NapaPalooza

“Some discussion has begun on another thread so I thought I would make it official.

We're talking food wine and dayhiking here (although if it was a kick-off for a trip to the Lost Coast I bet Wanderer would be happy).

What works for y'all? I'm thinking we have to look into November - start throwing out dates and hikes.”

“november.....2008. LOL

sounds like a lot of fun”

“If I carry the corkscrew, can I come too?”

“Well, a coastal adventure could be nice, but this time of year risks cold temps & windy days...

I heard tell of a couple of nice hikes up near Rob't Louis Stevenson State park, there's also Bothe in Calistoga... but if y'all are determined to head for the coast, there's lots of options...”

“Zombie - ok, November 2008 too!

Bear - of course!!

obi - you are one of "y'all" so your vote counts. I am determined to get you on another TT trip! There are plenty of nice hikes in the Napa area and it wouldn't break my heart to not drive all the way to the coast.”

“Okee Dokee... I'l start investigatin' things... got a friend who worked up at Bothe for a few years, bet she knows lots of good hikes... sending her an E tonight!”

“Bump!

This is potentially an incredible TT trip - lets' make sure it doesn't fall off the ledge :)!

I'm still up for continuing on to the Lost Coast if anyone else is up for it, but besides that, I think a Napa-Palooza trip all by itself would be awesome!

Obi - are you planning??? Can I help? (I promise no post-holing across 9000 ft peaks, LOL)”

“OK... so I'm thinking Mt. St. Helena on a Saturday... be a relatively easy day hike, great views, and a good workout. You'd be back home for supper!

More later!”

“First, who's participating?

Second, is Satuday November 3rd OK?

Third, Mt. St. Helena's the venue...

I thought we could get an early start, say 9 AM, have a lunch at the summit, then head back into Calistoga to Buster's Souther BBQ...

Who's in?”

“BUMP

Can't respond to anything here, I have a low battery signal shutting me down :(, I'm VERYB interested ti hikinhg, just can;t do details right now!”

“How about dinner at Greystone?

Wish I could join you! Sorry.”

“this proves my theory that hardly anyone form nor cal signs on to TT anymore. either that or they all hate me and don't want to go hiking with me.

I can't commit to this weekend yet - give me a day or two.”

“Greystone's very nice... that would be a nice treat, and prolly be the first time anyone showed up with packs & hiking boots!!”

“Not THIS weekend, Pep... NEXT weekend...”

“Well, disproving theories is always a great way to start the day...... :-) ......

Jerry and I can come, assuming this is Mount St. Helena on Nov 3rd.”

“I'm in also unless something blows up here at home, are you sending us a meeting spot?”

“It depends on where people are coming from, Wanderer... If you're coming from the Sacramento area, coming in from Winters would probably be easiest. If you're coming from the Napa/Vallejo/East Bay area, then Napa would do well.

RL Stevenson State Park - the gateway to Mt. St. Helena - is about halfway between Calistoga & Winters. There's a pizza place called La Prima Pizza in Calistoga, just before you head up toward the park. Ont he other hand, I don't know Winters that well, but there are plenty of places to group there, too...

It would be helpful to get a handle on who's coming... and from where...”

“Kayak camping that weekend. If the day changes, let me know. I'd be interested.”

“They make a damn good pizza in calistoga.”

“Bummer, T.

We would be coming from the west, can't remember exactly how we get there, but not via Winters.”

“wannabp, you can get here via I-5, I-80, I-580... from where would you be coming?”

“Winters would be very out of the way for anyone from the Napa area. It would work best for the Sacto folks to meet you in Napa and all head North from there. I am a maybe - wanderer, we can hook up in Davis and head on from there.”

“Let's plan to meet in Napa, then... There's an I-HOP and an Applebee's near the intersections of Imola Ave., & Soscol [aka Napa-Vallejo Hwy.]. There's a Starbucks there, too.”

“Doesn't everyone have to pass thru Calistoga? We're coming from Sonoma County.”

“wannabp, you would come in on Calistoga Road, off Hwy 12... takes you in to north end of Calistoga... go south on 128 to Main St. (Hwy. 29 intersects there, then heads East, the direction YOU want to go). Go through town, about 1 1/2 miles, on the left is La Prima...”

“La Prima? Are we visiting someone's cousin? We go to Calistoga via the back roads and never get over to Hwy 12.

Can we meet before and have dinner after in Calistoga or is that out of the way for the rest of you? Seems to me that people have to go thru Calistoga no matter where they start.”

“Calistoga sounds like an obvious meeting place but we can slow down while going through Napa to give Obi a chance to jump on the top of the car.”

“Pepperdog, just lay a blanket of velcro on the roof, and I'll jump from the overpass!

Well, it's true that we gotta go thru Calistoga, assuming we come in from the West side... but OK... La Prima was only a MEETING place, not a breakfast (or anything else) place... it's just easy to find.

However the "back roads" will get you here, wannabp, is fine with me...”

“So, Sat, Nov 3rd. What time? Is there more than one TH? I've only hiked there once before.”

“Here's a link to a Tom Stienstra article on this hike: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/01/24/SP121139.DTL”

“OK, let's meet - is 8 AM good for everyone? - in the Target parking lot, directly behind the Applebee's on Soscol, just North of Imola Ave. - it's on the West side of Soscol.

From there, it will take about 35 minutes to drive up to Calistoga, and the TH is about 15-20 minutes from there.

Wannabp, if you and anyone else who may find this more convenient wants to save the ride into Napa, then back North to Calistoga, we can rondezvous with you there, then head up to the TH.

Everyone OK with that?”

“I asked if everyone is OK with that...”