CALISTOGA, CALIFORNIA, USA - History that made the wild west, wild, relaxing spas and mineral baths, an impressive Old Faithful geyser, abundant scenic hiking trails, outstanding cuisine, micro-brewed beers and some of the best wine in the world. What do all these things have in common? You can find them all in the tiny town of Calistoga, nestled at the north end of California's famed Napa Valley.

Mineral water aficionados have undoubtedly heard of the town from the bottled water that carries its name. The picture on the label isn't just window dressing, Calistoga is home to an actual old faithful geyser.

Old Faithful
A visit to this location of geo-thermal activity is a fascinating stop, and it will get your Napa Valley photo album off to a good start. Depending on the day (and the earth's seismic activity) the geyser erupts every forty minutes or so. The interim time is well spent learning about the research, funded by Washington D.C.'s Carnegie Institute, into the possible correlation between geyser eruptions and earthquakes.

Perhaps the guys in Washington need to study if there's a correlation, but if you ask anyone who works here, they will tell you there undoubtedly is. The geyser's proprietor, Olga Kolbek, has an excellent track record of predicting when the "big ones" will hit. All she needs to do is monitor Old Faithful's schedule.

Sharpsteen Museum
Another interesting stop in Calistoga is the Sharpsteen Museum, which will give you a quick historical overview of the area and it colorful earlier inhabitants. One of the original Disney animators (his Oscar is on display in the museum), Ben Sharpsteen put together detailed dioramas of Calistoga in the pioneer days, when it was home to such luminaries as Robert Louis Stevenson and the town's eccentric founder Sam Brannan.

The antics and scandals of Brannan and some of the town's other earlier inhabitants makes President Clinton's problems pale in comparison. You won't find many details of them in the Sharpsteen Museum, but the historical society has put out its own "tabloid" detailing their outrageous exploits. Pick one up for some lively historical reading.

Wallowing in the Mud
Sam Brannan founded Calistoga as a health spa, calling the town the "Saratoga of the West". A visit to one of the many spas and mud baths is a sure way to feel RELAXED. What better way is there to start a wine country vacation?

More than a dozen spas make their home in Calistoga, and the town is famous for its mud baths. Spa goers have two choices where this is concerned. Fango, or a thin mud bath, has the lucky recipient in a whirlpool tub of hot mineral water, with the famous mud mixed in. This relaxing treatment is usually followed by massage. The mud part of a Fango bath is so subtle, you'll hardly even know it's there.

Then there's the traditional mud bath which consists of a think mixture of volcanic ash and/or peat moss and Calistoga's famed mineral water. It's quite a unique experience to find yourself literally floating in a tub of hot mud. The soothing heat penetrates your body and tension and stress seem to disappear.

Calistoga has spas to cater to every need and budget. Couples looking for a relaxing, romantic spa can certainly do no better than Lavender Hill, which was specifically designed with couples in mind. You and your significant other will melt tension away in side by side whirlpool tubs before being wrapped in herbal scented blankets. A relaxing massage follows. Lavender Hills offers the thinner style, Fango mud bath.

Now if you're the type of person who after a mud bath and massage doesn't want to go anywhere or do anything, an establishment such as the Eurospa and Inn is a great choice. With their combination hotel and spa, you can practically roll out of your spa treatment and into bed. Now that's luxury!

Indian Springs Spa offers traditional mud baths and other spa services in a renovated turn-of-the-century bath house. There's also an Olympic sized swimming pool as well as steam rooms and bungalows for overnight guests.

Lodging Options
Don't feel as though you have to stay at the spas, though. Calistoga really is a tiny town, so you're never more than a few minutes away from any attractions. There are historic hotels, such as the Calistoga Inn, which have been around since the town's early days. Luxuriously renovated bungalows and cabins can be found at the Carlin Country Cottages, which is a great choice for families since they offer two bedroom units.

My personal favorite though, is the Cottage Grove Inn. And I do mean it is my favorite, not just in Calistoga, but anywhere (and coming from a travel writer, that's saying a lot)! The Cottage Grove Inn offers all charm and luxury of the finest bed and Breakfast, with something extra, privacy. Their charming craftsman style bungalows have been meticulously restored and renovated to modern splendor. Each private cottage is uniquely decorated, contains a wood burning fireplace and a two person whirlpool bathtub.

