Aurora Park Cottages

More than just a bed and breakfast, Aurora Park Cottages is your private Calistoga vacation retreat in Napa Valley wine country. Located in beautiful Calistoga, the spa capital of California, our peaceful, country haven is just minutes from world-class Napa Valley wineries, excellent restaurants, and quaint gift shops.

In the Neighborhood: Located in Calistoga close to Aurora Park, Zahtila Vineyards (707-942-9251) has picnic tables and beautiful rose gardens.

Luscious reds: Vincent Arroyo (707-942-6995) is a small winery offering big, full-bodied red wines. Friendly and laid back, the winery has gained noterity for its Petite Sirah, and for its black lab J.J. If you're lucky, you may just catch her scaling the wine barrels for a dog biscuit.

Award-winning whites: Known for its classic Chardonnays, Cuvaision (707-942-2461) has also earned a reputation for its hospitality. From its picnic grounds, to its private wine library, to its expansive wine cave dining room, this place knows how to throw a party. Ask your innkeeper to set up a wine cave tour.

Wine and a view: Located on a tree-covered knoll overlooking the Napa Valley, Rombauer Vineyards (800-622-2206) offers lovely views, walking paths, and tasty varietals (particularly the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon). Interesting note: the owner is the great nephew of Irma Rombauer, the author of The Joy of Cooking.

Local classics: Helena View Johnston Vineyards (707-942-4956) is located just minutes away from Aurora Park Cottages in the shadow of Mount Saint Helena. Accompanying the beautiful views are picnic tables and the ambiance of a laidback afternoon. Tasting and tours by appointment.

Also noteworthy:

Sterling Vineyards - famous tram ride up to the hilltop tasting room (707-942-3344)

• Zahtila Vineyards - www.zahtilavineyards.com - Located in Calistoga close to Aurora Park with picnic tables and beautiful rose gardens.
• Vincent Arroyo - www.vincentarroyowinery.com - A small winery offering big, full-bodied red wines. Friendly and laid back, the winery has gained notoriety for its Petite Sirah, and for its black lab J.J.
• Bennett Lane Winery - www.bennettlane.com - This is a winery not to miss, with one of Napa’s friendliest tasting rooms and some amazing Napa wine!
• Cuvaision - www.cuvaison.com - Known for its classic Chardonnays, it has also earned a reputation for its hospitality. From its picnic grounds, to its private wine library, to its expansive wine cave dining room, this place knows how to throw a party.
• Rombauer Vineyards - www.rombauer.com - Located on a tree-covered knoll overlooking the Napa Valley, with lovely views, walking paths, and tasty varietals.
• Helena View Johnston Vineyards - www.napavintners.com/wineries - Located just minutes away from Aurora Park Cottages in the shadow of Mount Saint Helena.
• Sterling Vineyards - www.sterlingvineyards.com - Famous tram ride up to the hilltop tasting room.
• Lavender Hill Spa - www.lavenderhillspa.com - Tiny Calistoga is home to more than 20 spas and massage centers, and all are great, but we have a particular affinity for Lavender Hill just down the road. Catering to couples, treatments at Lavendar Hill take place in charming, private bath cottages.
• Ca’ toga Galleria D’ Arte - www.catoga.com - Featuring the works of artist Carlo Marchiori, this unconventional art gallery displays ceiling murals, wall decorations, art objects, sculptures and cast stone garden ornaments.
• Petrified Forest - www.petrifiedforest.org - Trees felled and petrified by a centuries-ago volcanic eruption lie along a pleasant walking path.
• Safari West - www.safariwest.com - Hidden in the hills west of Calistoga is a 400-acre wildlife park that gives visitors an African encounter.

World-renowned for its rejenvenating mud baths and hot springs, tiny Calistoga is home to more than 20 spas and massage centers. All are great, but we have a particular affinity for Lavender Hill Spa just down the road. Catering to couples, treatments at Lavendar Hill take place in charming, private bath cottages.

If you prefer to stay in your cottage here at Aurora Park, we highly recommend Special Occasion Massage (707-529-9401) Their trained therapists will arrive right at your cottage door, bringing everything needed for a truly rejuvenating and peaceful experience.

For its size, Calistoga has an amazing collection of restaurants. In fact, the town boasts the largest variety of restaurants in the Napa Valley. Here are a few with consistent rave reviews from our guests.

Tra Vigne (707-963-4444) The name (pronounced Trah-Veen-yay) means "among the vines." And while the Mediterranean-style enclave is easily accessible from the highway, it is in fact a place set apart among the vines, creating the illusion of an enchanted Italian village. The creations--from antipasti to pastas, entrées and desserts--pay passionate homage to traditional Italian cookery while importing the enriching element of American innovation. Call it "Neo-Italiano," if you like.

