While we really could have just wasted the entire day away at the spa, lounging beside the pool or in the sauna, we all eventually fell victim to hunger, and a world-famous burger joint, Taylor's Refresher, was calling our name from across the street. Now, the Napa Valley is filled with top-notch restaurants offering delicacies from around the world, but who can resist the aroma of a mouth-watering juicy burger. Not us! When presented with the healthy spa options vs. the artery-clogging red meat delight, we all unanimously agreed that we were on vacation to indulge.
Afterwards, we walked the streets of downtown St. Helena and once again engaged in a little retail therapy. There was an electic mix of stores, everything from clothing and jewelry to olive oils and soaps. The only disappointment was that we didn't make it to the Culinary Institute of America located just a little North of St. Helena. We simply ran out of time thanks to the abundance of cute stores.
From St. Helena, we headed back South to Yountville for dinner at Bottega, a restaurant owned by chef Michael Chiarello. He has a show on The Food Network. This restaurant is awesome! It's upscale, but far from stuffy. The waitstaff is top notch, but not arrogant. Oh, and the food is delicious. We unanimously agreed that this was our favorite restaurant. Celadon from the first night came in a very close second, just in case you're taking notes for a future trip.
All in all, I have to say that day 3 was the definition of relaxation: pampering at the spa, shopping, and an incredible dinner experience. It would be tough to top, but we were sure gonna' try on day 4, our final day together.
We woke up bright and early again on Tuesday, day 4. Before you're too impressed with our early rising, let me explain that 4 of us were operating on a different time zone. So waking up at 7am in Napa was equivalent to waking up at 10am at home. It was perfect for everyone, except Anne who was in her home time zone. 7am was still 7am for her, but she didn't seem to mind.
As it turns out though, we were a bit over eager. We arrived at our first stop, Chandon Winery, to sample some sparkling wines at about 9:45am. Well...they didn't open until 10am. What?! We would have to wait until 10am to drink alcohol?! What's wrong with these people? We snapped a few quick photos and decided to head up the road to the Dean & Deluca market to stock up on picnic foods instead.
Again, we found no shortage of delicious offerings. We all made our selections and loaded back into the car. We were bound for Robert Mondavi Winery where we had an 11am tour reservation.
The landscape is absolutely beautiful, but we found the tour to be a bit mundane. Our guide was nice, but rather robotic in nature. She shared tons and tons of factual information about how wine is produced, but with very little personality.
From the vineyard itself, we made our way inside and learned about the process of turning grapes into wine. I won't go into the details, but it's truly fascinating. If you enjoy wine, then a trip to Napa is an absolute must. 
Finally, we made it to the tasting room. I mean, the informational tour is fascinating and all, but what everyone really looks forward to is the tasting! This is also, coincidentally, when our tour guide finally perked up. Maybe it's better to book the afternoon tour at Mondavi. She may be a riot after a few tastings.
From Mondavi, we headed to our picnic spot, Rutherford Hill Winery. Perched high on top of a mountain, we toasted our final day in Napa and enjoyed our Dean & Deluca goodies while taking in the gorgeous view.
After lunch, we stopped along the roadside to pose with the mustard growing in the vineyards. Our trip happened to fall during Napa's Mustard Festival. We figured we needed a few pictures to commemorate the event, even if we didn't participate in any of the formal festivities.
Next on the agenda, Frog's Leap Winery. This was my absolute favorite stop on my last Napa trip. It's an organic winery with tons and tons of character. We tasted a few of their newer wines, lingered on the grounds for a bit, and then set off in search of sparkling wine since we missed out on it earlier.
The final stop was Mumm Winery. Sparkling wines are their speciality, and we did our very best to sample each and every offering. Here, the tastings are served on a patio overlooking the vineyard. Our waiter, James, turned out to be a UGA alum like Kelly and me, although he graduated a bit ahead of us in 1974. Turns out he is from Cordele, GA which is just up the road from our hometown. It truly is a small world, and James seemed just as thrilled to run into some fellow Georgians. He treated us to a few extra flutes, including 2 types of sparkling pinot noir. We had never tried red sparkling wines, but we're now big fans. What an experience! Two thumbs up!
And with that, our winery tours and tastings came to an end. We headed back into Napa to ship our wine purchases home. Amy and I turned out to be the biggest lushes. I purchased 9 bottles, but Amy took the grand prize with 14. We were just doing our part to stimulate the local economy. Times are tough. Tourists are down, but the charm and character are still at high levels. If you're looking for a vacation spot, Napa is my recommendation.
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