NAPA VALLEY: JUNE 7 - 10, 2018 •
SAN FRANCISCO: JUNE 10 - 14, 2018
If you’re looking for gifts to bring home, you’re spoiled for choice here! Oxbow Market is walking distance from your hotel and you’ll find all sorts of wines, cheeses, charcuterie, olive oils, vinegars and condiments. Remember, the only way to ensure you’re making the right selection is to sample, sample, sample!
Napa Valley proves contemporary art and wine is a classic pairing. Your first stop is Di Rosa, a 200-acre museum and sculpture park. Hess Collection is esteemed for both its wine and its art; Mumm Napa Winery showcases photography, including Ansel Adams. Your concierge can determine the perfect museum or winery for your aesthetic tastes.
Napa Valley offers everything from one-day courses to week-long retreats to ignite your passion. Market tour with a renowned chef? Hands-on classes with regional artisanal offerings? Sublime tastings of the finest food in the country? Treat yourself in the American mecca of local, organic sustainable cuisine.
The eccentric town of Calistoga is bursting with spas, all offering therapeutic mineral waters and mud baths from local hot springs and volcanic ash. Whether you’re looking for a five-star opulent experience or a quirky uplifting treatment, you’ll find what you need. And check out the Old Faithful Geyser of California, which erupts every 40 minutes!
There are 70,000 acres of protected land here, with an impressive array of natural sights. Explore hills, mountains, lakes, wetlands, waterfalls, even Mount St. Helena, by bike, foot or horseback. For a true change in perspective, rent a canoe or enjoy a hot air balloon at sunset.
Leave your worries behind and board this antique railcar. Over the course of six hours, you’ll enjoy a four-course meal, learn about the region’s history and stop at three wineries.
This legendary federal penitentiary housed prisoners from 1934 to 1963. Its top-of-the-line security equipment and surrounding icy cold waters made it an inescapable prison, though stories remain of those who tried. The vistas out of the prison windows will haunt you; they were designed to offer a tantalizing view of beauty and freedom.
This Italian quarter packs a lot of cheerful buzz into a small space, echoing the city streets of Europe. During the day, enjoy a cappuccino and a gallery; at night, try gelato and jazz. At the top of Telegraph Hill, check out Coit Tower with its fresco murals depicting 1930s San Francisco and breathtaking views.
Get your hippie on with a trip back to the psychedelic 60s. The neighbourhood may be kitschy, but remains full of vintage boutiques, record stores and eclectic restaurants. Try a self-guided tour to check out the homes of Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane. Grab a selfie at the Painted Ladies, the famous colourful Victorian homes in a row.
Start at Dragon’s Gate and keep up to the bustle of 24 blocks of food markets, temples, karaoke bars, herbalists, specialty shops and unique restaurants. Learn about the impressive and troubled history of the community at the Chinese Historical Society of America Museum. Finish off at the unbelievable Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory.
The harbour has always been central to this city’s character. Stroll along the pier and imagine the kaleidoscope of cultures arriving to their new home. Imagine the city falling out of view as young WWII enlistees headed overseas to an uncertain future, and learn more at nearby Fort Mason. Try a sunset cruise for a unique view of the city.
San Francisco hits all the cultural notes with internationally acclaimed opera, ballet and symphony, with classical and contemporary bents. If you prefer a scientific show, visit the California Academy of Sciences, which houses an aquarium, four-story rainforest, planetarium, and natural history museum.