Located less than an hour away is Northern California’s newest and most anticipated music festival; BottleRock Napa Valley. This festival runs May 9th through May 12th with over 60 bands on 3 Napa Expo stages. Unlike any other music festival, where the tempera...

Read more]]> About Napa's Upcoming Music Festival

Located less than an hour away is Northern California’s newest and most anticipated music festival; BottleRock Napa Valley. This festival runs May 9th through May 12th with over 60 bands on 3 Napa Expo stages. Unlike any other music festival, where the temperatures are high, this event in Napa Valley will be a comfortable 75 degrees.

BottleRock Napa Valley will feature a wide mix of popular music with well known artists, bands, and performers, including Kings of Leon, The Black Keys, Zac Brown Band, Furthur featuring Phil Lesh and Bob Weir, Jane’s Addiction, The Shins, and The Avett Brothers (just to name a few)!

Of course, any event in Napa Valley wouldn’t be complete without some stellar food and wine! Some of the best food, beer, wine, and spirits will be featured at retail locations throughout the festival. In the center of it all, guests will find a collection of popular food trucks for that quick bite to eat!

The event is also held to support many great causes. A portion of all proceeds from the ticket sales will benefit over 20+ non-profits, groups, and organizations. 

To be a part of BottleRock Napa Valley, passes can be bought in single day tickets, 3-day passes, and 4-day passes at different times during the festival. Click here to learn more!

The Crowne Plaza Concord - Walnut Creek Hotel is less than an hour’s drive from beautiful Napa Valley Wine Country! We have created some great wine tasting tips to fully enjoy this Northern California experience to its fullest! The key...

Read more]]> Enjoy the Rolling Vineyards of Napa Valley, Just 1 Hour Away!

The Crowne Plaza Concord - Walnut Creek Hotel is less than an hour’s drive from beautiful Napa Valley Wine Country! We have created some great wine tasting tips to fully enjoy this Northern California experience to its fullest! The key to Napa wine tasting is enjoy the wine and who you are experiencing it with. 

• Step 1: Don't overfill your glass. The wine is served in a large glass and filled a quarter of the way for a reason. The wine needs room to “breathe” while you are enjoying the aroma and flavor. 

• Step 2: Hold the glass at an angle in front of a light or light-colored surface to look at the color. Each glass of wine, whether red or white, each varietal will have a distinct color based on its contents. 

• Step 3: Swirl the glass in your hand or on a hard surface creating the wine to move in circling motion. In doing this, air draws into the wine and creates a stronger aroma of the wine.  

• Step 4: Smell the wine. Don’t be afraid to sniff strongly! Considering that the smell receptors are at the top of your nose, people often “snort” while smelling the wine. Your nose and smelling sense is an integral part of taste, so smelling stimulates the palate! 

• Step 5: Sip away! Put a small amount of wine in your mouth and let the flavors move across your tongue. Some people swish the wine around like mouthwash to intensify the flavor. 

• Step 6: Pay attention to aftertaste! Don’t take a sip one after the other. Stop and enjoy the aftertaste of the wine once it is gone. The flavors that are left behind
  often help point out the wine's unique flavor. 

• Step 7: Repeat! 

Visit the Golden Gate Bridge - Known throughout the world, the Golden Gate Bridge is “the place to visit in California” by many Bay Area travelers. Many of our guests enjoy taking the day to explore, hike, and relax near this California landmark. From...

Read more]]> Spring in Concord, CA: Must-See Attractions

Visit the Golden Gate Bridge - Known throughout the world, the Golden Gate Bridge is “the place to visit in California” by many Bay Area travelers. Many of our guests enjoy taking the day to explore, hike, and relax near this California landmark. From one end to the other, the Golden Gate Bridge touches the Golden Gate National parks, where you’ll also discover Northern California’s finest wildlife! 

Explore Mt. Diablo - It’s the perfect place to bike, horseback ride, and hike! The mountain is full of wildflowers, wildlife, and the night sky is wonderful for stargazing. Mt. Diablo is easily accessible and family fun trip for any San Francisco Bay tourist. 

Shop 'til you Drop - Who doesn’t love to shop while on vacation in Northern California?! Shop for the latest trends in the variety of stores at the Willow Shopping center
in the historic downtown Concord area, as well as the famous Sunvalley Mall. 

Wine Tasting in Napa Valley, CA - A trip to Northern California is not complete without a trip to Napa or Sonoma for winetasting! People come from all over the world to taste the grapes in California Wine Country. Our central Bay Area hotel is within an hour’s drive to Napa Valley, CA, where you can enjoy the region’s finest vineyards.

It’s almost that time of the year when the Holidays subside and your family flies back home. But yes, there's still that one thing that hasn’t gone away… that New Year’s resolution that you set for yourself. 

Here are some simple (and easy) ti...

Read more]]> Tips for Keeping those New Year's Resolutions

It’s almost that time of the year when the Holidays subside and your family flies back home. But yes, there's still that one thing that hasn’t gone away… that New Year’s resolution that you set for yourself. 

Here are some simple (and easy) tips for achieving that often dissipated New Year’s resolution.

• Set yourself up with something you REALLY want to accomplish: listen to your head and your heart! Make sure your resolutions make sense to YOU. Don’t listen to what others set for themselves; give yourself a resolution you truly care about. Big or small. 
• Goals and resolutions must be feasible and within reach, so be realistic with your resolution. If you want to lose weight, set yourself up with a realistic number… don’t try something that's almost impossible to achieve. OR, if you reach your goal too early, know that you can always adjust it and move on with a new goal. 
• Keep a journal and jot down notes: Keeping a daily (or weekly) log of your progression helps keep you motivated and on track! Once you reach your goal, you will also feel a sense of accomplishment looking back and seeing the results. 

The Holidays are just around the corner, and your shopping list is starting to grow even bigger! To help you during this busy time of year, we put together a great list of gift ideas for that flight-hoping, hotel-traveler friend of yours! Wh...

Read more]]> What to Buy the Frequent Traveler this Holiday Season 

The Holidays are just around the corner, and your shopping list is starting to grow even bigger! To help you during this busy time of year, we put together a great list of gift ideas for that flight-hoping, hotel-traveler friend of yours! Whether it’s your business traveling Dad or your adventurous best friend, we’re sure that they’ll appreciate these thoughtful gifts from you during the Holidays.  

1. Personalized Luggage Tags - Luggage tags are extremely important to any traveler. The tags help identify a person’s luggage and include their name and contact information. Make a luggage tag personal by getting the person’s name embroidered on it, choosing their favorite color, or even including photos of their friends & family! Luggage tags are vital for any traveler, especially if luggage is misplaced by an airport. 

2. Traveling Comfy Items (neck pillows, eye masks, etc) - Being away from the comforts of your home can make traveling difficult. Give the gift of comfort with a present that helps with R & R during travel. From neck pillows to eye masks to sleep-sound gadgets, surround your friend with soothing amenities that will help them relax and sleep well in their hotel room or plane. 

3. Multi-Device Power Chargers - Many travelers can’t live without their electronic devices - like cell phones, iPods, PDAs, portable game players, and Bluetooth headsets. Multi-device power stations provide the option to charge gadgets, all at the same time! Most power stations come with different power tips that can accommodate a variety of brands (like Apple, Samsung, etc.). Your family member or friend will love this traveling convenience. 

Concord, California is located just 45 minutes from the world-renowned Napa Valley, California. The area is filled with miles of sun-drenched grapevines and exciting wineries, where you can sample & purchase a variety of wines and cheese, as well as browse t.. Read More