San Francisco is My Home

24
Mar

Weekend preview

Author: kris, Category: Out of town, Outdoors, Weekend preview

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The Monday weekend preview rolls around again, but today I’m a little stumped. You see, friends, I am going out of town starting Friday. Usually just knowing I’m going to be in the city over the weekend makes me peripherally aware of stuff that’s happening — you can’t help taking note of flyers and things around town and thinking “hm, option.” But this weekend, no such luck.

Instead, I’d like to draw your attention to a few stellar out-of-town options for a weekend away.

Option 1: Sand and sun

Northern California has almost everything you could ever need, from our indie-rockin’ beanies right down to our smug, self-satisfied little toes. However, sometimes you find yourself wishing you didn’t have to wear three layers of clothes to visit the beach. At those times, I recommend a quick weekend in the south of our fair state. Head to Monterey for some of the state’s most stunning coastal landscapes, which can be interspersed with a trip to the outstanding Monterey Bay Aquarium when you’re tired of lounging on golden sands. (Lest you think this is one of those touristy, semi-dull museum experiences, think again. The Aquarium is actually exciting, gorgeous and surprisingly fascinating for a warehouse full of cold-blooded critters and invertebrates.)

Option 2: Mountain dew

Not the drink; the landscape. The Sierras are a perfect place to backpack (although you’ll need some serious cold weather gear if you go now). You can also find lovely hotels in Tahoe or Yosemite. For example, the Yosemite View Lodge features semi-affordable suites with jacuzzi tubs overlooking the river; I highly recommend it.

Option 3: Party

You can always find cheap flights to Vegas or L.A. if you want to go somewhere a bit more people-oriented. It will tell you something about me that the closest I’ve been to L.A. is Disneyland and I’ve never been to Vegas at all. When I want to party I usually head to Santa Barbara, where the plethora of drunken underage co-eds letting their hair down can supply you with anecdotes for a month. If you want a slightly more adult holiday down there, check out San Ysidro Ranch, the uber-luxury spot where celebrities like Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck stay when they come to town. I could never afford to stay there, but I did get the insider’s tour and stood in one of the fancy-pants bathtubs.