Getaway with My Husband

We like Calistoga, a nice soak in a hot spring pool, nice dinner out, very relaxing. We also enjoy Carmel, strolling on the beach, shopping in the shops and galleries, and dining out. I'm interested to hear what others suggested.

This sounds crazy, but we live in Willow Glen and have 2 wonderful boys, 16 months apart (almost 3 and 20 months)
we go the the hotel Los Gatos to get away for a night. It is really nice and you feel like you are away, even though you don't have to drive that far. The rooms, room service and staff are great and the prices are not that bad.

The Heritage House in Mendocino! My DH took me for my birthday, it was the most relaxing, eautiful weekend get-away.

Well I guess it depends on how far you want to drive and what you would like to do. Is a 3 hour drive away too much because I just got back from Sacramento and it was great. Of course I went to an Air Show with my husband and kids but I am sure there is more to do there. Or you can try Morro Bay..it is beautiful down there. Of course get a hotel before you go there because they might book up fast. I hope this helps. Or if you like wine they have wine tasting in paso robles.

Hi H.!

Ahhh! That would be sooooo nice!

My FAVORITE place to go when we can finally get away is in Carmel. Carmel Vally Ranch is the name of the place. It can be VERY pricey, but if you can afford it, it's well worth the cost. You can have your own private Jacuzzi on your patio. Each "suite" is very secluded, so it's extremely private and quiet.

There are too many pluses to mention, but when my husband and I get away for 2 nights at this place, it feels like we've been away for a week!

Wherever you go, have a great time! I will be sitting here in my "mom clothes" thinking about you!

:o) N.

Dear H.-
My husband and I just had a getaway for our 3rd anniversary (baby girl is 6 months) and we went to Sausalito. It is on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge. It is an artsy little town with a cute downtown and fun stuff to do: visit muir woods, shop in an outdoor mall in a nearby town, drive the 5-10 minute drive into the city, and see the beautiful bay. I highly recommend the Spinaker restaurant. It is right on the water, 3 sides of glass in the dining room, with great views of the bay and wonderful seafood. It is so important to have regular getaways, as you know, to keep your sanity, even if it's just getting someone to watch the kids for an afternoon and go for a long walk together. Have a fun date weekend!

Rent a place at Bodega Bay.

I have a great idea for a relaxing getaway. It is a bit farther than the bay area, but well worth it, the Mendocino Coast and Anderson Valley. There are several wonderful campsites or bed and breakfasts up and down that area of the coast, whichever is more your speed. From the coast you can drive south into the Anderson Valley, and go wine tasting and beer tasting. Depending on your budget, you can call Mendo Wine Tours to hire a private towncar or tour with a group. I think the private towncar was only $50 more than doing the group tour (we paid $350 plus tip for the ENTIRE day, but the prices may have gone up). My husband and I hired the towncar for our 5th anniversary 2 years ago, and since we have gone back several times and brought family with us because it is truly a one of a kind experience. It is a far cry from the pretentious wineries of the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Everyone is so relaxed, and at most of the wineries the owners serve you themselves and explain their wines with such enthusiasm. We don't have a lot of money to spend on vacations, so this was perfect. If you decide to do this, you must stop by Esterlina Vineyards, Claudia Springs, Navarro, Brutocao, and Breggo. If you are interested in beer there is Anderson Valley Brewing Company in the valley, and North Coast Brewing Company in Fort Bragg. Hope this helped.

Tiburon is amazing. You can do a great hike up Mt. Tamalpais and go for a Ferry ride to S.F. for dinner. Great shopping too! Have fun! K.

Hi there H.;
I don't know where you live but...my favorite getaway with my husband is Pacifica. There are terrific beaches, beautiful scenery, and a wonderful restaurant called Nicks. It's a quick and inexpensive trip. A night at the Lighthouse Best Western across the street from Nicks is just over $100 and well worth the perks of a night away from 'real life'.
I hope this helps. God Bless you both.

Monterey and Half Moon Bay are both really fun little getaways that aren't too far away, and both have a ton of quaint B&Bs to choose from. Enjoy!

My husband and I just took a little weekend get away to Napa. We had a lot of fun and really enjoyed out time alone.

We love Mendocino and Fort Bragg...only about a 2.5-3 hour drive north, and there are lots of lodging options.

