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Napa Valley in California is one of the most popular wine growing regions in the
world with hundreds of wineries nestled together, most of which are open for
visitors. No amount of time is enough for exploring this countryside with world
class restaurants, spas and a romantic lifestyle along with world’s best and
famous wineries. As compared to Sonoma Valley, Napa Valley is more
commercialized with a larger number of Wineries and population hence, attracting
more tourists. It is just 35 miles long and is relatively more condensed.
Wineries of Napa Valley offer some of the most interesting and edifying wine
tours in North America if not in the world making Napa the ideal place for a
ultimate Wine Country experience. Most of the large wineries, popular
restaurants, hotels and shops are located along a single road, CA 29.
Silverado Trail is another popular road for wineries and runs parallel to CA
29, this road is less crowded and therefore sometimes it is preferred over CA 29
since the traffic moves faster on this road.

Any time of the year is a good time to visit Napa Valley but September to
October is the best time when the grapes are being pressed.

It
is best to got to the “Napa Conference & Visitors Bureau” first in order get
complete information on the Napa Valley and its Vineyards and then plan your
trip accordingly. You could also call in advance and order a $10 package that
includes a Napa Valley guide and several Brochures or simply log on to
www.napavalley .com and get all the information for free. Wine tasting is
the most popular attraction of these wineries and the best way to do that is by
randomly stopping at any of the wineries and enjoying the country wine. Most of
these wineries offer FREE wine tasting up to four selections and further premium
wine tasting costs apx. $2 to $5 each.

Getting to Napa Valley:
Starting from San Francisco, head north on U.S. 101 and then turn east on
CA-37 towards Vallejo and then north on CA-29 on to the main road of Napa
Valley. Another option is to take the scenic route of CA-37 to highway 121/12
and then CA-29 following the signs towards Napa.

Napa Valley has over 250 wineries and each one of them is unique in itself
offering distinct wines and ambience. Since it is not possible to visit all the
wineries in one trip, it is best to talk to the locals and go to wineries that
suite your interest. It is better to cover not more than 5 to 6 wineries in a
day in order to enjoy the real essence of each one of them and have a more
intimate experience. Most of the wineries operate daily between 10:00 am to 4:30
pm. However, some wineries do require a reservation whereas most of them
entertain walk ins without any reservation. If you have a particular winery in
mind that you would like to visit, it is best to call first. Even though each
winery is special in its own way, some popular wineries of Napa Valley are -

Popular wineries in Napa:

Artesa Vineyards & Winery
(707)224-1668

The Hess Collection Winery
(707)255-1144

Trefethen Vineyards
(707)255-7700

Clos Du Val
(707)261-5200

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars
(707)944-2020

Popular Wineries in Yountville:
Domain Chandon
(707)944-2280

Popular Wineries of Oakville:
Plumpjack Winery
(707)945-1220

Robert Mondavi Winery
(707)226-1395

Opus One
(707)944-9442

Popular Wineries in RutherFord:
Swanson Vineyards
(707)967-3500

Sawyer Cellars
(707)963-1980

St. Supery Winery
(707)963-4507

Niebaum-Coppola
(707)968-1100

Popular Wineries of St. Helena

V. Sattui Winery
(707)963-7774

Prager Winery
(707)963-7678

Charles Krug Winery
(707)963-5057

Popular Wineries of Calistoga:

Frank Family Vineyards
(707)942-0859

Schramsberg
(707)942-2424

Clos Pegase
(707)942-4981

Napa Valley Wineries and Wine Tasting:

With over 250 Wineries, Napa Valley is one of the largest and the most popular
wine producing regions in the world. It is just 35 miles long with over 40,000
acres of land planted to grapes. Most of these Wineries are open for visitors
and offer Wine Tasting and Wine Tours providing excellent wine education. Some
of the Napa Valley Wineries also offer picnic facilities with memorable
opportunities to celebrate any occasion with family and friends. Most of the
wineries are located on CA 29 whereas Silverado Trail also has popular wineries
and has less traffic. While most of the wineries do not require a reservation,
it is best to call in first if you have any particular winery in mind. Since
Wine Tasting is a major Napa Valley attraction, most of the wineries offer some
FREE Wine tasting with an additional charge of $2 to $5 each for other premium
wine tasting.

Besides wine tasting there are several other things to do in Napa.

Petrified Forest:
The magnificent Petrified Forest in Calistoga will take you back to an era of
more than three million years ago. It consists of giant redwood trees that
turned into stones millions of years back after being covered from the ash of
the Volcano that erupted three million years ago. According to Geologists it is
one of the finest examples of a Pliocene fossil forest in the world. The area
also has a small famous museum with interesting fossils and a small gift shop
with crystals and petrified wood that make good souvenirs to take back home. It
is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm in the winters and 9 am to 6 pm in the summers,
it is best to call in first for group tours.

