Weekend trip advice

[snowtulip]

Hi Everyone,

I believe I am in need of some me, myself and I time. So I'd like to take a long weekend trip somewhere alone. It needs to be in the west, somewhere that I don't need to do a lot of driving (ie. I can fly in and not have to be stuck in traffic everywhere I go, or can easily walk to all the great cafes, etc.), and hopefully somewhere I don't have to be bundled up like I'm going to the Arctic:mad:.

Any ideas?

Thanks!!!

[Aquila]

San Francisco. Great walking city, decent public transportation, and not too cold! Great food, lots of great stuff to do and see, too.

[Tri Girl]

Yeah, San Fran. We did the Nike Marathon there a couple years ago, and it was not only easy getting downtown from the airport, but everything was so close to our hotel- or we rode the cool public transportation to get where we wanted to go. Loved that city!!!!

[teigyr]

I concur with San Francisco. I don't know where you are flying from but San Francisco has excellent public transit, the weather will be decent, and there is so much to do.

Another place we tend to go (no car rental required) is San Diego. Santa Barbara is nice but only regional aircraft fly in there and the town is a bit away from the airport. It isn't a bad cab drive though.

This sounds like a great trip! I'll keep checking this thread to see if you have questions. While I don't know as much as some of the people who live in the cities, I travel a LOT and feel the same as you about being stuck in traffic. I try never to rent a car if I can help it.

[three]

I guess it depends on what sort of activities and ambiance you would prefer to partake in during said 'me' time. Being an avid proponent of 'me' time, I think you should have options.

WA State: Preferably, the San Juan Islands. You can treat yourself to time in a naturally beautiful environment that's all quaint and cozy. A plethora of shops, massage therapists, retreats, outdoor activities, places to walk/hike/kayak/bike, and other places to just mosey around and unwind. When it gets too much for you and you long for the busy night life...hop on the ferry and shuttle in to Seattle where you can quench any desires for lively bars, dancing, spoken word, etc. Or...you could skip seattle and just lollygaggle on the gorgeous islands the whole time. There could be worse things than spending a few days on an island that's surrounded by an ocean and amazing whales...and super cute shops/bed&b's/cafes, etc.

If you want a mostly urban getaway - I guess I'd second the vote for SanFran. But, I'd encourage you to consider a quick venture over to Muir Woods if you do....pretty, pretty trees.

Not being a huge San Fran fan, if I wanted some me time and wanted it to have a balance of outdoorsy goods and urban treats...here's what I'd pick: 1) San Juan Islands and a ferry ride over to Seattle when I needed a city-fix...or just a fun jaunt over the waters, 2) San Luis Obispo...get a nice spot near the beach and you're set. Great 'me' time when I was last there, beaches were mostly empty all the time and I enjoyed the solitude and opportunities to journal on the beach with no interruptions other than the sounds of crashing waves. And, home to cute cafes and shops...a bit of an artsy place. http://visitslo.com/ 3) Maybe not filled with a ton of shops to walk to or cafes to test out, but insanely beautiful and undeniably magical - that is, if you're a nature-granola-girl who loves trees and impeccably clean woodsy air: Big Sur...also along HWY 1.

Those are my ideas and they come from someone stuck in cold Minnesota and equally needing 'me' time. Have fun shopping around for a place and happy travels!! Keep us posted on your final choice, maybe someone will have a recommendation for a great breakfast spot...or cozy bookstore, or whatever. :)

[michelem]

Just remember that we are entering the rainy season here on the West Coast. Looks like we are getting back-to-back storms for the foreseeable forecast . . . The weather can be very unpredictable, rain-wise, through April and even into May. Just a warning . . . If you don't mind rain or fog, come right on over! :D Sorry I don't have any warm-weather ideas for you over here. :( Lots of options come Fall (in my opinion, SF and the CA coastline as a whole are at their best weather-wise in the Fall months).

I'm thinking you might go for a place like Arizona this time of year (Phoenix area - not Flagstaff, Sedona, or the Grand Canyon - unless you dont' mind being really cold, it's off-season in those areas, so you'll get much better rates). However, it is "high season" in the Phoenix area's winter months, so don't be shocked (still nowhere near trying to stay somewhere nice in SF any time of year!).

Good luck to you! I'm looking forward to reading about your adventure. I'm trying to plan our summer vacation and having a hard time with it as well . . . hubby works for the schools so we are limited to peak season times of the year for vacations . . . we're considering the coast, but summer is so foggy . . . AND we have a budget this year! :eek: So, who knows? :confused:

I LOVE this place during their off-season, but they book up a year in advance. (On-season is great for families with kids, but during off-season, if the weather holds up, it is great for those who want a more quiet retreat AND activities like horseback riding, green fees, tennis, etc. are included rather than extra). www.alisal.com

[teigyr]

True re the rainy season. Same goes for the Northwest plus it's COLD. Not as cold as MN, granted, but it's cold.

Carmel would probably be chilly.

Hmmmm.

[bmccasland]

Personally, I'd go to Flagstaff. The downtown area is walkable, micro brews, interesting shops, there's X-country ski area as well as down hill on the north side of the mountain. Go to Macy's coffee shop (I hope they're still there) - not your white bread and donuts bakery, wonderful whole grain baked goodies, vegetarian, special diet. I believe there are hotels in all price ranges, although most newer ones are along the Interstate, which isn't walking distance from downtown.

