Taking On Napa Valley…With A Baby On My Hip & A Drink In My Hand

My husband and I took our first trip ever to Napa Valley and it was a BLAST!!!

We drank wine, ate 5 star food, walked through vineyards, and had jalapeno margaritas by the pool. All with a baby on my hip.

Yep. We brought our 13 month old baby with us and loved EVERY SINGLE MINUTE OF IT.

Napa Valley is TOTALLY possible to do without a babysitter. I have three words for you: Vista Collina Resort.

We stayed at the Vista Collina Resort which is the newest resort in Napa Valley. And the entire 4 days we were there, we didn’t leave the resort once!

I know you think I’m crazy and that there is no way we hung out at a hotel for 4 days ACTUALLY enjoying ourselves while taking care of our baby. Let me explain.

Before I break down our itinerary, make sure to check out my blog about the Vista Collina Resort & their amenities here.

DAY 1:

When we checked into our room we were greeted with a glass of champagne which made the check in process WAY more fun and started Napa right. The hotel staff was so friendly and just straight up classy. I have to admit, we felt kind of baller.

We quickly went to go get settled in our room and was so surprised by how HUGE it was. Not only that- there was a complimentary bottle of local wine waiting for us. So we had a glass (or two) while unpacking. I mean we’re in Napa right?!

We got there at about 1pm & Addy had napped in the car so we decided to bring our bottle of wine down to the courtyard, grab some meat & cheese from the grocery store on site and enjoy our impromptu picnic in their many lounge areas.

Once it was nap time we decided to head back to our room and hang out on our balcony while Addy napped. The shades made the room so dark and we brought the sound machine so Chad & I were able to talk & laugh without waking her.

Addy got a 2 hour nap and we had so much fun drinking more wine & just enjoying the view of vineyard with beautiful weather.

Once Addy woke up we decided to head back down to the food truck and basically try every single thing on their menu. Addy loved the fresh air and being able to crawl around on the blanket while we ate.

That was an early night for us so we headed back up, showered, and watched TV in bed. The perfect end to the most relaxing first day.

DAY 2:

We woke up early & decided to walk the beautiful onsite vineyard. That was probably one of our favorite memories! It was so quiet & peaceful (& a great way to burn off all the wine). We stumbled upon a Yoga class at the top of the vineyard which seemed like the perfect way to decompress and truly enjoy your vacation.

After the walk that took over an hour, we came back for nap time. Chad got a bottle of champagne from the on site grocery store and we had room service breakfast with champagne while Addy took her first nap of the day.

Once Addy was up we got ready and went down to the tastings rooms on-site. Vista Collina has 9 local tasting rooms that are so unique to each other. We decided to try Anarchist Wine and scheduled a tasting the night before.

They had no problem with us having Addy in the stroller watching Frozen on her tablet (hey sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do) while we enjoyed ourselves on their outdoor patio trying some fabulous wine! Honestly, EVERY wine was our favorite and ended up doing all 3 tasting packages they had. We ended up taking advantage of them waiving the tasting fees when you purchase 3 bottles of wine, and came home with one of every bottle we loved.

What is so fun about Anarchist Wine, is their marketing. So many fun names like Rose Against The Machine which is described as, “A free spirit, breaking away from the ordinary.  Ignoring all maxims, this sassy rosé shows up for any occasion, whether dressed to the nines or kicking back by the pool.” and Conspiracy Theory which they describe as, “Deceptively approachable, this wine suggests complexities below the surface.  Every sip reveals more questions than answers. With limited production, demands will mount for the government to release its secret reserves.” Both are bottles we took home & got extras for gifts!

We thought we were going to want to try the other tasting rooms but we had SO much fun at Anarchist, we spent the whole afternoon enjoying ourselves as a family, incredible wine, and fresh air. The best part?!! You can enjoy yourselves at any of the on-site tasting rooms without having to worry about driving!!! Wineries are so fun but not when you have a baby & have to drive back to your hotel. But a winery right below our room?! Yes, please!

It was dinner time at this point so we decided to just enjoy their food truck & head up to the room for an early night in. Did I mention this trip was SO relaxing?!

Sharing a room with your baby kind of sucks when their bedtime is 7:30. But thanks to the amazing rooms at Vista Collina, we just enjoyed our time on our balcony. We had an amazing view of the courtyard which was lit up so pretty & the vineyard we walked that morning off to the left.

DAY 3:

I call today the day of indulgence. We had incredible food & lots of yummy drinks while lounging by the pool.

There was a GORGEOUS pool we just HAD to take advantage of. With a poolside bar & cozy cabanas, it’s where we found ourselves most of the day. Addy LOVED being in the water!! And instead of having to go back to the room for her nap, there was plenty of shade in the cabana for her to take a nice long nap while we lounged drinking jalapeño margaritas. Plus if we got hungry, the food truck was just right around the corner. (I am not proud to admit how often we ate at the food truck but it was just THAT good!)

After a whole day taking of advantage of the pool, we went back up to our room to relax & get ready for dinner. We had reservations at the on-site restaurant, Olive & Hay. OMG!!! Let me tell you, this is NOT a “hotel restaurant”. This is somewhere I would want to go to for EVERY date night or special occasion.

Dinner at Olive & Hay was a truly special experience. We get nervous bringing Addy to nice restaurants but as long as there is food, we are good. I am so sad I didn’t do a better job at getting our servers name because he deserves a raise.
I have never met someone so genuinely nice & accommodating. He didn’t see Addy as an inconvenience but instead treated her like a special guest. He brought out her spaghetti basically 5 minutes after us sitting down (which is SO appreciated) and every time he checked on us, he asked if we needed anything for her. Not only that, he went the extra mile to talk to her, smile, and was just the sweetest ever.

It really helped us feel at ease. Since we made the earliest reservation, the patio was relatively empty since it was right before the big dinner crowd. But he never made us feel rushed like they needed to turn over the table or get the baby out. Instead, we felt like we were in Italy enjoying a meal like it’s supposed to be. Wine, Appetizers, More Wine, Dinner, Champagne, and Dessert. We weren’t rushed and got to enjoy an incredible night out.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to the incredible server at Olive & Hay, I am so sorry I didn’t write down your name. But you are a true gem and made it the best experience possible.

I just realized I forgot to talk about how good the food was. It’s just our experience and service was that incredible it over shined the AMAZING meal we had. I have never had a meal like it! We both got a ginormous steak that was cooked PERFECTLY with the most unique & tasty scalloped potatoes we have ever had. For dessert our server recommended their play on beignets, and let me tell you- IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT!

After dinner our stomachs & hearts were full as we walked across the street back to our hotel room. That night we were wiped out after a long day and went to bed early.

DAY 4:

We woke up SO sad for our last day here and packed our bags very reluctantly. We got used to a new way of life we weren’t ready to let go of! We started the morning with another walk through the vineyard and then stopped by Olive & Hay again for brunch.

After another incredible meal & one last jalapeño margarita for me (hey, I’m not the one driving). It was time for us to go. Do you now see how we spent the ENTIRE trip without leaving the resort once?!! I mean why would we even need to leave?! Food trucks, restaurants, pool, wine tasting rooms, and a grocery store there is everything you could want and more.

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Get out and travel. The Vista Collina Resort in Napa makes it possible AND safe. It will truly be a vacation you won’t forget. I want you to see the magic of the resort for yourself and immerse yourself into the Napa way of life. Make sure to order a jalapeño margarita for me & stop by Olive and Hay for a dinner you won’t forget.

You can learn all about the Vista Collina & book your next trip here.

Xoxo,

Mariah