The proprietors, four former college roommates who fulfilled their dream of buying an inn and running the way they thought it should be, have thought of absolutely everything you could possibly need or desire. There's a wonderful stereo system with CD player in each cabin, along with a VCR (video tapes of popular movies as well as music CD's can be borrowed if your didn't bring your own). There' a refrigerator stocked with Calistoga's famed mineral water. Your cabin is also outfitted with freshly ground gourmet coffee, firewood and starters neatly stacked outside your door, even bath salts and candles next to the tub. Mornings bring home baked muffins and other goodies and in the late afternoon gourmet cheeses and fine wines are laid out in the Inn's lounge area. I can't think of a better run hotel anywhere. The Cottage Grove Inn gets the highest recommendation I can possibly give it. Bravo!

Wine
You may be wondering how I've been able to talk about a town in the Napa Valley for so long without mentioning wineries. Well, it was difficult. Calistoga is home to some fine ones, including Chateau Montelena, the wine which literally put California on the map. The scene was France, 1976, a group of elite tasters set about to establish the "who's who" of wines. The winner in a blind tasting was a little known Chardonnay (vintage 1973) from none other than Calistoga's own Chateau Montelena!

This was the first acknowledgment that Napa Valley wines are among the best in the world. The rest, as they say, is history.

Sterling Vineyards is another of Calistoga's must visit wineries. Housing a spectacular art collection, visitors must take an aerial gondola ride to reach the hilltop visitor's center. There are many other wineries in Calistoga proper and even more just minutes down the road in the nearby towns of St. Helena, Yountville, Oakville, Rutherford and Napa (but that's another story).

Dining Options
Of course, with so much great wine, you must have wonderful food to go along with it. Calistoga doesn't disappoint in this regard and the visitor will have almost too many choices presenting themselves. Brannan's Grill, a fine dining establishment has an eclectic menu with influences from America's melting pot forming a collection of familiar favorites from the country's diverse regions.

The aforementioned Calistoga Inn is more than just an historic place to stay, they also serve some delightful food in their councesy dining room, decorated with vintage linens and other turn-of-the-century accouterments. Be sure to try their peanut butter pie, it is truly outstanding! The Inn also has an on-premises micro-brewery for those who favor hops over grapes. Celebrity watchers should keep an eye peeled while here (or any of the Napa Valley's other fine eating establishments). Robert Redford just happened to be dining at the Calistoga Inn the night we did.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Sarafornia Restaurant as a great place to stop for breakfast or a quick lunch. The food is casual and simple, inexpensive and good. It's also a wonderful place to take in local color. Everyone seems to know everyone there. It's the type of place that Andy Taylor, Aunt Bea and Opie might have frequented in the fictional Mayberry.

The Great Outdoors
Calistoga is also home to some great parks and likewise, miles and miles of great hiking and biking. There's hot air balloon rides, galleries, quaint little shops, and if that's not enough, the entire Napa Valley is at its doorstep. Calistoga has truly accomplished the impossible, a small town charm with big city sophistication.

Practical Information

• Calistoga Chamber of Commerce - 707-942-6333 or visit their website at www.calistogafun.com.
• Old Faithful Geyser 707-942-6463 or visit their web site at www.oldfaithfulgeyser.com.
• Lavender Hill Spa - 800-528-4772 or 707-942-4495 or visit their website at www.lavenderhillspa.com.
• Eurospa & Inn - 707-942-1138 or visit their website at www.eurospa.com.
• Indian Springs Spa and Cottages 707-942-4913
• Cottage Grove Inn - 800-799-2284 or 707-942-8400 or visit their web site at www.cottagegrove.com
• Carlin Country Cottages - 800-734-4624 or 707-942-9102 or www.carlincottages.com.
• Calistoga Inn/Napa Valley Brewing Company - 707-942-410 or www.calistogainn.com.
• Brannan's Grill - 707-949-9933 or www.brannansgrill.com.
• Chateau Montelena - 707-942-5105 or www.montelena.com.
• Sterling Vineyards - 707-942-3344 or www.sterlingvineyards.com.
• Sharpsteen Museum - 707-942-591 or www.sharpsteen-museum.org/