[three]

I suppose the weather in CA/WA right now would be cold to some. As I write this, it's 6 degrees below zero here in Minneapolis. I have friends that live in CA and the Northwest, so I've heard what their 'winter' is like. To me, it's still pretty close to summer...hence, my suggestions. I can see how sunny AZ would be much better. ;)

[spokewench]

Personally, I'd go to Flagstaff. The downtown area is walkable, micro brews, interesting shops, there's X-country ski area as well as down hill on the north side of the mountain. Go to Macy's coffee shop (I hope they're still there) - not your white bread and donuts bakery, wonderful whole grain baked goodies, vegetarian, special diet. I believe there are hotels in all price ranges, although most newer ones are along the Interstate, which isn't walking distance from downtown.

Flagstaff is great this time of year, but it is sort of cold this year - We haven't really seen above 39 in about a month. Macy's is still here, and it is still great food and good coffee. Hotels are cheap. Skiing is good this year and we are suppposed to get some snow by tomorrow - oh yeah, fresh snow for cross country skiing. We do have a small bus system now. Don't know if it goes by the hotels by the interstate though? Downhill skiing is open at Snowbowl this year too. We hiked up the mountain (didn't even need snowshoes for this one last weekend, probably will after it the next storm). It was great - albeit somewhat cold and icy.

spoke

[snowtulip]

Thanks everyone for the great ideas!!!

I love Flagstaff, but won't be going there since DH and I go to Flagstaff and Sedona every year in Feb. (we go snowboarding in Flagstaff and then head to Sedona for mountain biking) since it's fairly close to home. Flagstaff is actually on our list of potential places to move to some day!

I love San Francisco! So I'm going to have to think about that.

I love the idea of the San Juans, that perfect mix of outdoor and urban. And I must admit I have never been to Washington! Would it even be necessary to rent a car to do that? or can I easily shuttle myself from the airport to the islands?

I've also never been to SLO or Santa Barbara. So many great options that all seem to have the mix of quiet nature and some relaxing cafe/shopping. So hard to choose.

Thanks for the weather info. to, that is very important, especially with wanting to walk more than drive.

Spinwebs, your sentence about journaling on the beach listening to the crashing waves sounds so wonderful!!!!

Thanks for all of your help!! Lots to ponder.

[blueskies]

If you want to walk places, you might also consider that the days are longer the further south you go. I live near Portland, and right now Tucson has 1.5 hours more daylight than Portland does. And Seattle has about 16 minutes less.

Not that I'm craving SUNLIGHT or anything!!!! ;)

[teigyr]

I'd say that you would miss out on some things by not renting a car. I know plenty of people up here get around but before I moved here I tried doing public transportation only and this is what I found:

It took a long time to get places. There is not much by way of light rail; it's mostly bus.

Once I was to an island, I was restricted to walking distance. Maybe some have public transport but I never saw anything so my radius was restricted to a couple of miles.

The airport, as with most places, is about 15 miles from downtown. Maybe it's a bit less, maybe more like 10. But still, it's long enough to make it cumbersome.

WA and Seattle have FAR better transportation than Los Angeles which is where I'm from but far less of a sophisticated system than Boston, NY, San Francisco, Portland, and even San Diego.

It could be workable, with some research. I wouldn't want to do it but then again I'm lazy. I LOVE those airports where I can just walk outside and get on a rail system.

If you were serious about WA, I'd maybe post some questions in the NW section. There are people with more experience up here than I have

[three]

I'm broke and all the places I mentioned were enjoyed on my financially challenged budget.

Seattle: I used public transport only and lots of walking. Yes, it took longer...but I was on vacation and had never been there. I didn't mind the extra time for wandering around and when everything is new, you don't even notice that you walked 10 miles in the day (or more...or less). I bussed it everywhere - which actually allowed me to see more of Seattle than I otherwise would have. If I'd had a car I would only have gone from point A to point B and see the sights along the way. The bus allowed me to see corners of the city I wouldn't have gone through if I hadn't been forced to...and it resulted in some impromptu exiting of the bus so I could make the most of those unexpected finds. I walked all over downtown, to the peer, onto the ferry...around the islands and back. No complaints about being sans-wheels there.

SLO/St. Barbara area: fine once you get there (which would probably be by car...and man, oh man...what a lovely drive it is along the coast. Once you're there, there are buses and places to walk around. Not as developed a system as Seattle (which isn't as developed at Minneapolis)...might be dependent on your intended destinations. I'd check with TE members who live there - or ask some hotel folks in the area.

Also, if you aren't yet familiar with it, the website: www.virtualtourist.com might have some helpful information/reviews for you. Also, www.couchsurfing.com which you wouldn't be using, but could easily use to contact an area resident with questions if no one here can help (particularly regarding transportation. I totally understand the desire to avoid driving/renting a car).

Wherever you go, I hope you have an absolutely relaxing and magical time.

p.s: journal writing along the beach was indeed wonderful...as was journal writing on a boat in WA while a pod of whales swam by. :)

[roadie gal]

Northern California is expecting a HUGE winter storm this week. They're predicting 10 feet of snow in the Sierras. San Fran is expecting lots of rain. I'd recommend San Diego or places in Arizona instead of the San Franscisco area this week.