Napa Smoothie

Beer in wine country? It all goes down nice and smooth when you pair your craft brew après with a paved, car-free bike trail paralleling the Napa River. Thank the nonprofit Napa Valley Vine Trail Coalition for its efforts to create 47 safe and scenic miles of pedaling bliss.

Right now 12.5 miles of the trail are rolling! Pedal a 3.5-mile (one-way) section of the Vine Trail heading south from Stone Brewing and riding to the southernmost part of Kennedy Park, a nice turnaround point. You'll first be rolling directly across from Napa’s Riverfront—the architecturally beautiful shopping, dining, and lodging destination.

The easygoing section of trail is ideal on a late afternoon when the sun glistens on the Napa River and birds of many feathers flock in formation above marshland, including herons and egrets. Benches along the path make nice stopping points for taking in the surrounding Napa foothills.

End where you started, at Stone Brewing (bike racks on-site), a craft brewery and restaurant occupying the historic Borreo Building. Stone renovated the building to a two-level indoor-outdoor seating gem overlooking the river. The menu is local and small-farm organic, from salads to burgers and fish tacos. Grab a seat outside and try their seasonal Mocha IPA or sample signature big character beers, like the Tangerine Express IPA. Can’t make up your mind? There’s a “Go-To IPA” for that. Cheers.

Park your car at Soscol Ave., near 3rd St. or in the 2nd St. public parking lot (2nd St. and Brown St).