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Riding the Silverado Trail
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Silverado Trail
Holly Aguirre
01/01/2006
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Photograph by Kevin Wing
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In 1859
entrepreneur Samuel Brannan planned the town of Calistoga around numerous hot
springs in an attempt to attract well-heeled San Franciscans. According to
legend, when he introduced his new “Saratoga of California,” he drunkenly
muddled his speech saying it was the “Calistoga of Sarifornia.” No matter how
you say it, Calistoga means luxury to this day. Visitors still bathe in the hot
springs, take hot mud baths, and explore the upper valley’s lavish
wineries.
 The pool at Calistoga Ranch offers weary riders a serene backdrop for
relaxation. (Click image to enlarge)
The Calistoga Ranch and the Frank Family Vineyard top the must-see
list. The luxury hotel operator Auberge Resorts built the Ranch about two years
ago, hiding it in a private canyon just south of Calistoga proper. It is the
perfect destination for those seeking complete privacy and ultimate relaxation.
Don’t be surprised if days pass before you venture off the Ranch. The resort is
located on a completely secluded and secured 157-acre site marked by ancient
oaks, magnificent hills, a stream, and a private lake. It encompasses 47 guest
lodges and 27 owner lodges, the private Lakehouse Restaurant, a wine cave, bocce
ball courts, a pool overlooking the resort’s private vineyard, and the
Bathhouse, where guests can spoil themselves with spa treatments and enjoy the
region’s healing mineral waters. One-tenth shares in owner lodges start at
$395,000, and one-fifth shares start at $695,000.
The tasteful and unassuming
cedar-shingled guest lodges are bungalows connected by decks, trellised
walkways, and expansive outdoor living areas, all within a completely natural
setting. Each bungalow features an outdoor bath garden where guests can relax
and shower under the stars. The folks at Calistoga have made sure that guests
will want for nothing. Deluxe touches include down duvets, Frette linens,
Calistoga Ranch’s own line of bay laurel and eucalyptus scented body products,
entertainment centers with DVD and CD players, wireless high-speed Internet
access, and the thoughtful turndown amenity of massage oil that you’ll need
after a day in the saddle. Some lodges even have private hot tubs.
 The resort’s wine cave. (Click image to enlarge)
The Frank
Family Vineyard, just down Larkmeade Lane and a stone’s throw from the Ranch, is
an impressive structure considered the epitome of California’s wine country of
yesteryear. Originally built as the Larkmead Winery in 1884, the building was
refinished with native sandstone from the nearby hills in 1906 and still stands
today. The structure is on the National Register of Historical Places and also
listed as a Point of Historical Interest for California. Calistoga Ranch guests
receive noticeably special treatment, and all visitors are encouraged to tour
the building, with its high-stacked barrels, and sample the wines in the
separate tasting area. Sit under the vineyard’s giant oak trees, relax and enjoy
spectacular vineyard views. The wines are produced in small quantities and
currently sold only at the winery and a handful of select restaurants and wine
shops. Plan on stocking up, as they will ship most anywhere.
Off the Beaten Path
Just above Calistoga, Highway 29 rejoins the trail
as it meanders through vineyards at the mountain base and then suddenly spirals
northward above Jericho Canyon. Climbing into the mountains, the lanes of 29
slim as they begin to snake through beautiful oak thickets and past long green
grass blowing in the breeze. Five miles up it reaches a saddle east of
4,344-foot Mount St. Helena and Robert Louis Stevenson State Park. The
3,200-acre park, mostly wilderness, is draped over the chaparral, oak, and
pine-covered slopes of Mount St. Helena. The peak is one of the highest and
looms over the adjacent countryside providing fantastic views.
For an even
better one, pull over atop Mount St. Helena’s eastern shoulder. Here sits the
ruins of the Toll House on the old Calistoga-Lakeport road that Highway 29 now
follows. A winding trail rambles west to a fire road and leads four miles to the
mountain’s summit, some 4,000 feet above the Napa Valley. The view is amazing
with the Pacific Ocean glimmering to the west; the peaks of Mount Diablo rise in
the southeast; and to the north the snowcapped summits of Mount Shasta and
Lassen Peak peek above the horizon.
Back on the road the drive drops steeply
northward and follows St. Helena Creek. It then meets with California Highway
175, a quiet highway that runs through forest and past small ranches with
pastures of livestock. Five miles down, the road begins climbing through a
forest of gray pine and oak and then peaks at 2,600-foot Whispering Pines, a
sheltered area set amid towering sugar pines. The highway then twists
northwestward to Boggs Mountain State Forest. As the road drops, it follows the
expansive valley of Cole Creek.
Eighteen miles later, Highway 175 rejoins
Highway 29 and runs west around Mount Konocti to Kelseyville, passing apple
orchards and more lush vineyards. Turn south on Highway 175 where California 29
continues north into Lakeport. The scenery along this run is simply stunning.
The stretch corkscrews up steep slopes and deep canyons to the forested crest of
the Mayacamas Mountains before dropping steeply down to Hopland and the Russian
River. Dense forest and thick chaparral line the twisting roadway; marvelous
views of Clear Lake and the surrounding mountains are revealed at each pullout.
You will encounter little traffic on this lonely road section. The drive ends on
U.S. 101 where trekkers can return south to the foggy San Francisco Bay.
Frank Family Vineyards | www.frankfamilyvineyards.com | 800.574.9463
Green Truck Cellars | www.greentruckcellars.com | 707.738.2376. (by
appointment only)
Bistro Jeanty | www.bistrojeanty.com | 707.944.0103 | 6510
Washington Street, Yountville, CA 94599
Villagio Inn and Spa | www.villagio.com | 707.977.8877 | 6481
Washington Street, Yountville, CA 94599
Calistoga Ranch | www.calistogaranch.com | 580 Lommel
Road, Calistoga, CA 94515 | 800.942.4220
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