We had a hair-raising ride yesterday over the mountains from the I-5 in through the back door to the Napa Valley. We took a secondary road that led through a lovely hilly area with ranches and lakes. But behind these benign hills lurked a mountain road. You can see the mountains in the background below.
At Clear lake we headed south into Middletown and that's when the challenge began. The road led up and over the pass. There was a warning that it was too twisty for trucks over 65 feet. Well, we're only 21 feet and it's hard to imagine any truck much longer than that managing the road. The 19 mile drive felt like it was 100 miles. I was too busy clenching my teeth to even take a photograph. I counted over 25 hairpins, some of them so tight that we had to slow to 15 mph. If you had a little sports car or a motorcycle it would be a fun ride but in the motorhome it was not so fun. Mohita actually did beautifully, aside from a little brake pad overheating.
Anyway we're now in Calistoga and it's a cute little town. Last night we walked from the fairgrounds where we're camped into town to dine an elegant upscale restaurant. This morning we're sitting in the Calistoga Roastery studying the wine tour map to see where we'll head today. The skies are grey but the air is warm. Rain is expected here and it seems it will be very welcome as they've been experiencing a dry season. Today we'll visit some wineries and then head south on 101.
Oh I so love and miss that area.
ReplyDeleteCallistoga is one of my favorite towns.
Lucky You, except for that road. I have been on that road it is twisty.
cheers, parsnip