73 miles N of San Francisco
This quiet little town, 17 miles north of Napa on Highway 29, is home to many beautiful old houses and first-rate restaurants, accommodations, and shops. The former Seventh-day Adventist village manages to maintain a pseudo Old West feel while catering to upscale shoppers with deep pockets. Hence it's the destination for retail-therapy seekers. On St. Helena's Main Street, between Pope and Pine streets, you'll find trendy fashions at Pearl, 1428 Main St. (tel. 707/963-3236); Jimmy Choo shoes at Footcandy, 1239 Main St. (tel. 707/963-2040); chic pet gifts at Fideaux, 1312 Main St. (tel. 707/967-9935); custom-embroidered French linens at Jan de Luz, 1219 Main St. (tel. 707/963-1550); estate jewelry at Patina, 1342 Main St. (tel. 707/963-5445); and European home accessories, sample holiday table settings, and free gift-wrapping at Vanderbilt and Company, 1429 Main St. (tel. 707/963-1010). Most stores are open 10am to 5pm Monday through Sunday.
Shopaholics should also take the sharp turn off Highway 29, 2 miles north of downtown St. Helena, to the St. Helena Premier Outlets (tel. 707/963-7282; www.sthelenapremieroutlets.com). Featured designers include Escada, Brooks Brothers, and Tumi. The stores are open daily from 10am to 6pm.
One last favorite stop: Napa Valley Olive Oil Manufacturing Company, 835 Charter Oak Ave. (tel. 707/963-4173), at the end of the road behind Tra Vigne restaurant. The tiny market presses and bottles its own oils and sells them at a fraction of the price you'd pay elsewhere. It also has an extensive selection of Italian cooking ingredients, imported snacks, great deals on dried mushrooms, and a picnic table in the parking lot. You'll love the age-old method for totaling the bill -- which you must discover for yourself. (I won't spoil the surprise.)
If you'd like to go bicycling, the quieter, northern end of the valley is an ideal place to rent a set of wheels and pedal the Silverado Trail. St. Helena Cyclery, 1156 Main St. (tel. 707/963-7736; www.sthelenacyclery.com), rents bikes for $10 per hour or $30 a day, including rear rack, helmet, and picnic bag.