Old Faithful Geyser:
Throwing hundreds of gallons water high up in the air like a giant
fountain, the spectacular performance of the Old Faithful Geyser in Calistoga is
a must see natural wonder and famous attraction of Napa Valley. Boiling hot
water shoots up to 60 feet up in the sky at regular periods of half an hour,
while spectators gather around it, trying to catch a good picture. It is one of
the three Geysers in the world that perform at regular intervals and have earned
the name of “Old Faithful”. Along With the Geyser, the area also has a small
gift shop and a picnic area for family get together and fun. It is open daily
from 9 am to 5 pm in the winters and 9 am to 6 pm in the summers.

Napa Premium Outlets:
Napa Factory Outlets are located at 629 Factory Stores Drive, Napa, CA 94558 (In
the city of Napa; First Exit off Hwy. 29 ). The stores are open daily 10am to
8pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 6pm on Sundays. Being close to San Francisco
with over 50 stores, the Napa Premium Outlets are more popular than Petaluma
Village Premium Outlets and Vacaville Premium Outlets. You will get a
opportunity save 25% to 60% on popular brand stores. Some of the popular brands
at the outlets are Ann Taylor, Tommy Hilfiger, Barneys New York Outlet, Gap
Outlet, Calvin Klein, Coach, Cole Haan, Jones New York, Kenneth Cole, Liz
Claiborne, Banana Republic, Timberland, Bass, Fossil Company Store, Zales and
more. 

Hot
Air Ballooning:
Floating high up in the air is probably the dream of any one of us, Napa Valley
Air Ballooning has made this dream come true and is a popular attractions of
Napa Valley. With excellent weather for Hot Air Ballooning, rides are possible
almost all year round. The one hour Napa Valley Hot Air Balloon flights begin in
the morning when the winds are gentle, air is cooler and the Valley shines like
a jewel due to the rising sun. It is one of the most romantic and adventurous
ways of exploring the beauty of the Napa Valley and enjoying the spectacular
views of the region. Most balloons launch early in the morning from the
Yountville area. Several companies offer Hot Air Balloon rides and the package
usually consists of the ride first followed by a glass of traditional Champaign
and authentic breakfast after the ride. Depending upon the package, the cost of
the ride ranges anywhere from $195 to $260 per person.

Napa Wine Train:
Being one of the most famous attraction of Napa Valley, the glorious wine train
journey begins at Napa to St. Helena and back to Napa. Since this Wine Train
offers breathtaking views, relaxed atmosphere, elegant surrounding along with
food and wine, it is one of the best ways to explore the Napa Valley which is
one of the top wine producing areas in the world. The three hour round trip
covers 36 miles of Napa Valley vineyards along with the options of Brunch, lunch
and dinner. There are three seating arrangements all serving gourmet food and
premier wines. One of the settings is a open air arrangement where you can enjoy
the beautiful views of the Napa Valley Wineries along with outstanding food and
sparkling wine. This elegantly decorated wine train is also an ideal place for
celebrating any occasion with friends and family.

Along with the above famous attractions of Napa Valley, there are several Art
Galleries and Museums also, the most popular is the Volakis
Gallery in Yountville. There are several other things to do like Bicycle tours,
Kayaking & Boating, Shopping, Spas, Golf Courses and hiking trails to add
some more fun and adventure to your trip. 

Graz is the second-largest city in Austria (after Vienna) and a popular tourist
location, it is also the capital of Styria region. Graz is located in south east
of Austria, on the banks of Mur river. Graz’s “Old Town” is a World Cultural
Heritage Sites as it is one of the best-preserved cities of Europe for its
unique architecture and buildings. The average annual temperature of Graz is
about 9°C. It is also a famous center of education with its six universities of
over 40,000 students. 

It is believed that the oldest settlement in Graz dates back to the Copper Age.
It is about 200 km southwest of Vienna ( about 2 hours commute) and due to its
geographic location it receives more sunshine per year and less rain. It is also
the birthplace of California’s Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (Thal region), who
is also a popular Hollywood actor. Graz is well connected by air, rail, road and
bus. Within the city you can easily use the trams, local buses, taxi’s, bicycles
or your own car.

Famous tourist attractions of Graz:

1. Old Town: The UNESCO World Heritage organization added this “old town”
to it’s list in 1999 for the architecture of its buildings. The the old town has
over 1000 buildings ranging from Gothic to Contemporary. Popular places to see
in the old town are Schlo?berg hill, Uhrturm clocktower, Neue Gallerie Museum,
Schlo?bergbahn, The Landhaus state parliament, Landeszeughaus armoury,
Schauspielhaus theatre, Dom cathedral, Rathaus toontown, Burg castle, Gemaltes
Haus building, Kunsthaus museum, Murinsel artificial island and Buildings,
courtyards.

