Seniors Find St. Helena To Their Liking

The City of St. Helena with a population of just under 6,000 is located in the center of the world famous wine growing Napa Valley, 65 miles north of San Francisco. Known as “The heart of the Napa Valley Wine Country” and “Napa Valley’s Main Street,” senior visitors find that St. Helena is picturesque and loaded with sophisticated shopping, dining and wine touring.

The area was settled in 1834 as part of General Vallejo’s land grant. The City of St. Helena was incorporated as a City on March 24, 1876 and reincorporated on May 14, 1889. There are two theories about how the town was named. One says it was after the local branch of the Sons of Temperance; another gives credit to Mount St. Helena, a prominent landmark to the north.

 From its inception, the city has served as a rural agricultural center. Over the years, with the growth and development of the wine industry, St Helena has become an important business and banking center for the wine industry.

The first winery founded in the Napa Valley, in 1861, was the Charles Krug Winery in what is now St. Helena. Jacob and Frederick Beringer founded Beringer Brothers Vineyards in 1876, now the oldest, continuously operating winery in the Napa Valley. Frederick built the historic 17-room Rhine House in 1883 as a re-creation of the family home in Germany.

Seniors Enjoy Napa’s First Incorporated City

St. Helena celebrates the finest in wine country hospitality, culinary adventure and the arts. Senior visitors will experience fine dining in their award-winning restaurants.

A major highlight of St. Helena is the Bale Grist Mill, built in 1846. This water-powered mill served Napa Valley’s farmers who brought their wheat grain and dried corn to the mill to be ground into flour and meal. The mill has one of the largest waterwheels in the country and still mills grain the old-fashioned way. The Robert Louis Stevenson Silverado Museum and Christopher Hill Gallery also attract senior visitors.

Along the two square blocks of historic Main Street in Napa’s first incorporated city, senior travelers will find the most charming shops in the entire valley. St. Helena’s downtown shopping area is a trove of authentic, one-of-a-kind items.

With nearly perennial sunshine and a plethora of food and dining options, it’s easy to spend an entire day strolling through downtown St. Helena. Senior friends, if you have not yet spent time in the Napa Valley…it’s time.  Enjoy St. Helena and all it has to offer you.  jeb