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Calistoga is synonymous
with the mineral water
bearing its name, bottled
here since 1924, and its
springs and geysers have
earned it the nickname
the ‘hot springs of the
West.’ Plan to visit one
of the town’s spas, where
you can indulge in the
local specialty: a hot-
mud bath, made of the
volcanic ash from nearby
Mt St Helena.
It took 14 years to
build the perfectly
replicated 12th-century
Italian castle at Castello
di Amorosa (%707-967-
6272; http://www.castellodiamorosa.
com; 4045 Hwy 29; tasting
$18-28, bottles $20-125,
tour adult/child $33/23;
hby appointment;^ c#),
complete with moat,
hand-cut stone walls,
ceiling frescoes by
Italian artisans, Roman-
style cross-vault brick
catacombs, and a torture
chamber with period
equipment. You can taste
without an appointment,
but this is one tour worth
taking. Wines include
some respectable Italian
varietals, including a
velvety Tuscan blend.
Calistoga’s mini-
version of Yellowstone,
the Old Faithful Geyser
(%707-942-6463; http://www.
oldfaithfulgeyser.com; 1299
Tubbs Lane; adult/child $10/
free; h9am-6pm summer,
to 5pm winter; (^) c) shoots
boiling water 60ft
to 100ft into the air,
every 30 minutes. The
vibe is pure roadside
Americana, with
NORTHERN.CALIFORNIA.
5
.NAPA
VALLEY