Postcard from Mud City: Visiting Calistoga, California

UPDATE February 6, 2019

Calistoga is undergoing major change. Within the next year a Four Seasons resort will open and there is an additional luxury resort in the works. Both are currently under construction. Many of the small businesses on Lincoln Ave. have closed. However, there are many new tasting room options and some old favorites are still there. Calistoga is no longer the country cousin in Napa Valley.

Why I loved Visiting Calistoga

My first day in Calistoga, I thought, what in the world am I going to do here for five days. With a population of approximately 5,000 residents, Calistoga is one of the smallest places I’ve been to in the U.S. Agriculture (vineyards), mining, mud baths, and thermal waters, brought the first settlers to the area, and people continue to come for those same reasons. Amongst the locals, Calistoga is known as Mud City.

After five days in Calistoga, I began to rethink my current lifestyle, which involves a lot of driving and frantically going from one activity to the next. I admit I did have some spa dates, which I don’t normally do at home, but even going to the spa and soaking in the mineral waters and the mud (which Calistoga is known for) is part of the lifestyle there. Yes, Calistoga got under my skin…but in a good way. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say it go into my skin as I soaked in the hot thermal waters and drank the fruit of the vineyards.

It’s not the easiest place to get to, as it’s on the far north end of Napa Valley, and there’s only a two lane road leading there. But that’s exactly why you want to go there, it has maintained the looks and feel of a small western town. It doesn’t have that dressed up for the tourist trade look, that other towns in Napa Valley have.

Lincoln Ave, the main drag, hasn’t had a big makeover, yet…though I overheard some locals talking about a new resort development. Big changes are always controversial. Some folks were for it. Others worried that it would destroy the authentic western ambiance. Whatever happens, I hope they maintain the eccentric personality that is Calistoga, because that’s exactly what I liked about it.

Mural by Carlo Marchiori

You can walk or bike anywhere you need to go. There are enough places to get a good cup of coffee, a good meal (there’s a Michelin Star restaurant if that’s what you seek), unique shops, and more artists than I’ve ever seen in one single town. (The photo of the mural is by world-renowned artist, Carlo Marchiori. I’ll tell you more about Carlo in another article as he’s a piece of work himself). And of course, you can indulge in various spa experiences, from fairly basic to very high end. Check back for more of my spa stories: I will tell you where to go for a mud fight, where to find one of the nicest outdoor mineral pools, and what happens to the seeds of the grapes after they are harvested and pressed to make wine.

The day I left, I had coffee with one of the locals. He asked me if I’d had a good trip. I said, “It was a great trip,” and I meant it. I felt at peace with myself and I could even imagine living there. He said he could see it, too, and thought in no time at all I’d be a known writer and photographer in the area. Maybe I should start packing?

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