Spring Mountain Road
BIKE | Best Climb
St. Helena | Napa + Sonoma
If you’ve got the legs for it, try Spring Mountain. Starting in St. Helena, this ride is very hard, with an average grade of 7%. It’s the real deal, and it’s going to hurt, but you’ve got great wineries, woodlands, ranches, and Mount St. Helena for a little inspiration on the climbs. The first climb is continuous with no break, so be ready for it. It starts to get really hard about halfway through. Then you’ll descend to Calistoga Road (stop at Mary’s Pizza Shack to refill your water bottle along the way). The second great climb is on Trinity Road. Beware of the switchbacks on the descent—they can sneak up on you. The whole ride is about 56 miles if you go all the way, 4,600 feet, and totally worth it.
Mattei's Tavern
EAT | Historic Tavern
Los Olivos | Santa Barbara
Mattei’s is a historic landmark. It was built as a bar, restaurant, and hotel for people traveling from San Francisco to Los Angeles in the 1880s and was restored in 2013. The Santa Ynez Valley is on the menu here; everything is local. You have to try the grilled avocado with olive oil and homemade crackers. It’s so simple but so good. The chef, Robbie Wilson, is totally cool and also has a passion for adventure cycling. Eric Railsback, the sommelier, is among the very best in the culinary world. I feel like we’re brothers from another mother. Mattei’s has a vintage vibe but has been reimagined for a modern crowd. There are lots of different dining spaces, a cozy fireplace, and it’s totally unpretentious and laid back. I love it.
Tamber Bey Winery
DRINK | Tasting Room
Calistoga | Napa + Sonoma
Tamber Bey has a gorgeous tasting room with winemaking facilities in Calistoga. It’s got everything I like: a gorgeous piece of property with a very thoughtful and progressive vibe and a real focus on making wines. Plus the winemaker, Federic, who has an uncanny ability to focus on every single grape. They’ve got a variety of wines from Cabernet Sauvignon to Merlot and Chardonnay, and they’re famous for their Bordeaux-style blends. The tasting room is located on a 22-acre ranch for training horses with incredible views of Mount St. Helena. The winery is a renovated riding area, and the tasting room is in the old barn clubhouse. You can grab a glass of wine to taste and visit the horses in the courtyard. It’s really a special and unique experience, one I hadn’t seen before.
Ink Grade Road
BIKE | Ride through the Vines
St. Helena to Pope Valley | Napa + Sonoma
Ink Grade Road twists and winds its way up 110 feet over 5 miles. You can do a nice 25 mile ride from St. Helena up to Pope Valley over Howell Mountain with 3000 feet of climbing altogether. Most of the ride is along Ink Grade Road where the traffic is very low. Ink Grade is a quiet mountain road through rural Napa County where you can cycle through vineyards, past lakes, and in and out of the redwood canopies. The road is a bit bumpy, so be careful on the descents. If you go all the way up to Pope Valley, you can stop at Pope Valley Market (it’s the only store you’ll pass on the route).
Velo Vino
EAT + DRINK | Food Truck
St. Helena | Napa + Sonoma
Stop by the tasting room to try the Clif Family Wines, buy some bottles or cycling jerseys and other fun gifts to go, and grab a bite from their famous Bruchetteria food truck. The food truck features Northern Italian-inspired food including bruschetta, spiedini (skewers), and salads with ingredients from the family farm and neighboring farms. The menu changes every day depending on what’s fresh. My favorite is to eat clean, fresh, food on the balcony and drink rosé. It is refreshing and nice especially after a ride. Velo Vino has a passion for both wine and adventure cycling and do monthly bike adventures from spring to fall. The truck is usually at the winery, but sometimes they’re on the road, so give them a ring before you head over.
Auberge du Soleil
SLEEP | Hotel
Rutherford | Napa + Sonoma
This year when I was at the Auberge du Soleil, “the House of the Sun,” it was hot and sunny, and it was great to just sit by the pool in the California sun. They’ve got everything—from an amazing pool to a great spa and a restaurant that will blow you away. The views are incomparable views of the surrounding vineyards, mountains, and the resort. One of the highlights every time I stay at Auberge is the breakfast. On this particular trip, I got turned onto a breakfast called “The Tim Johnson,” by my good friend and cyclist of the same name. It’s oatmeal with dried fruits and nuts and two eggs, over easy, right on top. This is considered the pro breakfast. It certainly is a pro’s breakfast. Also, sit on the terrace for a stunning view.
Mount Veeder Road
BIKE | Quiet Roads
Lokoya | Napa + Sonoma
Mount Veeder Road is a hidden gem tucked away in the Mayacama Mountain Range. It runs parallel with Dry Creek Road where most of the traffic is, which means Mount Veeder Road is virtually car free. From Auberge du Soleil, it’s a 14 mile ride on north Mount Veeder Road and another 23 to loop back. The climb starts out easy, gets harder, and then gets really hard. Afterwards, it’s a very steep, quick downhill to Dry Creek Road. The downhill is very fast and very technical, and the road quality is not fantastic, so beware of potholes. This isn’t a ride for beginners. The ride has lots of charm and character. You cycle through wooded landscapes and climb past redwoods. It’s totally quiet, a good challenge, and a great loop ride for guests staying at Auberge!
Bottega
EAT | Italian-American Food
Yountville | Napa + Sonoma
Bottega is an Italian-American, lively, fun place in the Vintage Estates. If you want a great meal in Napa that you can get in and eat good, wholesome food—it’s the place to be. You can stay at the French or Mediterranean inns on the estate, shop at the marketplace, and visit Bottega for dinner and the 140-year-old Groezinger Winery’s cellars. It’s a whole day’s or weekend’s affair. At Bottega, I always feel like I am in Italy without leaving Napa. The whole staff is Italian, and Chef Michael Chiarello is a James Beard Award Winner and a stud. The servers are funny and spend time chatting and getting to know you. They treat you like friends. I had a grilled branzino that was so spot-on and simple and fresh octopus salad and a burrata that was awesome.
Latigo Canyon Road
BIKE | Beach Ride
Malibu | California Coast
This year I was lucky enough to ride with my friend, pro cyclist Jesse Anthony from team Rally Cycling in Malibu, and he took me on Latigo Canyon Road. (He was nice enough to go slow.) This ride is a total hidden gem. It’s sick. There are no cyclists, no cars, smooth roads, and epic views with sunny weather. You can start in Santa Monica and ride along the Pacific Coast Highway or start closer to Latigo if you just want to take on the climb. The climb is almost ten miles with 2100 feet of climbing on an open road with no tree-cover, so it can get hot. The roads are windy and twisted, which keeps you concentrating on the next corner instead of your aching legs, and the views of the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific Ocean are amazing. It’s a steady climb with an average grade of about 5%. You’d think Malibu is only for movie stars and beach models, but this ride brought me back to riding in Mallorca or Croatia. Forget Baywatch. Bike Watch in Malibu.
Shed
EAT | Café+ Shopping
Healdsburg | Napa + Sonoma
Shed is a bookstore/bakery/café/organic food market. It feels like it could be in the meat packing district of New York City, but at the same time it has a very modern, California vibe. You can find the coolest cookbooks, gifts, and food from Shed’s network of local producers. It’s farm-to-table at its best. Some of my favorite book finds were “Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual” and “Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef.” They have everything from awesome kale salad to gluten free cookies to blood sausages and really good coffee! They also have kombucha on tap! I could have bought everything or nothing. It was just fun walking around, tasting, and interacting with Shed’s close-knit community.
