For Inna's birthday, I had planned a two-day getaway retreat at Calistoga, featuring rest & relaxation at the Indian Springs Resort & Spa.
Friday, February 27, 2026
After Inna and I finished work, we started our drive to Indian Springs Resort & Spa in Calistoga. There was some traffic on the way, and we arrived later than expected. After checking in at reception, we picked up our room keys for #22. We parked our Tesla Model Y near our room and unloaded the car.
- Appetizer: Freshly Baked Bread
- Salad: Sonoma Apple Salad, Mushroom Soup shots x 2
- Boris: Wine Forest Risotto
- Inna: Seared Wild Halibut, Berry Collins (non-alcoholic)
They were both excellent. The Mushroom soup shots were also excellent.
The Science of the 22-degree Halo
While it might look like a ring of light or a thin cloud, the halo is caused by refraction—the bending of light as it passes through ice crystals.
The Clouds: Even if the sky looks clear, there are often high-altitude cirrus clouds drifting about 20,000 to 40,000 feet above you.
The Crystals: These clouds are so high and cold that they are composed of millions of tiny, hexagonal (six-sided) ice crystals.
The "Magic" Angle: As moonlight enters one side of these hexagonal crystals and exits the other, it is bent at an angle of exactly 22 degrees. This consistency is why the halo always appears to be the same size, regardless of where you are standing.
Why it looks like a ring
Because the ice crystals are oriented in all different directions in the sky, they refract the light in a circular pattern around the moon.
Fun Fact: Because the light is being refracted (like a prism), you can sometimes see a faint red tint on the inside of the ring and blue on the outside, though it's often too dim for the human eye to pick up at night.
Folklore vs. Reality
In many cultures, a lunar halo is seen as a weather predictor. The old saying goes: "Ring around the moon, rain or snow soon." There is actually some truth to this! Cirrus clouds often precede a warm front, which frequently brings rain within 24 to 48 hours.
So, while you were enjoying your swim, the sky was likely signaling a change in the weather
Saturday, February 28, 2025
At 08:00, Inna had a migraine, and we decided to skip the Restorative + Meditation Yoga at the Reflection Room.
At 09:00, we decided to drive to our favorite Michelin-rated Solbar restaurant for breakfast, located at the Solage Resort (just a few minutes away from Indian Springs). Solage also has free Tesla destination chargers, and we parked our Tesla Model Y at a charger and started the charging process. I charged the Tesla for one hour (from 54% to 64%) using 480V.
From the charging lot, we walked a few minutes to Solbar. The weather was sunny, beautiful, and warm for a February day. We decided to sit outdoors, as the indoor area was entirely empty. In fact, we got so hot, sitting by in direct, morning sun, that we asked our waiter to move our table to a shaded area.
Initially, I was planning to order my all-time favorite Lemon Ricotta pancakes, but I changed my mind as I wanted a breakfast with protein. We ordered the following items:
- Boris: Yogurt + Granola, Coffee
- Inna: Duck Hash, Coffee
After breakfast, we decided to hike in the Bothe-Napa Valley State Park. ChatGPT suggested that we hike the highly rated Redwood Trail, and we drove to the Bothe State Park, to the gravel parking lot near the Redwood Trail trailhead.
The hike was excellent with beautiful redwoods, streams, and lush surroundings. Luckily, it was not muddy (but next time, we should bring our hiking boots).
For lunch, we decided to drive to St. Helena and try the Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch (famous for its grass-fed meats). After being seated indoors, we ordered the following items:
- Drinks: Seasonal Sparkling VA
- Appetizer: Burrata
- Salad: Garden Salad
- Entree: Flannery Flat-Iron Steak (medium-rare) with French Fries
- Drinks: Might Dry Apple Cider
- Appetizer: Grilled Octopus
- Inna: Piri Piri Chicken
- Boris: Cheeseburger with Fries
- Duck Hash, Coffee
- Yogurt + Granola, Coffee
The Duck Hash was excellent, and the Yogurt + Granola was also fantastic. We walked back to Indian Springs Resort & Spa and changed into our swimsuits. We ended up swimming for about an hour (from 10:00 to 11:00). It was a bit colder and more cloudy than on Saturday.
I returned to our room and changed out of the swimsuits. I walked back to Solage to pick up the charged Tesla and drove it back to Indian Springs Resort & Spa. Inna was already there, and we quickly packed our suitcases and checked out of the hotel.
Inna explored Calistoga downtown for a bit, while I read my Kindle Colorsoft. When she returned at 12:45, we started our drive to Bouchon Bistro in Yountville.
We found a parking space near Bouchon Bistro and checked in at 13:15. Inna got a fantastic outdoor table. After sitting down and looking at the menu, we ordered the following items:
- Appetizer: Freshly Baked Baguette
- Soup: Mushroom Soup (Soup du Jour)
- Salad: Salade maraîchère au chèvre chaud
- Main: Epaule d'Agneau (Lamb) with beans
- Dessert: Chocolate Mousse
The mushroom soup and salade maraîchère au chèvre chaud were excellent. The Lamb was superb. We also enjoyed the Chocolate Mousse.
The drive back home was fairly smooth with mostly light traffic, and we arrived at around 16:50.
Calistoga Trip Review
Highlights
- Swimming and relaxing at Indian Springs' Thermal Pool
- Seeing the 22-degree Halo from Indian Springs' Thermal Pool
- Dining at Solbar and Lovina, in Calistoga
- Dining at Bouchon Bistro in Yountville
Lowlights
- Inna is getting a headache on Saturday morning
Links
- Indian Springs Resort & Spa, Calistoga
- Bothe-Napa Valley State Park
- Lovina Restaurant in Calistoga
- Solbar at Solage in Calistoga
- Farmstead Long Meadow Ranch, St. Helena
- Sam's Social Club at Indian Springs Resort & Spa
- Bouchon Bistro, Yountville
.jpg)
