Raven’s RV
The ongoing education and adventures of two rank newbie RVers

Nov 19, 2007

Napa, California for RVers

Filed in Cities

The basics

We didn’t stay in Napa, but we took the RV landmark-snarfing there. The historic downtown is passable for a 26′ rig but not recommended. There was no RV-sized parking that we found, so we chose a residential street for an hour’s stay. If you are going to explore, stay elsewhere and use the toad or transit to get in.

The city is located on CA-121 which is clearly signposted off CA-29. Neither road was a problem for the RV, though CA-121 becomes more wiggledy the further east you get.

The downtown area is compact enough to wander around for a few hours. It’s attractive, lively, and full of old historic buildings, which is why I was there.

Food and Drink

I noticed a number of restaurants ranging from a Nation’s Giant Burger franchise to more unique offerings. According to the official website for Napa, there are over 40 restaurants in the downtown area with 17 of then Zagat-rated.

There are, of course, many wineries, many of which have tasting facilities (hic!). Napa is considered to be “the hub” for the area wineries. I can’t recommend any personally, because that really isn’t why I was there. But a quick look through the tourist information and a knowledge of what kinds you like should be able to help you choose where to go.

What to do

Aside from visiting wineries, there looked to be a whole area full of boutiques with unique goods. I enjoyed seeing an old-style hardware store and there were several antiques stores also. The Napa Downtown Association has much more information. Keep an eye out for the outlets, too.

There are 43 parks in Napa and you can hike parts of the Napa River Trail (it isn’t fully complete at this time). Make sure you check out the Presbyterian church (Third and Randolph)–it’s exquisite and beautiful (and Napa’s only state historic landmark). The outskirts of downtown is full of gorgeous old Victorian houses and the streets are lined by mature trees. There’s an overview of buildings to visit here, including an old mill, a tannery, and the Holden Mansion.

Please note that Napa is not a “budget” town. ;)

Campgrounds

Skyline Wilderness Park
2201 Imola Avenue, Napa
Napa Valley Expo
Third Street, between Juarez and Bailey Streets
Discounts: Good Sam, Western Fairs Association
Spanish Flat Resort at Lake Berryessa
4290 Knoxville Road, Napa
120 sites

Nearby American Canyon Wal-Mart does not allow overnight stays.

A very brief history of Napa

The original city was laid out in 1847; its location by the river made it ideal for trading. Fueled by gold mining, European and Asian immigrants soon settled and gold miners used to spend the winter here. The city’s rapid growth from then onwards can be attributed to the establishment of a steam boat ferry, followed later by rail. Now, Napa is the county town and one of the main stops when you are exploring the wine country.

Forty years ago, the industry here was mostly agricultural: prune growing, tanning and the trading of fine leather. Most jobs were blue collar. Nowadays, though, it’s moved towards upscale living and white collar employment. A look in the window of any real estate shop is apt to make me cough in disbelief. ;)

Trivia for the day: the loudspeaker was invented in Napa. Peter Jensen and Edwin Pridham had their workshop here, and later went on to form Magnavox!