Napa Valley CA is My Favorite Romantic Getaway Town in the USA

Have any of you been to Napa Valley for vacation? Safe to say it's my favorite travel destination in California for a long romantic weekend. We can't all afford to take a couple weeks off and fly to Tuscany, of course - but the sea breeze, the rolling hills, and the miles upon miles of vineyards make Napa Valley a reasonable substitute. Sure, there's no medieval or Renaissance-era casles and villas in California, but other than that, well. Napa Valley is just perfect.

There are a lot of ways to spend your money in Napa Valley, though, so budget travelers be forewarned. With the Culinary Institute of America (West Coast division) being right there, you know the restaurants in Napa Valley towns are going to be some of the best in the country. I especially love Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen for lunch, and everyone who indulges in high-end culinary travel knows about the French Laundry. I've never eaten there - you need to make a reservation two months in advance, no earlier or later, yet it's always booked - but there are plenty of great Napa Valley restaurants that have to be just as good.

And of course, what is upscale dining without the wine list? Napa Valley wines are finally respected throughout the world. It took some time, but French and Italian vintners are grudgingly admitting that Napa Valley wines are superior to many Old World wines. This is largely due to the ideal climate and soil of Northern California, as well as the expertise of the vineyard owners (many of whom hired away the old pros from Europe in the first place!) to make world-class, award winning Cabernets and Chardonnays. Because of this, even middle-of-the-road, casual restaurants in Napa have amazing wine lists. And wine tasting tours can be very fun and surprisingly educational as well. Who knew there was such science behind a fine glass of wine?

Yes, it is romantic beyond compare to take a long weekend with a loved one in Napa Valley. The 5-star hotels, charming B&Bs, and sweet sprawling resorts there only add the the romance. For those of us who can't afford to jet off to Provence or Florence for a romantic vacation, Napa Valley California is the way to go.