Wine Country Cobra Parking?

[Guppiedriver]

Anyone have a recommendation for a hotel/motel/B&B in the wine country that has secure overnight Cobra parking? Thanks Mark.

[SCOBRAC]

The Napa Valley is a pretty secure place. Not much crime. That said there isn't much in in the way of indoor parking. I'd suggest a car cover with a lock. Most B&B's are not readily visible from the road. Most I'm familliar with are on isolated plots. I'd stay out of Downtown Napa overnight. Yountville, Oakville St. Helena and anyplace that isn't identified as a "street" Main Street, Jefferson Street, etc are very very safe, the more isolated country B&B's are on Lanes, Avenues and Roads.

Price and service are main consderations. Ask whether the B&B in question has a private bath for the room you are asking about. The more expensive ones will. The less expensive ones will not. Breakfast is another big factor. Some offer a complete menue, some are limited. Some offer continental (donughts and coffee maybe cereal and fruit).

Now is the most reasonable time to visit the Valley. Tourists are generally gone and the rains are about over. Everything is green albeit a bit chilly.

Have Fun.

[Lumberman]

If you can give me an idea of how many cars that may need parking for, the dates and a range in price for accommodations I would be willing to investigate locations for you. I have a fair amount of business in Napa and up Valley and get up there a couple times a week.

[badrich]

I find it interesting that when people think about "wine country" in California, it is usually the Napa Valley. While it is a beautiful place and there are many very good wines being produced there, especially Cabernet Sauvignon, I think it has become overly commercial. Consider Sonoma County, especially the Russian River Region. It is much less commercial, more friendly, and being cooler, has superior Bergundian varietals, like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. They also make great old vine Zinfandel and Syrah. A great place to stay and dine (superior restaurant) is at the Farm House on River Road in Forestville. It is on the left going towards the ocean. Unfortunately, no special Cobra parking that I know of. Should be able to park outside your room though.

If you're interested in great wine locally, consider the Santa Cruz Mountains. There are a number of fine wineries available right here in your back yard. I have no idea where decent B&Bs might be located. Worth a Google, though. Some great roads to drive on. But don't forget: the operative word is "taste," not drink, when you're driving, especially a Cobra. While "spitting" is tough to do when you're tasting really good wine, it is the right thing to do when you're visiting a number of wineries. Save the drinking for once you've stopped for the evening.

To my Napa enthusiasts, I'll quote the formerly funny comedian, Dennis Miller, "But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong." Rich

[SCOBRAC]

While what you say is true rich it is also far flung and segmented with Carneros to the east (not technically a Napa Apalacia) all the way up to the Anderson Valley in the north out to The Russian river in the west, literally 1000's of square miles. You are also far more likely to be killed accidently wandering into a marijuana garden at the end of a country road than finding a winery.

While Napa is more commercialized (some would say civilized) it it is also compact, essentially 27 miles long and 5 miles wide with only two lovely highways to choose from, but plenty of back roads.

It easy to reach from the bay area and far higher on the snooty scale of Cobra life than Rio Nido or Healdsburg, and your Cobra will be greeted with enthusiasm and appreciation. Many places in Sonoma County you are likely to be ticketed or even jailed for driving a gross polluter.

You will find a women in Napa take the time to shave under their arms and sometimes even their legs. That is something rare in Sonoma County... Or Santa Cruz, I am quite sure of the latter as I married the only girl in Santa Cruz known to shave daily

Napa also recently opened, Copia, The American Center for Food and Wine. It also features Gerystone, the Culinary Institute of California Campus in St. Helena, The Napa Factory Outlets and was the setting for the imortal 80's movie Howard the Duck.

Napa also posseses something Sonaoma will never have, simply it is perhaps the most beautiful place on earth. I'm not the only one who thinks so.

[cobradriver]

Jeeeeeeeeeeeeezzzzz,

The guy asks for some help and recommendations for places to stay and the thread turns into a debate about what constitues the wine country. I have an idea, why don't you guys debate the merits of orginal v. real v. replicar.......... that's never been done.

OK nuff said on that.




I have organized a small group of cobras "Snakes in the Grapes" for 5 day tours through Napa and Sonoma Counties. The following establishments have been very helpful, provide off street parking and have agreed to atleast be aware of some valuable hardware in the parking lot.

