It always surprises me when people who love California tell me they haven’t been to Napa Valley. Wine country isn’t just some dreamy Bay Area side trip; it’s a quintessential piece of the culture and economy, shaping the very lifestyle and spirit of the region. Skipping Napa is like visiting San Francisco without seeing the Golden Gate Bridge or biting into a slice of sourdough; you’re not getting the total package.

An immersive new travel experience at two Four Seasons properties brings together the very best of San Francisco and Napa on an itinerary that mixes dining, imbibing, and sightseeing for a one-of-a-kind city-to-country adventure. In just a few glorious days (the length is up to you), the trip lays to rest the idea that the Bay Area is stuck in a downward coil of urban despair and economic struggle, sometimes referred to as the “doom loop.”

Since its days as a gold rush settlement and through various culture waves and tech booms and busts, San Francisco has always been a comeback town, and signs show it’s on the rebound once again. Take the area around the iconic TransAmerica building, where a series of public open spaces is set to open later this year with new restaurants, shops, lounges, activities and a sky bar.

A few blocks away, Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco at Embarcadero plays a big part of the revitalization. Occupying the top 11 floors of a 48-story landmark tower, the hotel opened in 2020 (it closed during the pandemic and reopened in June 2021) with head-spinning panoramas of the city and San Francisco Bay. The property, one of two Four Seasons hotels in San Francisco (the other is on Market Street), is both a refuge from urban life and a celebration of it. The views remind you of what makes San Francisco an enchanted place, and the hotel knows how to showcase the city at its finest.

The hotel connects guests on outings with art photographer Adam Jacobs who shows how to “make” photos rather than just “take” them. He reveals the best vantage points to view city landmarks and the bay beyond, with tips on how to capture it all in the right light. If that’s splashy enough, Adventure Cat Sailing Adventures partners with the hotel on a 1.5-hour sunset sail aboard a catamaran from Pier 39 to the Golden Gate Bridge, as evening lights up the skyline.

It’s a ten-minute walk from the hotel to Quince, a three-star Michelin restaurant that last year opened a more “approachable” salon, featuring an abbreviated tasting menu in an area with comfortable banquette seating. Or you can stay put at the Four Seasons and enjoy a flight of cocktails at the ground-floor Italian restaurant Orafo, which makes its pasta in-house and procures its meats and produce from local farms.

The city-to-country program kicks off for real with a limousine transfer to Four Seasons Resort & Residences Napa Valley in Calistoga. Open since 2021, the lush and scenic retreat on 22 acres has 85 guest rooms, two pools, two restaurants (including one with a Michelin star), a bocce ball court, a fitness center, an eight-room spa and its own boutique vineyard.

Those vines aren’t just for show. The 4.7-acre vineyard is part of an onsite, organically farmed winery, Elusa, where winemaker Jonathan Walden collaborates with legendary winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown on a carefully crafted selection of outstanding red wines. Hotel guests can enjoy an entire barrel room and tasting experience without ever leaving the property; and all in time for dinner, either at the farm-to-table restaurant Truss, or at Calistoga’s only Michelin-starred dining spot, Auro. Chef Rogelio Garcia, who worked alongside Thomas Keller at The French Laundry, runs Auro’s pleasantly relaxed kitchen with precision and playfulness. One amuse bouche dish — the chef’s take on eggnog — is served in an eggshell, laser-cut as a mini bowl and suspended on a ceramic perch shaped like a chicken leg.

Calistoga is celebrated for its geothermal hot springs and therapeutic mud baths, which are renowned for promoting healing and relaxation. At the Four Seasons spa, guests can unwind with treatments that feature mineral-rich mud, used in scrubs and massages designed to detoxify and soothe. The spa also has outdoor misting decks, steam rooms, and tranquility lounges, perfect for shedding worldly stresses. It’s hard to imagine a better spot for experiencing the unique and eclectic charms of the Bay Area, whether you prefer urban excitement, countryside tranquility or an indulgent blend of both.

Over the years, multiple plans have been proposed for the theater, located at 2465 Mission St. between 20th and 21st streets, but none of them ever materialized. Now, after the structural engineer for the most recent plan went to prison—disgraced former city official Rodrigo Santos—and one of the two property owners died, the ruined theater’s future is uncertain.

“There’s no plans right now for the Tower Theater,” said Robert Cort, who co-owned the property with his mother, Vera Cort, until her death last month at age 82. “I’m not developing anything there. I’m just hoping someone will lease it and fill the space.”

Despite Cort’s hopes that someone will lease the property, he admitted it isn’t listed on the rental market. There are no listings online for the property. When The Standard visited the site on Wednesday, there were no signs advertising the space as available for lease.

Cort said that dealing with his late mother’s estate left him no time to sign a listing agreement for the theater.

“There’s just so much going on,” he said.

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – A San Francisco neighborhood came together on Sunday to gather donations for a beloved community dog walker who lost his home in a fire on Tuesday. It’s just the latest challenge Terry Williams has had to face after receiving several racist packages at his home near Alamo Square last month.

“It feels real good you know all the love, all my neighbors and friends showing up, writing letters on the garage,” said Terry Williams.

Williams, who lives with his parents, was not at home when the fire broke out. Williams’ parents were rescued by firefighters from the upper floors of the three-story residence. The home has since been red tagged. 

On Sunday, neighbors held a block party fundraiser for the family, dropping off supplies and clothing.  

“I just felt like I needed to do something. He is like the Mayor of Alamo Square, so everybody knows him,” said neighbor Clarice Torrey. “He has been such a great neighbor. He has stopped a break in for me, and he’s moved my car for street sweeping.”

Beloved Alamo Square dog walker Terry Williams during a May 11 rally in support of him and his family. 

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“It’s a lot, but I’m trying to be strong, but in moments I do break down,” said Williams. 

Last month, he received two racist packages, including a black doll with a noose wrapped around its neck. San Francisco Police are now investigating both deliveries as hate crimes. 

Meantime, officials said it could be months before they can determine what caused the fire.