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Quake Damage Becomes Napa's Newest Attraction For Tourists

NAPA (KPIX 5) -- Visitors to Napa have their choice of wine-related attractions, from the wine train to the pastoral beauty of the vineyards. But now they have one more: the damage from Sunday's quake.

"Us being from Georgia, it was our first earthquake. So it's definitely been interesting," said Doug Roe, who is visiting from Atlanta.

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Downtown Napa has become the must-see spot in Wine Country. Tourists are everywhere taking in the devastation and, of course, taking lots of photos.

Including Steve Finger of Vacaville, who came out to record a cut-rate infomercial for his water filter bottle. "Yes, so that we could sell more of these bottles," he said.

You might think the locals would find all this to be in poor taste. But the businesses seem thankful just to have the tourists here at all.

"I guess it's 50/50," said Charlene Saiz of Cache Salon. "It's like, I'm sorry our town is a mess right now but still come here and enjoy the wine and food, because there are still some places open."

Perhaps the most eager sightseer of them all Wednesday was Markidas Davis of Sacramento. But he only had to cross the street to do it since he's lived the past three months in the Napa County Jail.

During the quake, Davis recalled, "I got thrown off my bunk into the wall."

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