Also, you might think of having a "city" weekend. I have stayed in a hotel with my husband, and had the luxury of going to dinner and a show or a club, and not worrying about getting home, cleaning up, etc...

Calistoga has great spa retreats. Also, if you are a AAA member and get the VIA magazine, there is usually a deal for Hearst's Castle. If you can afford it, a trip to Monterey/Pacific Grove and staying in a B&B is always nice, but a little pricey.

Seal Cove Inn, Half Moon Bay --- it's an absolutely beautiful inn, great ocean-side town, lots to do or just stay cozy at the inn.

If you like Santa Cruz, try Pajaro Dunes. My in-laws have a home there, but I have seen places for rent. It is a great getaway because it is close enough to Santa Cruz and Monterey, but far enough away from the hustle and bustle

How about Napa Valley, need a complimentary vacation? I have a voucher for Napa Valley, you pay for the processing fee and the taxes per night it's yours if you want it.
I'm paying it forward and helping others

All depends what you like to do, so many small towns near by that you never heard of. Stay at a nice hotel, plan an evening of dining without driving far from home. Especially with gas prices. You would be surprise how beautful things are this time of year without driving far.

My husband and I went to Bodega Bay for the weekend and that was awesome. Ofcourse it was before I was pregnant, so we were able to do a 2 hour horseback ride along the beach.

Hi H..

I love the Candlelight Inn in Carmel. Romantic little Inns with fireplace and jacuzzi bathtub. Carmel has great shopping and is close enough to Monterey if you like the aquarium. It is relaxing and breathtaking. I go there when I need to get away from the kids.

My husband and I are the proud parents of 6 year old twin boys and we have been fortunate enough to be able to take short weekend vacations from time to time. We leave our boys with either a Grandparent(s), which allows them one on one time and my husband and I the little time away we need. We live in Sunnyvale and the bay area has so much to offer, that some of the sites, neither of us had been to (we both grew up here). So, we take that time to play "the weekend tourist".

One weekend we rented a hotel room in Half Moon Bay and took a tour of Alcatraz, somthing we had both wanted to do for a long time. After the tour we spent time at Pier 39 and went to some of the museums on that street in San Francisco. We had a nice romantic dinner at a restuarant on the beach the next night, and most of all, reconnected our romantic side not just the "mom and dad" side.

We have also, spent a weekend in Monterey and once just got a local hotel room in San Jose and pretended we were far away.

These little trips away from the kids have been a wonderful thing for our marriage. We started off rough 7 years ago and had to find a way to hold it together. We rediscover the romance in our relationship and also realize we still have a good time together, even without the children.

Hope this helps.

Rebecca

My husband and I had a fantastic weekend in Saratoga village, at the Saratoga inn. They have a few GREAT rooms with hot tubs, serve snacks and a light breakfast, and are close to everything - walking distance to great restaurants, a few galleries, and a short drive to big parks for walks.
hope this helps!
L.

Monterey is always nice.

A few suggestions may be to visit Mendocino Bay, not sure on the spelling for that one. You could also try waling the beach in Santa Cruise area, if you had wanted to do a search for Bead and Breakfast in you area, that is another good idea.

My husband and I love Big Sur! However, if were to choose right now would go wth Calistoga, can't beat a weekend of spa life!! Have fun!

Half Moon Bay would be great. Lots of shops, beach and food! Very Romantic.

Not sure where you live, however, the little town of Occidental is a wonderful place! There is a wonderful inn (the Inn at Occidental) right in town, great food at the Union Hotel, Negri's...10 minutes from Bodega Bay and Russian River. Beautiful redwoods, quaint little town...lots of places to explore. Freestone, Sebastopol, Guerneville all nearby.

Head to Monterey, Big Sur. Lots of reasonable priced hotels in the Monterey, Seaside, Pacific Grove area. I love Ventana Restaurant down in Big Sur. They have a Inn. I have toured it but not stayed there. D.

