the area’s various cities. (For an exhaustive map of Napa wineries – a great resource albeit somewhat overwhelming – click here.)

Clos Pegase Winery (Calistoga) – Designed by Michael Graves, this striking post-modern winery is home to nearly 1000 pieces of modern art, a collection assembled by founder and proprietor Jan Shrem with his late wife Mitsuko. Guided tours of the winery (including the caves and art collection) are offered daily at 11:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. for a small fee, or you’re welcome to use this handy Clos Pegase self-guided tour to investigate on your own. While there is no food for sale on the grounds, there’s a lovely picnic area (first-come, first-served) where you can enjoy Clos Pegase wine with items you bring.

On the third Saturday of each month (except in December and January) at 2 p.m. in the winery’s 350-seat Cave Theater, you can also partake of a multimedia presentation – “A Bacchanalian History of Wine Seen Through 4,000 Years of Art” – the focus of which is wine’s ancient sources and the art it inspired. The presentation is free and no reservations are required.

Sterling Vineyards (Calistoga) – Even though the Sterling Vineyards Visitors Center boasts one of the largest collections of wine-related art ever assembled, for most Napa visitors the draw here is the aerial tram that shuttles them 300 feet up the hill to the winery and tasting room. As you might imagine, the scenery from this vantage is fantastic, and with Castello Di Amorosa off in the distance it’s almost like time traveling.

The winery is designed to evoke memories of the white buildings found on the Greek island of Mykonos, and the bells you will see there are from London’s St. Dunstan’s church (destroyed in World War II). While Sterling Vineyards may not be the best choice for visitors who want to sample Napa’s superior wine offerings, folks looking for a “unique experience” that’s not too hard on the pocketbook are rarely disappointed.

Rombauer Winery (between Calistoga and St. Helena) – We’d be the first to admit that most Napa Valley visitors come to this winery to sample its famous Chardonnay – (and for good reason: according to Wine & Spirits magazine, their Carneros Chardonnay is the third most popular in American restaurants) – but we’re a fan of its gardens and quirky sculptures, too. Koerner Rombauer started the winery in 1982 with his now-deceased first wife Joan, who was an avid gardener, and her mark on the property remains. (By the way, if the Rombauer name sounds familiar to you that may be because Koerner’s great aunt Irma Rombauer was author of the internationally renowned cookbook “The Joy of Cooking.”)

It’s not the easiest winery to find (the driveway is marked by a rather small sign) so you might want to consider making it an early-in-the-day stop, but if you enjoy sampling stellar wines coupled with beautiful scenery, a casual vibe and a friendly staff, this is a must-include winery for your planning list.

HALL (St. Helena) – Kathryn Hall is said to enjoy welcoming guests with a favorite toast — “Here’s to life and to special joys that come without warning” — and the whimsical, red, swirling metal sculpture at the entrance to HALL Wines St. Helena property seems to echo that sentiment. That sculpture’s whimsy and hue is repeated in the tasting room, this time executed with large rose-colored glass tear drops suspended from the ceiling. Along with her entrepreneur (and lifelong art collector) husband, Craig Hall, HALL Wines represents the realization of Mrs. Hall’s personal goal to continue her family’s wine-growing heritage, accomplishing it with style and a sense of humor.

The couple employed world-renowned architect Frank Gehry to transform the property way back in 2004 – with a projected $100+ million investment – and they even broke ground for the project in July 2007, but the plans are currently on hold according to the winery’s publicist.

Peju Province Winery (Rutherford) – Iranian-born owner Tony Peju, along with his Austrian-born wife, Herta, founded this winery in the mid-1980s with an eye toward harmonizing the land’s bounty and beauty via wine and art. As you experience the stunning grounds, it should come as no surprise that Peju ran a successful, high-end landscaping business in Southern California before purchasing the vineyard.

