Much more than most of its Napa Valley neighbors, Calistoga retains a lot of its original rural small-town soul, albeit at times hidden under the chichi Wine Country veneer and luxury prices. At some of the spa resorts, rustic cabins go for Ritz-Carlton rates. The question is, when tasting rooms in the region are charging $25 per person for sampling, can you enjoy a traditional Napa Valley trip in Calistoga without having to take out a second mortgage? Honestly, the downtown stretch of Lincoln Avenue is only 1,000 yards long, so most dining and browsing is walkable. Stop at Calistoga Roastery for a scone ($2.75 each) and coffee ($2 for 16-ounce cup), or at one of the great diner-like cafes such as Cafe Sarafornia, where odds are that breakfast is the best meal of the day. The menu includes a Mini Breakfast (a pancake, an egg and a slice of bacon) for $9, and a half waffle for $5. The entire 4.8-mile trail and back could take most of the day, but it only takes 30 minutes on a mild grade to get high enough above Calistoga for sweeping views of the Napa Valley. For a tasting that isn’t going to blow your budget in two stops, pop into Calistoga Olive Oil for olive oil tasting (as well as for tastes of imported balsamic vinegar and black truffle salt). Instead of three sit-down meals, try a “grazing” strategy — snacks and appetizer at a host of places, spread out over the day. Start at the Cal Mart store, which has great picnic supplies — imported cheeses galore, shelves and coolers full of house-made and packaged side dishes and desserts, and an above-average sandwich counter. Get a few small things here ($10-$15 for two) or get a BLT ($7.75) across the street at the Palisades Deli Cafe, and do a picnic lunch at Pioneer Park on Cedar Street — or at one of the other quiet, grassy spots in town. If you’ve always avoided Old Faithful as just a tourist trap, consider taking your picnic there. Since the fire in June, the complex has been rebuilt with new visitor center, a petting farm with llamas and goats, and cabana structures around the geyser with couches for lounging and eating. At $15 per person, this stop will eat 30 percent of your budget, but admission and the picnic will still be less than lunch at most cafes in town. Stop by the Calistoga Chamber of Commerce office and ask for the map for a self-guided tour of downtown’s historic buildings. History buffs can get the full story a block off Lincoln at the Sharpsteen Museum ($3 donation) and review the history and possessions of Sam Brannan, the state’s first millionaire, as well as a miniature version of the town in the 1860s and an exhibit about Robert Louis Stevenson’s stay in Calistoga. If your tastes are pulling you more toward a hearty affordable dinner, walk a few blocks to Highway 128 and Buster’s Southern Barbeque. Get the tri-tip meal or the pork ribs meals (both with garlic bread and two sides, $12) and you will not go hungry.
