Napa Valley: A Family-Friendly Getaway

 It turns out that both Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley do have a little something for everyone.

First Stop: Indian Springs Resort

Our Napa Valley family trip began at Indian Springs Resort in Calistoga.  This area of Napa Valley is a wonderful spot for families.  Calistoga is a small, charming, non-pretentious town nestled in the northernmost tip of Napa Valley.  It’s famous for its natural hot springs, healing mud baths, and resorts.

If we weren’t lounging by or floating in the pools, we were most likely exploring the grounds on the resort’s complimentary bikes.  It’s a large property, so there is a lot to see and do.  Besides the opulent pools, the resort offers amenities like a children’s play area, and a variety of games like shuffleboard, bocce ball, and croquet.  There is even the opportunity to feed their resident chickens at their on-site chicken coop.

The center of town is within a hop skip and jump of the resort, so we also hopped on our bikes and ventured out to Calistoga, indulging in a delectable breakfast followed by some retail therapy.

I found Indian Springs to be perfect for families.  It has a little something for everyone.   Besides the fabulous pools and grounds, there is also a full-service spa and a delicious restaurant on-site which makes the whole stay even more convenient and relaxing.

For our final night in Wine Country, we swapped our peaceful retreat for a thrilling escapade at Safari West.

Safari West is a full-on safari experience right here in California. It’s a 400-acre, private wildlife preserve located in Santa Rosa, California.  Safari West is home to nearly 900 animals representing more than 90 different species. These animals find themselves roaming across some of the largest enclosures in the United States.

The Safari itself is roughly three hours and comes in two parts, both awesome.  The first 45 minutes of the safari consists of a walking tour. This casual stroll takes you through an aviary and visits several animal enclosures.  We saw amazing birds, cheetahs, porcupines, and many more amazing animals.The second part of the safari is in an open-air, customized, classic Dodge Power Wagon. It is exactly the vehicle you’d expect on a safari. We got lucky and got to sit in the upper seats located above the driver. This gives you a unique view of the park, optimized for giraffes, that is well worth the extra sun. This part of the tour takes you through several large animal habitats with free-roaming, mixed animals.  When you imagine a safari, this is exactly what pops up in your mind. Animals roaming free, doing their thing. This was our favorite part as it gave us some up close and personal experiences with some of the animals.

We wanted the full safari experience, so we stayed after our safari and spent the night in one of the luxurious “glamping” style tents imported from Lobatse, Batswana. They all come with comfortable beds, polished wood floors, full bathrooms, a private deck, and loads of sounds from the neighboring animals to keep you entertained throughout the night. FYI, if you are a light sleeper it would be wise to bring earplugs as the animals tend to get pretty noisy all night long.

If you can swing it, I recommend spending the night at Safari West.  It was an experience none of us will ever forget.  It’s unique and a lot of fun for both the kids and adults alike.  I have a more in-depth post about Safari West and our Safari experience right here if you would like to read more.

Without a doubt, our four-day journey in Napa Valley was a well-rounded family adventure. Perfectly blending tranquility with a dash of adventure, it quickly debunked our initial reservations. Turns out, Napa Valley caters to all, young and old!