Another suggestion on top of the RLS Museum in St. Helena. The writer Jack London also had a ranch in the area (actually, on the other side of the hills at Glen Ellen in Sonoma). This is where he spent the final years of his life and passed away (he died relatively young, from kidney and liver ailments and too much drinking). It is now the Jack London State Park (was closed for a while because of the State’s financial difficulties but I think it is open again). Anyway, you can go from the City over the Golden Gate and then up to Sonoma and Jack London Park, spend a couple of hours there, and then drive over the hills to Napa Valley (depending on the route you take, you will come out near Oakville or St.Helena/Calistoga).
Jack London Park is beautiful and interesting. There is a good museum in one of the old stone buildings with a lot of information and personal memorabilia about Jack London, and sometimes his ranch house is open as well, which has been kept in the condition it was in when he died (in fact, you can see the cot he passed away in). And you can take a short hike through meadows and woods to see both the ruins of the large house he was building before he died, “Wolf House,” and to visit Jack London’s gravesite which is situated on the top of a knoll in a stand of redwoods.
This is sort of a pilgrimage site for me. In past years, whenever I was in the area I would go to the park and pay my respects to Jack at his grave. And when my kids were little, on a couple of trips we took them hiking there and had a picnic.
I’ve always liked Jack London (even though he was a doggone Socialist). He led a very interesting and adventurous life.