2. Schlo? Eggenberg - A palace and a museum.

3. Osterreichisches Freilichtmuseum Stubing - An open-air museum of old
farm houses.
 

4. Herz Jesu Kirche - Largest church in Graz.

5. Ruine Gosting vista point.

6. Lurgrotte - A large cave system.

7. Styrian Tuscany ( or the Steirische Weinstrasse) is a wine growing
region of Graz.

8. Graz has several museums featuring paintings, sculptures, arts,
science, nature, history, literature and religion.

9. Opera House Opernhaus.

Best time to visit Graz: April to September (summers)

1. Times Square - Manhattan:
Times Square is a famous intersection and a iconic image of New York City
lying at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue. The whole area is
highlighted with vibrant animated neon and Led signs to such an extent that it
is now compared to the glamour and illumination of Las Vegas. Some of these
adveritisements at Times Square are so huge that they are popularly known as “jumbotrons.”
Times Square is also very popular for its annual New Year’s Eve Ball Drop,
millions of tourists pour ito the city around that time. Being the one of the
busiest intersection and a top tourist destination of America, Times Square is
also seen in several films and T.V. shows all around the world.

2. The Las Vegas Strip - Nevada:
It is popularly said that the glamorous city of Las Vegas never goes to
sleeps with “The Strip” being the main tourist area. Las Vegas strip is apx. 4
miles long and consists of some of the largest mega casino hotels in the world
and each one of them is based on a theme and has been lavishly decorated. The
city is also famous for its marvelous shows, adult entertainment and alcoholic
beverages. It is sometimes difficult to believe how such a glamorous city can be
built in the middle of Nevada’s desert and yet be such a famous tourist
destination of America, drawing millions of tourists each year from all over the
world.

 

3. National Mall and Memorial Parks - Washington D.C.
Established in 1965, the area within the National Mall & Memorial Parks provide
several opportunities to visitors to commemorate presidential legacies,
celebrate the United States commitment to freedom and equality and to honor the
courage and sacrifice of war veterans. It consists of following famous icons -
Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, WWII Memorial,
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Vietnam
Veterans Memorial. Located in the capital of America, National Mall and Memorial
Parks is one of the most visited tourist destination of America.

4. Faneuil Hall Marketplace - Massachusetts:
This marketplace in Boston is internationally known for its street performances
including Jugglers and clowns, puppeteers and dancers, musicians and much more.
With over 60 street performances, Faneuil Hall Marketplace has performers from
all over the world and has become one of the top tourist attraction of America.
Faneuil Hall Marketplace is also famous for its other activities and sources of
entertainment including annual events such as Harborfest and The Holiday
Lighting Ceremony along with community events and fun fairs.

5. Disney World’s Magic Kingdom - Florida.:
Disney is a city in its own with millions of tourists that come here each
year to see mickey mouse and various other Disney characters. The Magic Kingdom
is a part of the Walt Disney World Resort and was the first theme park here. The
main attractions of this theme park are Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Galaxy
Palace Theater, Disney Dreams Come true Parade and Dream Along with Mickey show.
There are several tours also to add more fun to your trip, some of the popular
ones are Steam Trains Tour, Disney’s Family Magic Tour, Mickey’s Magical
Milestones Tour and several more. Disney World’s Magic Kingdom is a must visit
destination of America and is a world of fantasy, adventure and wonder.

6. Disneyland Park - Anaheim, California:
Located in Anaheim, CA. Disneyland is truely a dream land not only for children
but also for adults. Being one of the top tourist destinations of America, it
has welcomed more than 500 million guests ever since it opened in 1955. The park
features eight themed lands with over 50 shops, 65 popular rides, 35 restaurants
along with live entertainment and mesmerizing night fireworks and Disney shows.

7. Fisherman’s Wharf - San Francisco, California:
Well Known for its historic Waterfront, beautiful bay views, delicious seafood
and unique shopping area, Fisherman’s wharf is a famous tourist destination of
America that is also popular all over the world. Some of the most popular
attractions of Fisherman’s Warf are - Wax Museum, Ripley’s Believe it Or Not
Musuem, PIER 39, Ghirardelli Square, Aquarium of the Bay and much more. It is
also popular for its street shows and performances, open shopping area, road
side seafood along with authentic restaurants.

8. Niagara Falls - New York:
lying at the border of Ontario (Canada) and New York (U.S.), Niagara Falls is a
must see destination of America. Niagara Falls mainly consist of two sections,
the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side and the American Falls on the U.S.
side. One has to see to believe the majestic beauty and humbling power of these
falls. Its beauty has been a source of inspiration for several writers and
artists. Over the years countless number of people have come here to get over
powered by its sparkling views.

9. Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Tennessee/North Carolina:
The park lies at the border of Tennessee-North Carolina. The Great Smoky
Mountains National Park is home to over 3000 plant species along with several
endangered animal species and is the most visited national park of United States
of America drawing more than 8 million of tourists each year. It is recognized
all around the world as a International Biosphere Reserve and is a World
Heritage Site.

10. Navy Pier, Chicago, Ill.:
Situated near Chicago’s downtown area, Navy Pier is a large pier on Lake
Michigan that has always been a popular tourist destination ever since it was
opened in 1916. It was initially a military training site along with being a
shipping and recreational hub. Today Navy Pier is one of the top visited
destinations of America amongst tourists and has a unique collection of
restaurants and recreational facilities.