We went on a vacation that wasn’t Disney!
In October we traveled to wine country for my brother-in-law’s 30th birthday with family. Luckily, my sister-in-law made the entire itinerary. I was very reluctant to take our toddler but in the end we did, and we all had such a great time. We stayed 3 nights in Yountville, California at Hotel Yountville.
In this post I will share the itinerary as well as tips for navigating the trip with a toddler!
Day 1: Travel Day, Winery, & Dinner
Once we were settled we all went to a winery called Cliff Lede and enjoyed a wine tasting outside on their back patio. This winery is not as popular outside of Napa Valley as some of the big name wineries, but Cliff Lede did not lack in the taste department one bit! Each wine we tasted was great, and our sommelier customized our tasting for each person based on his or her preference. One thing I found interesting here was that their vineyards are named after classic rock songs. They even play classic rock music while you are tasting! All in all, it was a wonderful and laid back introduciton to our wine tasting journey on this trip.
For dinner that evening, our group had a late dinner reservation while my husband and I had an earlier reservation (if you have a toddler, you know why we opted for an earlier time) at Bistro Jeanty. We enjoyed a delicious tomato soup (what Bistro Jeanty is known for), croissant bread pudding, espresso martinis, and much more at Bistro Jeanty for evening number one!
Cliff Lede Winery
Bistro Jeanty
Day 2: Bakery, Winery, Lunch, Winery & Dinner
On day 2 we began with a trip to a local bakery in Yountville, Bouchon Bakery. This was just a short walk down the street from where we were staying, making for a very lovely and convenient breakfast. We all enjoyed coffee and various pastries outside in a brisk California morning.
After breakfast, grandma babysat the tot while we “kids” were able to go to Silver Creek for a tasting! Highly recommend. Silver Creek is located on a breathtaking property that seems to span across all of Napa Valley and makes for a perfect photo op! The tasting here was second to none, partially due to the fact that our sommelier, Peggy, was so fantastic, knowledgable, and high energy. Our group truly had a wonderful time here.
For Lunch we ate at La Calenda where we shared a pitcher of margaritas, queso fundido, fresh guacamole, tacos, tamales, and just about everything else on the menu! All of our food tasted so fresh and delicious that it made us want to come back the next day (we didn't, but we wanted to!). The staff was very friendly and fun, as they humored our attempts at ordering in spanish.
After lunch we ventured out to Castello di Amorosa. As you approach the venue, you drive uphill surrounded by trees on either side, overlooking beautiful landscape as far as the eye can see. Once at the top, your jaw drops in awe at this beautiful European castle that you get to enjoy your tasting inside of, as well as tour the grounds! This was a favorite amongst the group as far as location is concerned.
For dinner, we had a “late” reservation at Restoration Hardware. We brought our little girl and she was asleep before dessert. The restaurant was stunning - would you expect anything less from Restoration Hardware? The food and drinks were all so tasty too, and our dessert was cookies and ice cream!
Bouchon Bakery, Silver Creek, La Calenda
Castello di Amorosa, Restoration Hardware
Day 3: Winery, Lunch, & Dinner
On day 3 we all went to Cake Bread Cellars for a tour and tasting (more family joined us there as well!) This was such a fun tour - very in depth with a lot of information about the history of Cake Bread, the wine making process, and their facilities. Every wine we tasted here was so amazing, that it's hard to pick a favorite. Our tour guide was so good and could answer any question we threw at her.
After the tour we went to lunch at Gotts Roadside. Wow, what a place! Known for their burgers, Gotts is a small "backyard" style restaurant that has incredible food, which you can enjoy while sitting at a picnic table in their "backyard." It was a very cute spot and we had great weather to enjoy it! My husband says Gotts has the best burger he has ever had, by the way!
On this night, we opted for a different dinner than the group and went to Bouchon. Bouchon is a french restaurant owned by Thomas Keller, who also owns French Laundry! We enjoyed french onion soup, steak and frites, creme brulee, and a wonderful wine to tie everything together! Our daughter even had a scoop of vanilla ice cream and shortbread cookies on the house, which she thoroughly enjoyed! We could not recommend Bouchon enough.
Cakebread Cellars, Gotts Roadside, Bouchon
Wrapping Up
As you can see, we had an absolutely amazing time in Napa! Our toddler also enjoyed the beautiful weather and the company. If you are considering taking your little one with you, be sure to check what wineries/restaurants do not allow children before making reservations. However, don't let that deture you because there are so many great options that do! You won't see a lot of kiddos around, but everyone was so hospitable towards us and our daughter. I can't wait to go back some day!
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