The Napa River, San Pablo Bay, and marshes in the Carneros offer calm, scenic spots ideal for paddleboarding and kayaking. You can rent equipment or book tours through Napa Valley Paddle, linked here.

October is an excellent time to take a hike. Trails of all difficulties are plentiful in the area. The Valentine Vista Trail in Moore Creek Park is a family favorite. If it's your first time in California, visit Bothe-Napa Valley State Park and walk in the shade of Coastal Redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens ) the world's tallest trees. Westwood Hills Park Loop is right in the middle of town and features an exceptional climbing tree (an enormous Quercus agrifolia). Skyline Park boasts excellent views and an abandoned wing of the local mental hospital that is the subject of numerous urban legends. Please check out this website and the Land Trust of Napa Valley page for more ideas.

The vine trail offers 33 miles of paved, car free, bike lanes up and down the valley. You can rent a bike from one of several vendors in Napa.

For more experienced road bikers, the roads around the Carneros are quiet and offer excellent views and plenty of places to stop and taste wine.

Early October is the busiest season for winemaking. Grapes are harvested, crushed, fermented, and transferred in to barrels to age all within the space of two (ish) months. This is a great time to see the process in action. This will mean that there will likely be more traffic in and around the valley. If you do wish to go wine tasting, be sure to book ahead. Do not plan to visit more than one or two wineries in a day. It's not fun to be in a rush.

When Molly was growing up, David Stevens made wine for Freemark Abbey, Chandon, and Bouchaine. Molly worked in Meadowcroft Wine's tasting room. Other favorites are Gloria Ferrer, Larson Family, Mumm, Walt (they have a tasting room by the venue) and Cuvaison (right around the corner from Molly's house). Napa locals will have other favorites, ask around.

Hess Persson Estates on Mount Veeder not only hosts tastings and tours but also an impressive contemporary art collection. You can tour the museum for free and see works by Andy Goldsworthy, Francis Bacon, Katsura Funakoshi, Frank Stella, Gerhard Richter, and others. The drive up passes stands of Costal Redwood, another wonder.

Before it was famous for grapes, the Napa Valley grew wheat. On October 10th and 11th. Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park hosts reenactors demonstrating historical crafts including woodworking, lacemaking, wheat winnowing, butter making, apple pressing, and rope making. The highlights of the festival are demonstrations of the water powered mill, built before the Gold Rush and still functional today. For families and the historically curious, it's a worthwhile visit.

Once, it was the furthest northern frontier town of Mexico, established to fend off Russian influence. The Bear Flag Revolt, a short insurrection which briefly made California an independent republic and later a state, took place there in the summer of 1846. General Joseph "Fighting Joe" Hooker lived there immediately before serving in the Civil War. Scream was filmed there.

Downtown Sonoma huddles around a pretty, european-style central square ringed by historic buildings. You can visit Mission San Francisco Solano, the Sonoma Barracks, the villa of the last governor of Alta California (evocatively named Lachryma Montis), a really good cheese shop, and a store that only sells flags. Downtown Sonoma is about a 30 min drive from Downtown Napa. It is a good stop for families, history buffs, and gourmands.

This local company and renowned purveyor of heirloom beans and bean accessories has a dedicated store downtown. Stop by and grab a bag of King City Pink, Domingo Rojo, Good Mother Stallard, or Occhio della Cabra beans. They make an excellent souvenir and hearty dinner.

Open on Sundays from 5am-5pm, this is the ultimate locals only shopping spot. You can find products ranging from fresh fruit to cowboy boots to couches to steaming bowls of menudo here and most anything in between. There is often live music and always superb food. Parking is $5. Bring cash and small bills.

Nextdoor to the wedding venue is a great place to do a little shopping and snacking. Molly is a big fan of Whole Spice, a spice shop in the market.

You've seen the photo, a gentle green hillside sloping down from left to right, blue sky, fluffy clouds. It has graced the screens of more than one billion computers. Charles O'Rear took the photograph, titled "Bliss" in 1998 in the Carneros. Molly grew up less than a 10 minute drive from the site. Don't expect to see the exact view you saw booting up, seasonal changes and vineyard plantings mean it will not be as recognizable.

Napa has a cryptid! Ask a local what the fuss is about.