MacArthurs Place - Sonoma - a great spot. Stacy Ward is your contact http://www.macarthurplace.com/intro.php
Phone: 707-938-2929
Email: info@Macarthur place.com
Contact: Stacy Ward
Mailing Address: 29 East MacArthur Street Sonoma, CA 95476


El Dorado - Sonoma - on the square http://www.hoteleldorado.com/)

Hotel Healdsburg - Jason Farmer is your contact www.hotelhealdsburg.com/)

Villagio - Yountville http://www.villagio.com/
Phone: 707 944-8877
Contact: Tracy
Address: 6481 Washington Street, Yountville Ca

Inn at Southbridge - St. Helena - Sarah Parisi is your contact http://www.innatsouthbridge.com/index.htm

Vintner's Inn - (just north of Santa Rosa in the vineyards) http://www.vintnersinn.com/
Vintners Inn -
4350 Barnes Road -
Santa Rosa, CA -
p 707 575-7350 -
f 707 575-1426

These are four-star plus accommodations and we have never had anyone touch a car.

Hope this helps.

Cobradriver - Snakes in the Grapes; chief snake charmer.

[cobrasnake]

Mark,

My wife and I spent a couple of nights at Indian Springs in Calistoga this past August. It is a spa, not a B&B - no food served, but is a 5 minute walk to downtown Calistoga. The accomodations consist of a series of single or duplex one story bungalows with good size kitchenettes - refer, stove, table. We also had a back porch and front porch to relax. They have a huge pool (70x150' +/-) heated by the on-site geyser (open till midnight for stargazing) along with a spa where you can get massages, mud baths, etc. The resort has a feel of the 1930's-40's - pleasant and clean - not a 5 star joint but enjoyable.

We drove the Cobra up - stopping along the way - as usual lots of looks but no issues with the car. The nice thing about Indian Springs is that for most of the rooms, you park your car in a quasi reserved spot in front of your room along an alternate driveway - a distance of 25' or so between your car and the door. Some of the rooms have parking in the rear - I would not feel as comfortable with those - you should ask. I covered the car each night - the looky-lou's came out in the morning to see what was under the cover - it felt pretty safe due to proximity to our room and the type of people we saw around. I did feel badly on the second night when we got back to the room after 11PM - it was dead quiet - except for the melody coming from my sidepipes - I have never tried to keep the noise down more than that night. Fortunately I could glide into my spot but I still made a racket.

This is a great place to take the kids - besides the pool, they have shuffle board, bocci ball, volleyball, tennis, basketball I think, BBQ's, lawns. Probably not an option in the roadster - but food for thought for another time.

Tom

[Randy Rosenberg]

We've taken our Cobra to two locations in Sonoma where I felt comfortable leaving her overnight (covered):

1. The Sonoma Mission Inn - http://www.fairmont.com/sonoma/ - this is a very high end, luxury resort and spa. The offer vallet parking, however when we pulled in, the vallet lead us to underground parking that was very isolated from the "lowly" Benz's, Porsches, Bimmers, and such While we were out during the day, the vallet kept "our spot" unoccupied by placing pile-ons in front of "our spot". I must admit that when I fired up our Cobra that early Saturday morning in the underground parking facility, it was kinda funny to watch (and hear) all of the car alarms going off

2. The Sonoma Valley Inn - http://www.sonomavalleyinn.com/ - this is a Best Western located two blocks from "the square". We've stayed here many times, most notibly during the Nor Cal Mini-Nats. They have a separate parking area in the back in front of the suites. The maintenance man is into auto-cross, so he was more than happy to keep an eye on our Cobra.

Over New Year's we visited family staying at MacArthur Place (while we stayed at the Sonoma Valley Inn for 1/2 the price . I agree with Cobradriver that it is a safe place - I would have no problem parking our Cobra over night there, as long as we were not staying in one of the "buildings" that face the main highway into downtown Sonoma.

Tho we've only taken our Cobra to Calistoga once, we've been there many times - most of the times we stayed at Dr. Wilkinson's - http://www.drwilkinson.com/ . Calistoga is a nice cross between "Main Street" and a "sleepy little town". It's a place where you "park and walk". Besides Tom's advice for Indian Springs - http://www.indianspringscalistoga.com/index.html - (which Bessie and I may try next month for anniversary), I highly recommend the Cottage Grove Inn - http://www.cottagegrove.com/ - right across the street from the Indian Springs. These are individual cottages, beautifully decorated with reserved parking in front of each cottage - this is where we stayed when we drove our Cobra that one time.

Have Fun,
Randy R...

[Guppiedriver]

Thank you all for the great suggestions. I think we have a plan coming together! Mark.