If you’re looking for a place to relax during Labor Day Napa Valley is the place to be! Napa restaurants are open for business and aim to please with great outdoor dining and lovely weather. The start of Fall is upon us and the late summer sun will be shining so it’s time to come on out to wine country. With our central location, Downtown Joe’s is going to be one of the main draws, but there are a ton of outstanding activities to experience in the valley despite the pandemic. Many wineries throughout the valley are still open for tastings with a prior reservation so be sure to call and ask what parameters they have in place so you can enjoy a safe visit. But if you want to be a bit more active, the bike trails of the valley are where the action is. The Vine Trail from Napa to Yountville is a local favorite as it brings you right alongside gorgeous vineyards and towering Eucalyptus trees.
Outdoor Dining Ideas
Bike rides are all well and good, but social-distanced picnicking should be on your list too! Armed with just a small cooler, a group can enjoy take out from Downtown Joe’s or any of the great Napa restaurants and do a little outdoor dining of their own. There are many spots around the valley where you and your small group can picnic from the park in downtown Napa to Lake Hennessy up-valley or even the delightful Bothe-Napa Valley State Park. Any way you slice it, you’ll have a great locale for outdoor dining on your terms.
But don’t think that The Vine Trail is it for biking. Some of the most serene rides are up in Calistoga north of downtown as well as the mild yet beautiful Los Carneros. The Calistoga back roads are absolutely stunning and are relatively devoid of traffic. The roads down in Los Carneros offer cool maritime breezes coming off of San Pablo Bay, delightfully complementing the views of rolling hills and vineyards. What’s amazing about Los Carneros is that it is a very short drive to downtown and all the great Napa restaurants one could ask for. Outdoor dining will abound up and down the valley so there’s a grand amount of options, but if you’re looking for the best comfort food and craft beer there’s only one place to visit and that’s us at Downtown Joe’s!
