Though San Francisco is often listed as one of the top tourist destinations in the world, as the creepy and possibly misogynistic aphorism goes, one can occasionally tire of its familiar beauty. Last year we shared seven spots we pick when we need to get away for a mini-vacation and or to escape Johnny Law, this year we have six more to add to the list. We're already looking forward to hearing your escapes in the comments!
THE BROTHERS
Look about 1000 feet east of Richmond's Point San Pablo Peninsula you'll see two teeny tiny islands, East Brother and West Brother. Reserved for military purposes by then-President Andrew Johnson in 1867, East Brother eventually became home to a lighthouse (their whole fascinating history is here) which fell into neglect and disrepair in the early 1970s. About 30 years ago, the Victorian home and lighthouse were converted into a bed and breakfast, making this getaway basically the closest thing to an Agatha Christie novel setting you can find in the Bay Area. At publication time, rooms were priced at around $350 a night, which includes a tour, dinner, and breakfast. Even if you don't want to spend the night, day trips to the island are available. Is this a good weekend getaway for people who need to be constantly entertained? Probably not. But if you really want peace, quiet, privacy, and an amazing view all only half an hour from San Francisco, this is the place for you. Boats to East Brother Island depart from 1900 Western Drive, in Richmond. Reserve an overnight or day trip here, and check out East Brother's Yelp reviews to get a feel for the experience. -- Eve Batey
WEST MARIN
You may have checked out Muir Woods and Stinson Beach in your years here, but have you truly explored the Point Reyes National Seashore, gone for oysters in Drake’s Bay (while you still can), or explored the little town of Olema? There are a few cool places to stay up there, including Nick’s Cove with its cottages right on the water, and Manka’s in Inverness, and a couple notable spots to eat, too—especially the recently critically adored Sir and Star at the former Olema Inn (from the Manka's team), and Osteria Stellina in Point Reyes. -- Jay Barmann
Folks kickin it at Spoonbar. Photo: Courtesy of the H2
HEALDSBURG / DRY CREEK VALLEY
A mere hour and a half north is a little utopian version of a California town Main Street U.S.A. for wine snobs, basically catering to the wealthy residents in nearby estates as well as well heeled, wine-loving tourists from all over. The two main hotels in town, both under the same ownership, are the Hotel Healdsburg (modern, with good free breakfast and pool/spa, slightly more upscale), and the slightly hipper and more eco-conscious H2, which is home to the best cocktails and some of the best food in town, at Spoonbar. Dry Creek Kitchen, Scopa, Campo Fina, Chalkboard, Mateo’s Cucina Latina, and Barndiva are all great, food-wise, too, to the point that it’s impossible to get to them all in a single weekend. And when it comes to wine tasting, you’re a 15-minute drive to both the Dry Creek Valley and Alexander Valley, as well as the northern part of the Russian River and you barely need to leave the town square to taste anymore, with good Pinots being poured at Roadhouse Winery, some Italian-style whites and reds at Ferrari-Carrano, and Zins at Hawley Winery. Also, look for wine-centric events throughout the year here. -- Jay Barmann
THE RESORT AT MEADOWOOD
It may not get much more luxurious in the Bay Area—apart from getting invited to Lucas Ranch or, like, certain private guest houses in Woodside—than the hill-hugging, forested property of Meadowood in St. Helena, complete with its own nine-hole golf course, spa, tennis courts, pool, and croquet lawn. They boast the West Coast's only three-star Michelin restaurant besides The French Laundry, one that's a little easier to get a reservation at and arguably better, and where chef Christopher Kostow and his team astound and wow on the regular. The resort plays host the first weekend in June to the ultra-chi-chi Auction Napa Valley, where the rich and wine-obsessed gather to get drunk, break their heels on the lawn, and spend the annual budgets of small nations on rare cases of wine. And if you’re relatively rich with some tech wealth and ever wanted to truly impress someone you were dating, you’d drop a couple grand on a weekend there in one of the treeline cottages. Pretty much any season, and even if it’s only for one night, you’re going to feel like you’ve traveled somewhere remote and exclusive that only oil barons and professional athletes know about. -- Jay Barmann
The view from the Church Street bridge in Monte Rio. (Photo credit: Maggie Engebretson)
GUERNEVILLE, MONTE RIO AND THE RUSSIAN RIVER
Tucked away in the redwoods west of wine country, you'll find an even slower pace than the wine-drunk valleys of Napa and Sonoma. The string of restaurants and bars along Guerneville's main drag—some of them with an city-bred pedigree—can be your jumping-off point before you squirrel yourself away in the cabin you booked for the weekend. (Airbnb, VRBO or just a Google search are a good place to start.) There are a couple beachy spots along the river where you can spend your days leisurely drinking as you float in your inner tube, but professional river folk know to find a good secret spot a little further downstream. For a more fabulous river experience, try the pool at the R3 Hotel and get glitterbombed on margaritas. If biker bars are more your thing, hit Stumptown Brewery—the river's own answer to Zeitgeist. -- Andrew Dalton
BIG SUR
Within a three or four hour drive of the city, California's sublime central coast is an easy destination with woodsy charm by the bushel. Pitch a tent at any one of the state parks or seek refuge in something a little less rustic like Treebones, where your canvas yurt comes with hot tub access and a locally sourced sushi bar. To really commune with nature, book yourself a late night soak in one of Esalen's cliffside baths. For daytime activities pop in to the Henry Miller Library to catch some live music in the woods (Beach House and Grizzly Bear both recently played some intimate shows there) or just peruse the books and wonder why Kerouac ever felt the need to come back to the city. -- Andrew Dalton
