Located on the scenic Putah Creek, this resort is also close to Lake Berryessa, one of the largest freshwater lakes in California. The lake’s 160-mile shoreline provides ample room for fishing, swimming, rowing, sailing, or waterskiing.     

 

The trout fishing is excellent on the resort, which is directly downstream from the fish “drop off” point where the creek is replenished each week.     

 

To the south is the Napa Valley, America’s best known wine region with its 24,000 acres of vineyards. Most of the major wineries are located along Highway 29, as are several small towns, all with shops and restaurants serving fine produce from the surrounding countryside.     

 

Napa, the county seat, lies at the southern entrance to the valley.  A self-guided walking tour through the town reveals classic Victorian architecture in many of its homes, inns, restaurants, and antique shops.     

 

Sonoma County, on west of Napa, was settled by a mix of European immigrants, Spanish missionaries, and Mexican soldiers and now serves as a colorful introduction to California’s early history.     

 

The town of Sonoma, the birthplace of the county, is about an hour’s drive from the resort. Its plaza, laid out by the Mexican General Mariano Vallejo in 1835, is surrounded by the largest collection of Mexican-era adobes north of Monterey, including Mission San Francisco de Solano, built in 1823. These structures sit side by side with western-style false-front buildings and Italian basalt structures that today house the Toscano Hotel, the Blue Wing Inn, and Sonoma Barracks. Together with the mission, they form Sonoma State Historic Park.     

 

Sacramento, to the east, is the state capitol, and has a pioneer history that began in 1839 with Captain John A. Sutter, a Swiss immigrant. “Old Town,” the original Gold Rush-era town of Sacramento, is preserved in 28 acres of original brick and masonry buildings along the Sacramento River.