Your children won't be tasting those California wines, but don't leave them at home – wine country has plenty of fun things to do with kids. There are state and regional parks for hiking and biking, geysers and hot springs, a petrified forest. Dip into 19th century California, pioneers and our favorite, the Bale Grist Mill in Calistoga.

Here's our own Travel for Kids hand-picked list of family hotels, all styles and price ranges, convenient to fun things to do with kids in Napa Valley and Sonoma County:

A house rental has lots of advantages for families – full kitchen and dining area, room to spread out, swimming pool, washer and dryer, and more.