HEADING OUT FOR THE HOLIDAY: While commercials and greeting cards and magazines often tell us that special holidays and family coming-togethers are stationary in nature, we know the truth: Holidays typically involve going and doing. Nobody is gathered around the fireplace or dining room table all day, in most households. Rather we're driving to Grandma's on Thanksgiving, we're cruising by Christmas lights at the end of December, and we're out motoring to enjoy fine weather, flowers, sunshine, and maybe an egg hunt come the springtime. Which makes a trip into wine country on Easter pretty doable in a lot of books. More than doable, though, really: pleasurable. If you can put a twist on your typical family traditions, and you want the Sunday-driving-sunshine thing, then make for...
THE NAPA VALLEY WINE TRAIN: Yep, it's pretty challenging to place eggs along the rails -- spoiler alert: they'll squash -- so the Easter trip is devoted to fine dining and families around tables. Oh, and all of that great wine country scenery that the famous train provides so well. There's a children's rate for the Gourmet Express package, so look into that if you'll have all of your little bonneted ones in tow.
HUNT FOR THE HARE: Safari West in Santa Rosa hasn't cut the traditional egg hunt loose, but it has added an offbeat element: Visitors search for the Easter Bunny himself. The bunny is out there, among the animals of the expansive park, so kids have to keep the ol' eyes peeled. Brunch and other to-dos shall festoon the day out in a festive way.
WINERY EGG HUNT: Many a posh winery-associated restaurant'll be doing up brunch that day, but full on Easter Egg searches? Those are a bit rarer. If you really want to do an egg hunt, you can make for Pope Valley Winery, which has an egg hunt created just for the kidlings and one for adults. Will the adult egg hunt happen before or after the wine tastings? We're just curious, is all. Sounds like a grand day out.
