HotelTonight – Calistoga Hotels
Wine country in California is a worldwide treasure. People from all over the world travel there for different reasons at nearly every point on the calendar. I've been driving through this part of the world on my way to work meetings for a long time, as I travel to California often for work. One of the things I've never gotten to do, however, is spend some time getting to know the communities that are home to the permanent population there. When I travel, that's what I like to do: get to know what it's like to live in a certain place. On my last trip to California, I found out prior to my last day there that the meetings for that day were canceled. I didn't want to just drive through the beautiful vineyards again. Instead, I wanted to take that opportunity to get to know one of these communities. I chose to spend my free 24 hours in Calistoga. I wasn't worried about finding a place to stay nearby, as I travel with HotelTonight. My favorite travel app would help me find a Calistoga hotel room in a matter of seconds when I needed one.
Downtown
Calistoga may seem like a big place because of all of the visitors there and to the area in general, but in reality only about 5,000 people call this small community home. As I got out of my car and walked around downtown, it became obvious that aside from the tourism, this was a closely-knit community. People walked around and greeted each other with familiarity, the town itself looked like something out of the Old West, and the overall vibe was one that was friendly and welcoming. I talked to a few locals on the street and they could not have been more helpful.
The Petrified Forest
Aside from all of the wine-related activities in and around Calistoga, there are plenty of natural attractions to see and experience. I'm a hiker, and I heard about the Petrified Forest, and I wanted to see it for myself. I jumped on a trail and saw more majestic, petrified redwoods than I could count. It really humbles you to stand next to some of the trunks of these giants, as they are as big as many houses. These stone trees became what they are because of a volcano millions of years ago, and it's truly a marvel.
The Dining
Now that I had gotten a sense of the town and some things to do in Calistoga, I was ready to eat. I heard about a Mexican place that was preferred by locals, so I gave that a try. The place was not fancy, and you sit at rather simple tables, but that's typically a good sign for this type of food. The carnitas tacos were wonderful, and they were served with just the right amount of homemade green salsa and cilantro.
HotelTonight – Calistoga Hotels Nearby
After a fun-filled day and a filling meal, it was time for me to get some sleep. I opened my HotelTonight app and booked a Calistoga hotel room in seconds. I walked to my room from the restaurant and fell asleep almost immediately, happy to have experienced a true slice of local life in a beautiful place.