Although the grounds are dotted with unique sculptures the couple has collected and commissioned over the years, the property’s centerpiece is a 50-foot tall tower that sports a weathered copper roof crowned with a unicorn weather vane. Surrounded by a reflective pool and fountains, it is breathtakingly beautiful, but prepare yourself as you open the hard-carved front door and step inside. From the exquisite floor tiles imported from Turkey, to the Brazilian cherry woodwork, to the artisan-made stair rails and all the way up to the 22′ x 10′ chandelier that illuminates the space, The Tower is a wonder and testament to the couple’s commitment and devotion to their vision. The tasting room’s pièce de résistance is a 10′ x 20′ stained glass window created in 1906 that depicts the three Greek graces in a garden. It’s truly a sight to behold!

Mumm Napa (Rutherford) – Mumm Napa is known for its sparkling wines, but it’s also home to an outstanding photography gallery that houses a famed Ansel Adams collection as well as temporary exhibits that rotate throughout the year.

If you’re a sparkling wine fan, tastings here are not to be missed. You even get a little “souvenir art” in the form of the coasters they use for presentation purposes; on one side of the coaster they provide the name of the sparkling wine you’re sampling (to help you remember what you’ve tasted) and the other side shares a funny champagne quotation. What fun marketing! Oh, and if you have someone who isn’t tasting, be sure to tell them because Mumm provides designated drivers with an awesome juice (known as “wine soda”) that’s a tasty, non-alcoholic version of a glass of sparkling wine.

Robert Mondavi Winery (Oakville) – Hailed as an architectural masterpiece when it was built in 1966, this mission-style winery and its namesake founder must be given significant credit for Napa Valley’s present-day popularity and the American wine industry’s renaissance. Mondavi, who died in 2008 at the age of 94, shared in his “Harvests of Joy” autobiography that he sought “to do whatever it took to make great wines and to put the Napa Valley on the map right alongside the great winemaking centers of Europe,” and this winery stands as a testament to the success of his effort.

Set against the mountain range that separates Napa Valley from its Sonoma Valley neighbor, the picturesque Mondavi winery grounds include a demonstration vineyard, gardens, a restaurant and an extensive art collection. The entry’s welcoming St. Francis of Assisi – created by 20th century sculptor Beniamino Bufano – is in itself worthy of a visit, but the winery offers many other statues, artifacts and paintings to enjoy.

Please be advised the Robert Mondavi Winery is quite popular, and some people complain about the crowds and its “touristy vibe.” While there is some truth to those complaints, we recommend you simply adapt to the reality by planning an early-in-the-day visit. The tours here are quite educational and, we think, well worth your time and money. Again, advance reservations are recommended.

Cliff Lede Vineyards (Yountville) – In addition to some lovely pieces in a permanent collection, The Gallery at Cliff Lede (pronounced “LAY-dee”) Vineyards features four exhibits per year (click this link to see the current offering). The grounds are lovely, as well. Relax and enjoy yourself on this state-of-the-art winery’s welcoming terrace or warm yourself by its beckoning fireplace during cooler months. The winery is revered for its Poetry Cabernet Sauvignon.

Travel & Leisure magazine called the winery’s affiliated accommodations – Poetry Inn – “one of the most tranquil spaces in the buzzing Napa Valley,” and the Cliff Lede Vineyards and Winery evoke a similar vibe.

Silverado Winery (east of Yountville) – Founded by Diane Disney Miller (oldest daughter of Walt and Lillian Disney) and her husband Ron in the 1980s, this winery’s off-the-beaten-path location affords some absolutely spectacular vistas. They are truly some of the best views in the entire Napa Valley (and there’s quite a bit of competition for that title!), so don’t forget to bring your camera.

The upper hallways of the California mission-style building also offer a rare treat: Walt Disney’s collection of La Belle Époque vintage (1880-1920) posters, including four original posters by Leonetto Cappiello. In addition to the posters, the winery also owns some incredible plein air paintings. Oh, and if you go, don’t miss Silverado’s merlot-filled chocolates!

The Hess Collection (Napa) – This winery is about seven (long) miles from downtown Napa and sits atop Mount Vedeer, at the end of a (long) winding road. Once the home of Christian Brothers Winery – Hess actually has a 99-year lease on the property with Christian Brothers as its lessor – the original stone structures were built in 1903. After two years of extensive renovations, the remodeled facility opened to the public in 1989 and includes a tasting room, an audio-visual room, a 13,000-square-foot art gallery and an upscale store.

