What’s better than a two day trip to Napa in the middle of the work week?
Not much. Short little trips are my favorite way to switch it up, and I find myself extra productive on the days prior and after to make up for it. A quick change in scenery gives me a lot of extra energy, and I don’t take for granted the flexibility in my job to allow me to work from wherever has an outlet. The California coast has so many options, you don’t have to go far to find a crazy view.
After the recent fires in Napa Valley devastated much of the area, I was curious to return and also happy to give the area the little shoutout it deserves. Thanks to Alaska Airlines, I hopped a short flight with Annabelle, Devon and Sydne into Santa Rosa and drove towards the valley. We were pretty shocked to pass a LOT of empty lots along the way completely burned to the ground, with only fireplaces remaining – California brushfires have been so prominent this year (along with the US hurricanes, yikes). It was pretty sobering to see. Our destination, Solage, was further in Napa and luckily untouched. The hotel is perfection – cozy private cottages equipped with fireplaces and quaint little patios, insanely delicious food, and a beautiful spa.
After a long two-hour dinner at the Solage’s restaurant Solbar, our group was in a certified food coma and waddled off to our rooms to pass out. I LOVED how cold it got at night – it really felt like winter in the mid 40’s to 50’s for this LA girl. Christophe and I went back to our room and cranked up the heater to defrost. Shopstyle left us embroidered bathrobes in our room (he was really stoked to be finally getting in on all the blogger swag) so we wrapped up in those and called it a night.
The next morning we hit the Solage spa for a “mud slide” treatment. It was so fun to experience because I typically go for massages at resorts and wouldn’t have chosen this treatment otherwise! We got to choose an essential oil to mix into our little buckets of mud, then we were taken to a room heated to 102 degrees and covered ourselves in the mud until it dried. It was basically a face mask for your body. The mud dried completely and detoxed the skin before we showered off and soaked in salt tubs. The treatment ended with a 20 minute nap in a gently vibrating “sleep chair” with spa music. Yep, it was good.
These photos were taken at Calistoga Ranch, another Auberge resort, where we road tripped for lunch after our spa morning. I’d heard of Calistoga – it is hyped up for good reason. The vineyards are gorgeous. The ranch grows and produces its own wine and honey on the property, and we got a little tour of the vines, the beekeeper’s area, the atrium and chicken pen! We even taste tested the honey and saw the bees at work (although I was too put off to go near it – imagine a zillion bees crawling all over each other…)
I packed semi-lightly for Napa, only bringing a couple full outfits (for me, this is progress). I love this comfy white fair isle sweater paired with black jeans and over the knee boots. It’s perfect for a ski trip too, and I plan to bring it with me to Park City for Christmas. These black jeans are Madewell, and they’re perfect amount of stretch combined with a satin finish. Now is good time to grab them 20% off. My Stuart Weitzman OTK boots never fail me; they’ve been resoled and cleaned twice now and the suede is still buttery soft. The heel height is easy to walk all day in.
Can we talk about these bikes for a moment? Aside from being an ideal Instagram moment, we rode these around the Solage property and parked them outside our cottages. If you visit the resort, they’re pretty useful given how many acres the property is.
On our second and last night, despite how cold I knew it’d get I wanted to wear this fun striped jumpsuit. It’s a beautiful silk material and the colors are vibrant – a good choice for a dressed up dinner when you don’t want to commit to a holiday dress. I added this blue shearling jacket I’ve been living in lately, a pair of studded heels and an enormous fedora. I have an XS in the jumpsuit and it’s even a little roomy on me, so definitely order your true size!
How beautiful is the all-white spa at Solage?
I’d been looking for a good pair of winter white sunglasses and finally found them in this Raen pair. Of course you can wear them come summer time, but they don’t feel overly beachy or causal to me. The lens are tined with a rose color and the cat-eye shape adds some polish to them.
Our last supper was spent at Farmstead, a must-see place if you’re looking to have a meal in town. With live music outdoors by the lit-up bar, a big Christmas tree display in the entry and a cozy interior with high, broad ceilings, we felt like we we dining in a real farmhouse. The food was delicious comfort food and our menu included cheddar biscuits with honey butter (I am still thinking about these), spiced broccolini, Mary’s chicken and a macaroni that must have had at least three types of cheese in it. Needless to say eating was a major theme of this trip and we were equally stuffed after night two.
There’s more to do in Napa than you’d think beyond the typical wine tasting itinerary, and so much natural beauty in the area. I can’t recommend it enough and look forward to coming back. Shop these two exact outfits below, and let me know if you’ve been to Solage before!
