Napa's Hidden Secret

There's a 95 percent chance Senior Editor Christine Sarkis is thinking about travel right now. Follow her on Instagram @postcartography and Twitter @ChristineSarkis.

Christine Sarkis is an SATW-award-winning journalist and executive editor at SmarterTravel. Her stories have also appeared on USA Today, Conde Nast Traveler, Huffington Post, and Business Insider. Her advice has been featured in dozens of print and online publications including The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, and People magazine. She has also shared travel tips on television and radio shows including Good Morning America, Marketplace, and Here & Now. Her work has been published in the anthologies Spain from a Backpack and The Best Women's Travel Writing 2008. She is currently working on a travel memoir.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: The Trtl Pillow. It's easy to pack and comfortable, and makes it so I can actually sleep on flights.

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: Seeing the Aurora Borealis from the comfort of somewhere warm, like a glass igloo or hot spring.

Travel Motto: Curiosity is an amazing compass.

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: Aisle all the way.

Email Christine Sarkis at editor@smartertravel.com.

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The Napa Valley is hiding its best-kept secret in plain view. While most people who visit Napa have their sights set on the smaller towns and in-between countryside of the 30-mile-long valley, surprisingly few realize that the valley’s namesake city has come into its own in recent years.

A decade ago, the city of Napa was best known for its ailing downtown and lack of visitor appeal. But a major revitalization has transformed the river-front district, putting it on the map of savvy wine-country visitors.

With a walkable downtown core that mixes cafes, wine bars, restaurants, shops, and green spaces, it’s a nice change of pace from long drives between wineries in the valley. Best of all, you can park once and settle in: Small inns—including the White House Inn, where I was recently a guest—are tucked into the tree-lined residential streets that border downtown, offering a quiet respite within easy walking distance of all the action.

Here are some great places to linger a while in the city of Napa.

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