The grounds are lovely, with some of Mother Nature’s finest enhanced by dramatic bronze sculptures from an eclectic mix of Dutch, Danish, German and American artists. Once inside the building, visitors are only a short glass elevator ride away from one of the country’s largest private collections of contemporary art open to the public, compliments of Swiss millionaire-entrepreneur Donald Hess. (Interestingly, Hess made his fortune bottling and distributing mineral water – an offshoot of a family business that began in 1844 in Switzerland with a beer brewery owned by Johann Heinrich Hess – before moving on to wine production.)

Donald Hess began collecting modern art in the 1960s, and you will be treated to creations of well-known American and European artists (like Andy Goldsworthy, Frank Stella, Robert Rauschenberg, Magdelena Abakanowicz, and Francis Bacon – installations change from time to time), including large, striking canvases and provocative mixed-media pieces.

di Rosa Preserve (Napa) – While the di Rosa Preserve is not a winery – it’s a contemporary art museum and natural habitat – any list of Napa Valley’s wonderful art offerings would be incomplete without mentioning it.

The Preserve includes three large galleries and a sculpture meadow open for tours ($10-15) Wednesday through Saturday, 10:00-3:00 p.m. Visitors will enjoy the resident peacocks, migratory birds, ancient olive trees, a 35-acre lake, a 130-year old stone winery, vineyards and an amazing art collection – more than 2,000 pieces representing the work of more than 750 contemporary Bay Area artists – amassed over the last 50 years by Rene di Rosa and his wife, Veronica (both now deceased). The di Rosas made their money selling some of Napa Valley’s most prized grapes, and what an extraordinary way they chose to express their gratitude! Click the link for details about the di Rosa Preserve tour (reservations are required). Please also be aware some pieces in the collection depict nudity and may be considered by some to be unsuitable for children.

The Preserve’s art is displayed without identification (although references are available should you want to know details about a piece), as the di Rosas felt you should enjoy the art rather than read about it. This makes the experience even more unique.

Photo of Sterling Vineyards by vmabney via flickr (Creative Commons); Photo of sculpture at the entry to HALL Wines by star5112 via flickr (Creative Commons); Photo of sculpture in front of Peju Province Winery by Alaskan Dude via flickr (Creative Commons); Photo of St. Francis statue at Robert Mondavi Winery entrance by Alaskan Dude via flickr (Creative Commons); Photo of Napa Valley from the Silverado Winery by Jim Ames via flickr (Creative Commons); and Photo of Outdoor art at the di Rosa Preserve by Telstar Logistics via flickr (Creative Commons).

Napa Valley Hotels

Napa Valley Tours

Napa Valley Wineries

Wine Country Tourist Attractions

Napa Valley Tourist Attractions

Sonoma Valley Tourist Attractions

Western and Sonoma Coast Tourist Attractions

Misc. Travel Resources

Note: Information in this article was accurate
when it was published, but hours, prices, etc.
change constantly. Please confirm details
with local contacts before traveling.

Zip lines — cables stretching hundreds of feet down a mountain side on which you ride — are an adventurous and fun way to take in the sights and get a little adrenalin rush at the same time.

California boasts the longest one (Heavenly Flyer in Lake Tahoe) — which is also the fastest one (50 mph) — but almost anywhere you go in our fair state, you will be near one. Going south to north:

• San Diego –  runs right over the San Diego Zoo and you can see all the animals
• Santa Catalina Island – drops 500 feet in elevation from the canyon rim down near Avalon
• Big Bear Lake Area – two in Big Bear itself, one about an hour and a half west in Wrightwood and another about an hour and a half south in Corona
• Central Valley- Screaming Eagle, near Lindsay
• San Francisco Area – one in Berkeley, one in Mount Herman and one at Roaring Camp in Felton (the latter two are near Santa Cruz)
• Wine Country – one in Yountville (Napa County) and two in Occidental (Sonoma County)
• Tahoe and the Sierras – two in Tahoe (the aforementioned Heavenly Flyer and another at Kirkwood Resort), plus one in Vallecito (part of the Moaning Cavern Adventure Park)
• North Coast – in Smith River

Weight restrictions vary, both minimums and maximums; you can view details by clicking on the map below, but it’s best to verify any and all details directly with the vendor.  Prices also vary, but generally are less than $100 per person.