Terra Restaurant (707-963-8931) Husband-and-wife team Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani's highly-rated St. Helena Franco-Californian with Asian accents "has it all" -- "gorgeous, unusual, unforgettable" cuisine served by an "amazing staff" in a "romantic", "quietly elegant" stone-walled dining room;... "definitely a destination place that always delivers." -- Zagat. Chef Hiro Sone was named 2003 "Best California Chef" by The James Beard Foundation.

La Toque (707-963-9770) La Toque, Chef Ken Frank's restaurant in the Napa Valley. La Toque serves a French inspired prix fixe menu with choices at each course. In addition to the extensive wine list, a wine pairing menu is offered nightly with wines chosen by Sommelier Scott Tracy and Ken to match each dish on the menu, showcasing his passion for food and wine.

Brannan's Grill (707-942-2233) As you enter Brannan's, take note of our beautifully restored, circa 1880, solid mahogany Brubswick & Company bar. You are always welcome to come in for a glass of wine from our extensive wine-by-the-glass menu, or a cocktail and appetizer to start your evening.

Greystone at the Culinary Institute of America (707-967-1010) Featuring California's bounty from the land and sea, Greystone Restaurant at the Culinary Institute in St. Helena, is a both a taste treat and a visual feast. Each table offers a view of the chefs at work in the large, long, open kitchen. The beverage menu offers unique tasting flights as well as the chefs' favorite wines by the glass or bottle.

All Seasons Café & Wine Shop (707-942-6828) features fresh wine country produce and Pacific seafood on its California-style menu. Its impressive wine list includes highly allocated and small production wines from California, Burgundy, Rhone Valley, Loire Valley and more.

Calistoga Inn (707-942-4101) offers a popular outdoor dining patio stretching along the right bank of the Napa River. A great option for lunch, the restaurant serves hearty beers from its onsite brewery.

Interested in more than mud and Merlots? The Calistoga area offers a number of attractions from the quirky to the grand. Here are a some suggestions:

Ca' toga Galleria D' Arte (707-942-3900). Featuring the works of artist Carlo Marchiori, this unconventional art gallery displays ceiling murals, wall decorations, art objects, sculptures and cast stone garden ornaments. On Saturdays from May through October, the artist also offers tours of his splendid home (Villa Ca' toga), decorated almost entirely in trompe l'oeil frescoes.

Petrified Forest (707-942-6667). A bit on the kitchsy side, The Petrified Forest is nonetheless an interesting destination. Trees felled and petrified by a centuries-ago volcanic eruption lie along a pleasant walking path. Snap a picture of The Giant, a 60-foot redwood buried over three million years ago at the ripe old age of 2,000.

Safari West (800-616-2695). Hidden in the hills west of Calistoga is a 400-acre wildlife park that gives visitors an African encounter - without the marathon plane ride and Malaria shots. Two-hour tours of the simulated Serengeti are held on real safari jeeps. Don't miss the fascinating bird aviary.

Have an Adventure

Up, up and away. Float above the vineyards and wineries of the Napa Valley in a colorful hot-air balloon. Calistoga Balloons (1-888-995-7700) provides a unique birds-eye view of our lovely region. Your flight experience includes balloon setup and inflation, an hour-long flight (weather permitting), and breakfast back on the ground.

Wine Tours. Nothing quite compares to a custom limousine wine tour of the beautiful Napa Valley. Whether you are just visiting, or live here in the Bay Area, a personal wine tour offers an incomparable way to see Napa Valley. Your guide will do the driving to some of California's finest wineries while you sit back and relax in your personal limousine and take in the scenic wonders of the wine country. We highly recommend Reserve Wine Tours (707-953-1763) and Beau Limousine (707-257-0887).

Calistoga Bikeshop (707-942-9687) Calistoga Bikeshop has a fleet of new rental bicycles that you can reserve for your visit. Riding bikes in Napa Valley is fun and Calistoga has some very special riding experiences that you will want to make part of your visit.

Shop Calistoga

Walk down the road a piece into lovely Calistoga and enjoy an afternoon strolling and shopping. Gift stores, coffee shops, and cafes line both sides of the street -- beckoning you to shop 'til you drop. Extend your spa experience in Mudd Hens (707-942-0210), a gift shop specializing in bath and body products, including a Calistoga mud bar. Zenobia (707-942-1050) offers unusual jewelry, handbags, and home décor items.