This is my second time to ride the Napa Valley Vine Trail. The last time was exactly 2 years ago. I explored some new places and met some nice people along the way. My total miles were 26.1, and the weather was picture perfect. It was 50 degrees and my ears got a little cold… they must stick out too much.😆
I parked my car at Kennedy Park, and unloaded my bike. After riding 5,000 miles and hauling my bike across most of the western states, I’m used to it.
Kennedy Park was a great place to start my ride…. Flat, lots of parking, and bathrooms. Good bathrooms are an increasingly valuable part of my travels… being 61.
I snapped this picture of the “Chaser” a Sea Scout ship based in Napa. Built in 1958, it was a Fish and Game research vessel. Formerly the M/V Albacore. You never know what you will find… if you keep your eyes open.
I love trains. I got to see one of the locomotives that are part of the Napa Valley Wine Train which travels on a 36-mile round-trip to St. Helena and back, stopping at wineries along the way.
The train operates along tracks that were originally constructed by the Napa Valley Railroad founded by early California pioneer Samuel Brannan in 1864.
Once I rode north to the 3rd Street bridge, I lost track of the Vine Trail. I got lucky and met up with 3 riders who guided me through downtown Napa up Main Street. They got me squared away and then pulled ahead of me. I didn’t see them again, but they were invaluable. Some road markers downtown would easily solve this problem.
Here is a typical section of the Vine Trail in between Napa and Yountvillle. Not bad huh?
This is downtown Yountville. I arrived on a Thursday afternoon. It’s bustling on the weekends. I rode by a high-end pizza restaurant… it smelled really good to me at 11:30am, after riding for 13 miles.
This is Hopper Creek. It runs through a Pocket Park in Yountville.
After a brief intermission in Yountville, it was time to head back to Napa. The ride seemed to go a lot quicker on the way back…. Too quick.
The Napa River is a tidal waterway through the heart of Napa. The river has chinook salmon and steelhead trout in it. I didn’t realize it is 55 miles long. You can see the Napa Wine Train on the other side.
This was a view of downtown Napa from the 3rd Street bridge.
2 pretty ladies walked by, so I asked them to take my picture…. Hey, I’m human.
I loved it! It was great meeting you out on the trail yesterday. Hopefully, you’ll be back sooner than two years. And since you seem to enjoy trivia, I will share that the Wine Trail recently received a Tier 4 locomotive, up to 85% more efficient than many other diesel locomotives. They’re slated to get 2 more.
Thanks TC, ….. you being a Vine Trail Ambassador … it was nice to hear about the upcoming extensions to the trail. The full 47 mile plan will be a major accomplishment and a wonderful experience.
Thank you for the great pictures and for showing that the Vine Trail can be enjoyed by so many people. This is my favorite part of the trail.
Laura Stark
Napa Valley Vine Trail Coalition Treasurer