If you want to see whether you might like ziplining, most of the zip line tours listed here have some YouTube videos showing the rides.  You can get a good idea of what’s in store for you from that.

Zoom in to the area you have an interest in and click on the pins for additional information.

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We got a color TV in about 1962, and there were only a few shows being broadcast in color.  Bonanza.  The NBC Peacock.  And the Sunday night “Wonderful World of Color” from Disney.

Little did I know then how Walt Disney had pioneered early artistic use of color technologies, back as early as the 1937′s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first full-length, animated feature film. It used a new technology called Technicolor — which many people associate with the two 1939 films, Gone With The Wind and The Wizard of Oz. But Disney used Technicolor two years earlier, at great risk and with stunning effect.  (At the premiere, Snow White got a standing ovation as a masterpiece film.)

He was also a pioneer in using full orchestration, first in the mid-30′s Silly Symphonies and then, boldly, in 1940′s Fantasia. I still remember the scary music that accompanied the scene when the Sorcerer’s Apprentice (Mickey Mouse) lost control of the proliferating mops and buckets … and the deluge that followed.

But I digress. All of this is just background to establish Disney’s credentials in the pioneering use of color, music and animation to entertain us. So it was no surprise to me that people are raving about a new, technically advanced, “sound and light” extravaganza at Disney’s California Adventure park (which is right next door to Disneyland, and a part of the Disney Resort).

Each night, the thirty-minute show coordinates 1,200 programmable water nozzles to create a canvas of dancing fountains, illuminated by lasers inside the streams, and a wide palette of vibrant, changing colors. Sometimes the nozzles spray a fine mist to create a wall onto which are projected images of the Disney characters, who tell stories, dance, sing, play instrument or otherwise engage the audience in fanciful entertainment. The water jets can spin and rotate to choreograph movement that advances the story, and the orchestration (recorded at Abbey Road studios, in London) uses the full power of the music to emotionally engage the audience.

In case you can’t make it for an overnight stay at Disneyland, here is a glimpse of what the show looks like:

Disneyland, like many theme parks and tourist destinations, doesn’t allow dogs and family pets inside the park.  They do allow “service animals” — that is, ones that assist the blind (a.k.a “seeing eye dogs”), the deaf (“alert animals”) and the disabled (“companion animals”).

A seeing eye dog assists owner at Disneyland

We’ll leave to your eye whether this picture shows how a fortuneate blind girl gets to experience the ride or how dutiful (or frightened?) the dog is, but it does show a rare view of a service dog in action at the park. Note the jacket/vest on the dog. This is required.

Pets are not allowed in the park. But several hotels near Disneyland are “pet friendly” places to stay.

If you go to the park, you can take your dog (or cat, bird, rabbit or ‘non-venomous reptile’) to the Disneyland Kennel Club (“DKC”), which is near the main entrance to the park, just to the right.

If you drive, you should park in the “Mickey and Friends” parking lot and walk to the DKC. (Your dog can no longer ride on the shuttle tram that goes from the parking lot to the main entrance, as Disney no longer owns the tram service.) You’ll also need a leash.

The fee for boarding your dog (or cat, etc.) for the day is $20. It’s only a “day spa” — no overnighting is allowed. To protect all dogs, proof of current vaccinations for rabies, hepatitis and distemper are required from your vet. Cats also need proof of feline leukemia, rhinotracheitus and calcivirus vaccinations. Be sure to bring the paperwork.

The kennel “cast members” will feed your animal from park-provided food (or you can provide your own food), but you will need to walk your dog yourself if you want him walked during the day.

There is lots of other stuff to do at the Disneyland Resort — great shopping, restaurants, walks and the like. You can take all that in, free of Fido, if you want. Just be back before the Disneyland Kennel Club closes, 1/2 hour after Disneyland itself closes.

Whatever you do, don’t leave a dog or cat in a car in the parking lot. The Southern California sun can get beastly hot in a hurry, even with the windows cracked. Dogs have died that way. And owners are subject to arrest, fines and even jail time, because leaving an animal in the car is against the law.

(Photo credit: click on photo)