I don't have time to read the other responses so sorry if this is a duplicate suggestion. One of my husband & my favorite weekend get aways is to Paso Robles/SLO area. We live in Livermore so it is about 2 1/2 hours away. We stay at the La Quinta Paso Robles, a brand new hotel built in the last few years, very clean, great staff & has breakfast. Is is located on the highway 46 east which lead to about 15 wineries within a 10 minute drive. http://www.winecountrygetaways.com/paso-robles-wineries-3....
We go to a local deli, fill up on picnic supplies & then wine taste all day One of our favorite places to have our picnic is on the sundeck at Eberle winery. This winery also has an underground cave tour which is fun to do.
Tobin James is our favorite winery located on the same high way at the end. Very fun atmosphere & good wine. Most of these winery's are free tasting & are very low key not at all like the vibe in Napa. There is also the Sycamore hot sprints in Avila beach which is a high end resort that if you don't stay at you can still rent a hot spring tub located in the hills at an hourly rate. A very romantic outing which again you can bring your own snacks or wine to.(in a backpack, no glass allowed) Avila beach is down the read from there which is a beautiful beach & there are some shops & eateries within the little town. If I wasn't 6 months pregnant with our first baby, we'd have a weekend scheduled any time from now on to do this trip at least once this season. Have fun where ever you end up going!

Hi H.. Harris Ranch in Coalinga (off the 5 Freeway) is great. There is NOTHING there except nice rooms, an olympic sized pool and jacuzzi, and a wonderful steakhouse. Great place to do nothing but relax and reconnect with hubby.
If you are looking for a place to stroll around, Paso Robles is a quaint little town with a lot of wineries and some nice restaurants. The natural mineral jacuzzi tubs at the Paso Robles Inn are worth the extra money for a room that has them.
If you can swing a 4 day weekend, Royal Caribbean has a Friday thru Monday cruise to Mexico (3-night Mexico Cruise) that leaves from LA (Southwest Airlines has some good fares, and the cruise isn't too expensive, but a fun get-away).
You can be at each of these places in 2-3 hours. Good luck!

onr more....Hearst Castle in San Simeon!! They have different tours and one is at sundown...very romantic and we stayed at a town about 20 min. away right across from the beach. I'm pretty sure the town is called Cambria. Look for the package deals where you get the tickets for Hearst Castle, the Hotel, and a romantic dinner for two!
Good Luck!

We waited until DS1 was 18mos to do an overnight away from home so we splurged on a night at the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay. We had totally forgotten what it was like to have an early dinner and linger through all three courses (don't miss their tea!) while watching the sun set on the ocean. DS2 is 16mos and we're looking forward to getting out again soon. It was amazing to stay up late watching movies knowing we could sleep in come morning. A few other MaMas in our playgroups have taken our lead and gone as well with rave reviews all around... you won't be disappointed!

I would definately recommend Monterey, Carmel & Napa. I use to live down by Monterey and it is beautiful this time of year. There's lots to do and see. Carmel is about another 15 minutes from Monterey. Napa is great for wine tasting, bed and breakfast, golfing or just sight seeing. These are all my favorites. Best of luck.

Half Moon Bay is definitely one of my favorites! My hubbie and I stayed at the Best Western and it may sound really boring and un-sexy, but it was a really beautiful hotel with pretty reasonable prices for the area and how nice and new the rooms were. The hotel was very quiet and had pretty grounds and was a 2 minute drive from everything. There is also a great restaurant not too far north of HMB in Princeton called Barbara's Fishtrap. It's a cool, little simple place with awesome clam chowder, fried seafood platter and all kinds of other yummy stuff. You can google it. :) Anyways, good luck! A weekend away can do wonders!

I would suggest sutter creek or Jackson. Both are close, quaint little towns, kindof like downtown folsom or Placerville. Great little shops..great food and both very quiet..My husband and I got engaged in Sutter Creek, so it'ws been a favorite of ours for a long time. There are several B and B's there and a couple of hotels. Very relaxing..there are a couple of hole in the wall bars too, if that's more your scene.

The best get away my husband & I ever had was completely spontaneous. I got a babysitter for a couple days & we jumped in the car & took off. No reservations or anything...
We got a state map & headed in a direction that we hadn't been before.(north of Sacramento towards Redding then we cut across to the ocean).
We stopped when we were tired & looked for a hotel. They ended up giving us a suite at the same price as a regular room cause they thought our spontaneous adventure was something they wished they had thought of.
Towards the end of the weekend we ended up in the Fort Bragg area. We had just taken unknown roads to us...along hwy 1 & 101. Some wonderful scenery...Redwoods etc. We got a picnic lunch from a local store & just stopped at a wonderful campground to enjoy it (we would love to take the kids back there to....)
The whole weekend was just for us!!!
We came home feeling closer to each other,less stressed around the kids etc....I would do it again in a heart beat but since we have already done it once it kinda takes the fun out of it.....I hope you find what you are looking for...Good Luck....
P.s. there is a place I have always wanted to go along the coast..kinda pricey,but they have private cottages some that overlook the ocean...The Inn at Schoolhouse Creek..check their website you will be amazed at how romantic it looks!!!!
www.schoolhousecreek.com....it is in the Fort Bragg/Mendocino area....Have Fun

www.ahouseinsantacruz.com/slipperysailor
great walking, biking, and general relaxation

