| | History (Source: WCities) | Top | The Wappo Indians, original residents of this fertile valley, named it Napa, meaning 'land of plenty'. Thinking of the acres and acres of robust grapes, it seems like a perfect name for the picturesque valley. The Wappos, however, were referring to the abundance of salmon, elk, and waterfowl in the Napa River. Even then, small wild grapes grew. With the arrival of the Spanish, Napa Valley became Napa Rancho, a virtually unpopulated tract in the vast ranchland of Alta California. The Wappo way of life was quickly subsumed and rendered extinct by mission culture. Between 1820-1840, under Mexican rule, Napa County was divided into 12 ranchos. In 1836 the Mexican government gave the pioneer George Yount a grant for the Caymus Rancho, thereby putting into motion the foundations of modern Napa. Yount was a pioneer in the development of the Napa Valley. He was one of the first Anglo-Saxon settlers, residents and builder of the first local homestead. Lastly, he cultivated the first grapes of Napa. After his death in 1865, Yountville was named in his honor. Other homesteaders quickly followed Yount. The valley's soil was fertile; its wide hills were perfect for ranching. The river made it easy to ship cargo to San Francisco. The city of Napa became an important port and commercial center. Cattle, lumber, wheat, and quicksilver—mined, grown, and raised in Napa County, were shipped into the San Francisco Bay to feed a growing state. The 1840s Gold Rush, coupled w
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| How To Get There (Source: WCities) | Top | Getting There Air The Napa County Airport ( APC ) +1 707 253 4300 http://www.napacountyairport.org/ APC is located seven miles south of downtown Napa and accommodates small commercial and charter planes. San Francisco International Airport ( SFO ) +1 800 435 9736 http://www.flysfo.com SFO is located 58 miles from Napa. Oakland International Airport ( OAK ) +1 510 563 3300 http://www.flyoakland.com/ OAK is located 50 miles from Napa. Sacramento International Airport ( SMF ) +1 916 922 4789 http://www.sacairports.org/ SMF is located 66.6 miles from Napa. Some providers for SFO, OAK and SMF are: American Airlines ( +1 800 433 7300; http://www.aa.com ) Continental ( +1 800 525 0280; http://www.flycontinental.com ) Delta Airlines ( +1 800 221 1212; http://www.delta-air.com ) Alaska Airlines ( +1 800 252 7522; http://alaskaair.com ) Southwest Airlines ( +1 800 435 9792; http://www.iflyswa.com ) United Airlines ( +1 800 241 6522; http://www.ual.com ) US Airways ( +1 800 428 4322/ http://www.usairways.com ) jetBlue ( +1 800 538 2583; http://www.jetblue.com ) Additional providers for SFO: Air Canada ( +1 888 247 2262; http://www.aircanada.ca/home.html ) Air China ( +1 800 986-1985; http://www.airchina.com.cn/en/index.jsp ) Air France ( +1 800 237-2747; http://www.airfrance.com/us ) Air New Zealand ( +1 800 262-1234; http://www.airnewzealand.com
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| What To Do (Source: WCities) | Top | Napa Valley may have many delights, and for residents and many guests, one of them is its peace and quiet. Communities here are small, and tend to be affluent. Which is by way of saying that you won't find big-city nightlife here, and won't find a lot of hoe-downs or honky-tonks, either. There are bars, sure, but Wine Country propriety, noise ordinances, and the amount of wine consumed as part of the job all militate against raucous, after-hour saloons. What you will find, albeit in more specialized and rarified formats, is culture. Classical. Jazz. The Arts. Primarily in a festival format, and often at wineries. Arts Groups and Festivals The Napa Valley Symphony , an unsung (no pun intended) but quite capable ensemble, plays year round in Yountville's Lincoln Theatre, with summer appearances at the Robert Mondavi Winery and occasionally elsewhere in the valley. While Napa's Opera House now functions primarily as a civic center, the Jarvis Conservatory puts on an energetic program of operas, as well as Spanish-language zarzuelas. They're located at 2970 Monticello Road in Napa. Chamber concerts and recitals are held regularly at Napa's First Methodist Church. (+1 707 252 7122 for the latest schedule). The Napa Valley Stage Company (+1 707 257 6872) mounts productions May through December around the county. Under the spreading oaks of Skyline Park, the Napa Valley Wine Festival features the work of songwriters and musicians in a series o
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