During the mid-1800s, the Napa River brought people to Napa City from around the world, attracted by the beauty and bounty of the valley. Riverboat captains played a major role in creating the material wealth of the city as their vessels plied the waters of San Francisco Bay carrying freight and passengers. As the powerhouse of industry, the river attracted several tanneries that needed water to make the now famous "Nappa" leather. Napa became a leather colony with the growth of shoe, glove, and glue factories. The river became a key transportation artery, and its channel became the focus of greater dredging to allow larger ships to anchor downtown. No longer a natural river able to meander, it frequently overran its banks, flooding towns. Industry, agricultural runoff, and population growth caused the Napa River to become polluted and neglected into the 20th century. Today, the Napa River is the centerpiece of downtown renewal. A "Living River" strategy is bringing back its vitality along with fish and wildlife populations, helping the river to regain its importance.

Annotation How has California's landscape changed? What did now-familiar places look like during prior centuries? This book explores these questions by taking readers on a dazzling visual tour of Napa Valley from the early 1800s onward - a forgotten land of brilliant wildflower fields, lush wetlands, and grand oak savannas.

Hiking California's Wine Country covers 67 hikes in the area for hikers of all abilities. Up-to-date trail information and miles and directions will be featured throughout, as well as sidebars on local culture, trivia, and wildlife. GPS coordinates are available for all trailheads.

Everything you need to know about America's favorite wine and food destination. You'll discover the most popular tourist attractions as well as those that locals try to keep secret. With this book, you won't miss a thing. Whether it's your first visit or your tenth, you'll find new and enjoyable things to see and do. Includes over 700 listings of lodging, spas, wineries, restaurants, parks and camping, hiking and biking, sightseeing, shopping, events, arts, entertainment and nightlife in all towns and areas of the Napa Valley. Readers will also find historical landmarks, a chronological history of Napa County, Napa County statistics, maps, photos, wedding planning contacts, kids' favorites, help on relocating to the valley, and even a section on Napa Valley trivia, including movies made in the valley, ship building, and the World War II era POW camp. There's also a special and very comprehensive 45-page wine supplement, with information on Napa Valley wines, vineyards, varietals, winemaking, wine tasting, understanding a wine label, a glossary of wine terms and pronunciations, and much more.