Skyline Wilderness Park is an excellent choice if you want to visit the Napa area and spend time with your horses. For $45/night, you get two pipe corrals, water hook-up and a good-sized site with picnic table. There is a round pen and large arena.
The day we arrived a large group of local vineyard workers and their friends were holding a California-style rodeo, featuring a very loud Mexican band and dancing horses.
The day after our arrival we took the Legacy Wine Train tour through Napa vineyards.
The train spends a day leisurely traveling through the vineyards and allowing the passengers to experience an upscale dining experience.
The menu was broken up into four courses, served between stops.
We toured two vineyards and learned about wine-making, the history of each vineyard, and how to taste and appreciate wine.
The train’s engineer took Elaine and Ari back to see the engine room.
Ari and Elaine took the horses on a ride through the park. Ari said the trails were difficult, with several narrow sections, but lots of beautiful views from the trails. That afternoon, Elaine took a flying lesson and Ari got to ride along in the Cessna.
Ari and Elaine spent a day in San Francisco playing tourist.
Daniel, our son, visited us at the campground and got a chance to ride Lennox.
We stayed a little longer at Skyline because our son, Isaiah, was getting married in Benecia, which is only about 30 minutes south of Napa. Benjamin and Daniel were both groomsmen in the wedding.
Deeba, the bride, is Persian, first generation American. They intermixed Persian traditions with a non-denominational service. Here, they put some lace material over the heads of the couple. The matriarchs of both families rub cones of sugar over the cloth to sprinkle sugar over their heads and bring sweetness into their new lives together.
On to our final stop before we get off the road, the Santa Cruz County Horseman’s Camp at Henry Cowell, in Felton, California.