Hi H.,
My husband and I used to live in the bay area and we'd getaway to the Santa Cruz area. Now we live here and still love it!
Wherever you are thinking of visiting, you should call a local. If you are a AAA member you can call them at any office and ask for Auto Travel (ie- places you can drive to!) and they will be happy to make recommendations and even book your rooms (AAA discount of course) and map out directions for you. If your not a member, just look up a local travel agent in the area you'd like to visit. Make sure you ask about booking fees up front though as I'm not sure what the norm is outside of AAA.
If you are looking to visit the Santa Cruz or Monterey/Carmel areas I would suggest Patti Bradley at the Capitola AAA office. She seems to know everything!
Have fun with your hubby!

The Beach House in Half Moon Bay is lovely and only a 30 minute drive.

If you're willing to drive 2.5-3 hours away, I can recommend Antioch Ranch in Mendocino as a fab place to get away with your husband, and the family too another time. Mendo is really nice.
We've stayed there and the rates are way less than anywhere else, they have nice cabins of different sizes, and it's nestled inside what feels like the forest primeval when you're driving in, but it's 5 minutes to the beach and downtown, too. Hmmm, I think I want to go back! :)

Tiburon - just over the GG Bridge.

Now that the weather is finally looking better and spring has sprung... Both you and hubby should spend the week-end away either in Monterey Bay near Fishermans Wharf and the Aquariem(sorry if misspelled), or either Half Moon Bay or Bodega Bay where the two of you can walk along the sandy beaches holding hands and watch the sunset as the ocean waves talk to you in a relaxing soothing mood....enjoy and good luck, God Bless!

Couple of my favs:

Rent a House at Sea Ranch...great walking and views, hottub, my husband and I cook together, nice drive up coast to mendocino. One of my favs to really unplug and reconnect. Great place to read and get naked as well :)

Olema....near pnt reyes I like staying at Pnt Reyes Sea Shore Lodge and eating at Olema Inn at night

Calistoga: Indian Springs...lovely using their pool and thinking of the people in the 1920's enjoying it as well....you then have the wine country to explore

Have a fun weekend!

My favorite place is Half Moon Bay... get a room at a bed & bath right on the ocean... romantic and relaxing. You can visit Princeton by the Sea during the day. Other nice places are Jackson or Sutter Creek. Wherever you go... it will be good to be without the kids and just spending time with each other.

How about Calistoga or St. Helena? Not too far and the drive is beautiful!
Good luck!

Napa Valley...beautiful, relaxing, romantic and great food. What more could you ask for?

my husband and I love the cozy tent-cabins at
http://www.costanoa.com

Sonoma Villa Inn
http://www.scvilla.com/directions.html
I HIGHLY recommend this place. It is a perfectly secluded B & B that has everything you could possibly want in a wonderful room. Heated floors, in room fire places, jacuzzi tub (not the tacky ones normally found). Horseback riding is just a very short drive away. Great places to have dinner again just a short drive away. PLUS there is also a SPA with great treatments!

i would try looking up a bed & breakfast. there are a ton of nice ones in the wine country, in santa cruz, and in half moon bay. there is a book called "california bed and breakfasts". maybe you can find a copy at the library? very relaxing and many of them have wine and cheese hour in the evening. my husband took me to one where our room had a private outdoor hot tub. :o) very fun.

Hi H.,
We live in Half Moon Bay so I know there are some wonderful, beautiful places here -- but when my husband and I need to get away we love to go up to Sonoma County. Healdsburg is less than two hours north of the Golden Gate Bridge. It is a precious little town. It has a really quaint little town square with great shopping and dining. From there it's a beautiful day trip to go vineyard hopping and wine tasting. Some of the best wineries in the state are just a short drive away. Grab a free "wine country map", pack a picnic lunch, and spend the day touring some of the most beautiful, picturesque spots in all of California! We found it was a wonderful, peaceful way to reconnect with each other. Have fun!