Calistoga

Calistoga

My husband and I regard each other with weary eyes after another week of responsibilities, stress, and working late. Then his face brightens as he poses a magical one-word question:

“Calistoga?”

“Yes,” I sigh, already breathing deeper.

Calistoga, our favorite rejuvenation destination, is a mere 90-minute drive from most points in the East Bay. Follow Highway 29 through fetching Yount-ville and St. Helena. Or take the less-traveled Silverado Trail, surrounded by sweeping vistas of verdant vineyards and wildflower-strewn hills. Wineries materialize on either side of the gently winding road. If it’s the right time of day, stop and sip a silky cabernet at Chimney Rock Winery, or sample a flight of sparkling wines as you drink in the view on Mumm Napa’s patio. When you reach Calistoga, turn onto Lincoln Avenue, the main thoroughfare. Squint for a second or two, and you can almost see a sepia-toned postcard of this quaint town where generations of Californians have come to “take the waters.”

If you have made an early-morning getaway, caffeine may be your first quest. The quirky Yo el Rey Roasting coffeehouse is owned and operated by J. Kirk Feiereisen, who lovingly tends his beans like a vintner, and offers free tastes to help you choose among his artisan-roasted, fair-trade coffees. Feiereisen is also a poet and looks the part, with his shaved head and soul-patch beard. His walls display the work of local artists, and his own artfully scrawled verses wind around and between the paintings. Today, my husband and I join the parade of locals shuffling in for a morning fix, plus muffins and scones by pastry chef Sonjia Spector.

Getting into hot water is, of course, the goal of many who travel to Calistoga. My husband swears by the penetrating, healing heat of the mineral-rich pools. An ancient volcanic eruption created 108-degree geothermal springs deep underground, and the Wappo Indians, who lived in the area until 1823, built sweat lodges above the steaming fissures. Twenty-first-century visitors, however, have their pick of more modern facilities. Calistoga Spa Hot Springs is a spacious, family-friendly establishment with four large heated pools. You can buy a day pass if you are not staying at the hotel.

For those in need of additional soothing, Calistoga is home to more than a dozen different spas, most offering a variety of massages, facials, mud baths, and body wraps. I have enjoyed delicious massages at the Calistoga Massage Center and Day Spa on previous trips, but this time around I’m in the mood to try something different. Studying their menu of services, I notice the option of having my ears “candled”—a process the ancient Egyptians were reportedly hooked on.

As I lie on the massage table, my esthetician, Shawn, chooses ear candles with a soothing combination of chamomile and St. John’s wort. The herbs have been mixed with beeswax, applied to a strip of muslin, and rolled into a long cone. After Shawn gently inserts the narrow end of the candle into my ear, she lights the other end. I hear a faint crackling noise and smell the aroma of herbs. Burning the candle creates a vacuum in the ear that is filled with smoke. The smoke is supposed to loosen and draw out debris in the ear canal and sinus passages. I leave her table feeling relaxed and clear-headed.

California Italian. Photo courtesy Castello di Amorosa.

Now I wander with my husband through our favorite shops on Lincoln Avenue. We revisit childhood favorites at Candy Cellar, whose barrels overflow with retro sweets (from Abba Zabbas to Squirrel Nut Zippers), 40 flavors of salt-water taffy, and homemade fudge. We both appreciate the well-chosen selection at Copperfield’s Books and the bath goodies at Mudd Hens. But when I head to Bella Tootsie to peruse their stylish yet comfortable footwear, he ducks into the Silverado Ace Hardware Store to check out gadgets.

Calistoga boasts a long list of eateries, but for lunch we usually head to the well-stocked Cal-Mart Market to pick up picnic provisions. You can choose from their imported cheese section and extensive salad bar or let their deli make you a sandwich. We take our lunches to the Bothe-Napa State Park, only four miles south on Highway 29, then walk the lush redwood trail. On the way back we stop for wine tasting at Castello di Amorosa, an over-the-top replica of a 12th-century Tuscan castle.

The Wappo Indians used to relax in warm mud made from volcanic ash and heated spring water. Modern mud baths add peat moss to the mixture. I take mine at the Baths at Roman Spa. After showering, I am directed by Erin, my attendant, to wiggle down to the bottom of a tub full of what feels like steaming, steel-cut oatmeal, but looks and smells more like the mulch you put on your garden. While the heat relaxes aching muscles, the warm mud helps you sweat out toxins and softens your skin. Submerged up to my chin, I feel surprisingly buoyant, my limbs completely supported by the warm ooze. Twenty minutes later, Erin directs me to shower off and get into a large bubble bath. As the gentle Jacuzzi burbles around me, she places refreshing ice-cold cloths on my face and neck to cool me down.

We end our day with dinner at JoLe, a recently opened restaurant owned by chef Matt Spector and his wife Sonjia (the above-mentioned creator of Yo el Rey Roasting’s delectable pastries). The Spectors’ motto, “farm to table,” demonstrates a deep commitment to locally grown, organic ingredients in their daily changing menu of small plates. Tonight, the seared scallops and beef short ribs are standouts. As my husband and I look at each other across the table, our relaxed gazes reflect our renewed spirits. What a difference a day—at Calistoga—makes.

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Anna Mindess is a freelance writer specializing in food and culture and a frequent contributor to The Monthly. She is also a sign language interpreter. See her work at www.annamindess.com.


Cal-Mart Market, 1491 Lincoln Ave., Calistoga, (707) 942-6271; www.calmartnv.com.

Calistoga Massage Center and Day Spa, 1219 Washington St., Calistoga, (707) 942-6193; www.calistogamassage.com.

Calistoga Spa Hot Springs, 1006 Washington St., Calistoga, (866) 822-5772; www.calistogaspa.com.

Candy Cellar, 1367 Lincoln Ave., Calistoga, (707) 942-6990.

Castello di Amorosa, 4045 North Saint Helena Hwy., Calistoga, (707) 967-6272; www.castellodiamorosa.com.

Chimney Rock Winery, 5350 Silverado Trail, Napa, (800) 257-2641; www.chimneyrock.com.

Copperfield’s Books, 1330 Lincoln Ave., Calistoga, (707) 942-1616; www.copperfields.net.

JoLe Restaurant, 1457 Lincoln Ave., Calistoga, (707) 942-5938; www.jolerestaurant.com.

Mumm Napa, 8445 Silverado Trail, Rutherford, (800) 686-6272; www.mummnapa.com.

Roman Spa Hot Springs Resort, 1300 Washington St., Calistoga, (707) 942-2122; www.romanspahotsprings.com.

Yo el Rey Roasting, 1217 Washington St., Calistoga, (707) 942-1180; www.yoelrey.com.

Faces of the East Bay