There are some places you sleep for a night, and other places that make you feel as if you’re living an exceptionally pleasant dream. The Fairmont’s Sonoma Mission Inn is one of those places.
The location is a perfect base for exploring Sonoma County. (And, if you feel like visiting that other county that shall remain nameless, it’s not far from there either.)
The best part of the Sonoma Mission Inn is that it’s built over historic hot springs. There’s a warmish pool that kids and adults can both enjoy, but more important, there’s an adult retreat in the form of a top-notch spa. The spa is replete with 2 warm outdoor pools, an outdoor hot tub, and an amazing bath house with a bathing ritual that’s great for preparing for spa treatments or just winding down after a day of strenuous wine tasting.
Should you so desire, you can spend your days at the Sonoma Mission Inn on a variety of guided walks and bike rides, in exercise classes, or teeing off on a nearby course. Or, you can go farther afield, hiking and tasting your way around Sonoma County. The helpful concierge can help you make the most out of your time in Sonoma, whatever your interest.
When evening comes, there’s usually a tasting from local wineries in the lovely, historic lobby near the fireplace. Dinner at the hotel’s fabulous restaurant, Sante, is always exceptional, full of seasonal ingredients prepared in delightfully surprising ways.
After dinner, you can enjoy the company of your companions or other guests at the beautiful firepit over a drink. In Sonoma, the weather’s generally clear, so it’s a great place to bring a telescope or binoculars to stargaze near the fire.
When you’re celebrating something special, or just need to get away for a bit, book your room to start living your dream, even if it’s just for one night: http://www.fairmont.com/ In addition to booking online, be sure to call before you stay and request the seasonal activity schedule so that you can get the most out of your stay. This is particular useful when you visit during holidays as the hotel puts on special dinners and events that you won’t want to miss.
Sometime around July in San Francisco, you begin to wonder if the yellow, life-giving disc in the sky is ever going to return. I once spent a 4th of July steps from where they shoot off fireworks unable to see them because of the San Francisco fog. When this happens to you for too long, as a San Francisco city dweller, you know you’re in need of a sunny escape.
Fortunately, the urban conglomeration of San Jose is not too far from San Francisco, and the sun always seems to shine over the capital of the Silicon Valley. So, rent your car and head out on the highway, humming “Do You Know the Way…” all the while. (To reduce your carbon footprint, this weekend jaunt, omitting the wineries I mention, can also be done on the train, as there’s Caltrain Service from San Fransciso to San Jose.)
Day 1: Do You Know the Way to San Jose? If you wake up fairly early in San Francisco on a Saturday morning, you can have a light breakfast of toast/coconut/espresso over at Trouble Coffee, over on Judah, between 45th & 46th. Then, cruise down the Great Highway over to Skyline Drive, heading south through some beautiful forested areas, and the lovely town of Woodside.
On your left, a few miles outside of Woodside, your first wine stop will be Thomas Fogarty, which makes some great vino– especially their barberas if you’re a fan of those. You can see how much the fog that plagues you in San Francisco contributes to some fine wine production when you taste the many varieties at Fogarty. (You can find Fogarty, along with the best driving directions to find them, online at: http://www.fogartywinery.com/)
Keep meandering down Skyline, one of the world’s great drives. You’ll pass through redwoods, see scenic vistas of the Bay below, and a variety of flora and fauna.
When you get to Highway 9, turn, and head toward Saratoga. (Highway 9 is also known as Big Basin Way.) Your next stop will be the Savannah-Chanelle winery, a maker of some very nice wines, particularly reds. You can also snack on some salami and cheese for sale there, as the winery has a nice picnic area in front. (For some info online, see: http://www.savannahchanelle.com/) From Savannah-Chanelle, you’re just a stone’s throw from San Jose, your final sunny stop.
If you left early enough and were leisurely enough at the wineries, you should be arriving in San Jose around 2 or 3 in the afternoon. Maybe earlier. You’ll be checking into the Fairmont, in downtown San Jose, which has great rates on weekends when the Valley’s business activities grind to a halt. The pool at the Fairmont is a fabulous place to soak in the sun. You will forget that the fog ever plagued you after an hour or two here.
Irish musician at O'Flaherty's
After your swim, hit the showers and leave the hotel for the evening. (You won’t need to drive, which is nice if you plan to imbibe.) O’Flaherty’s Irish Pub at 25 N. San Pedro Street is a good time with good pub grub. The staff make you feel at home. There’s often music too. Visit online for more info: http://www.oflahertyspub.com/
Should you tire of the flavors of Ireland, you can head around the corner to the Brit, or Brittania Arms, at 173 W. Santa Clara. The Brit’s a big pub, and often, has some DJ action and/or a BBQ on a nice back patio (http://www.britanniaarmsdowntown.com/) Once it’s time to hit the hay, you’re just a few blocks away from your comfy bed at the Fairmont.
Day 2: Sunshine & Science Sunday morning, have breakfast in bed with the Fairmont’s excellent room service, or head downstairs to the plaza between the Fairmont’s main building and adjoining tower for some excellent European-style pastries and coffee. Then, hit the pool until you can’t stand the sun any more. (Though fleeing from the fog the morning before, the sun is hot enough in San Jose that you will soon tire of it. Or at least, your skin will.)
Once you do need some shade after your poolside stint, cool down across the street at the San Jose Tech Museum of Innovation. In addition to some great exhibits about the business of Silicon Valley (clean rooms for micro-chips, body scanning, & more), there’s an IMAX theater with a variety of shows. You can even make your own customized Web page as a souvenir by using the museum’s special scanner system. To get the most out of your visit, plan prior using the museum’s Web site: http://www.thetech.org/
At the end of the day, hop on the 101 and get back to San Francisco in around an hour and a half. After so much sunshine, you may even be happy to see the fog.
There’s a dream of England that many of us have: wood-paneled libraries, a cozy fireplace, large comfy leather chairs, the most gracious service. You can find this at 41, a boutique hotel that’s located at the very prestigious 41 Buckingham Palace Road, just across from the Royal Mews.
The wood-paneled library/fireplace/leather chair area is 41’s “Executive Lounge” where you take your delicious breakfast in the morning and your cocktails before supper or at the end of an evening. You will perhaps never feel as cosseted as when having a cocktail in front of the fireplace at 41.
The rooms are extremely spacious for central London, and very well laid out with all the right gadgets and amenities. (Business travel would be quite easy to handle when staying here.) The black and white color scheme is classic and contemporary, so you never feel like you’re trapped in one of those ghastly floral chintz nightmares that can often happen in elegant places in England.
The 41’s beds are a dream, while the showers and deep tubs have amazing water pressure, perfect for rinsing off the city’s grime or getting a bath run quickly, so you can bring out your inner Churchill. (The former Prime Minister and maker of history made many critical decisions from the bath.)
Aside from the wonderful location, the amazing lounge, and the nice rooms, it’s the people who work here who make the 41 truly exceptional. My husband and I were celebrating our 10-year wedding anniversary and the staff did so much to make it special. Even if you weren’t celebrating a special event, the staff will go out of their way to make your stay seamless, anticipating your every need. The concierge will provide you with directions to a restaurant where you’re meeting friends (without your asking); the reception staff will help reserve the fireplace nook so you can have a cocktail hour at the hotel with your friends; the staff can get anything booked for you in London and beyond. All while being some of the most pleasant (and interesting) people you could hope to meet.
The 41 is well worth the price for making your stay in London truly memorable. They consistently win a slew of awards, and each is well-deserved.
Everyone always asks where you can stay in Paris without breaking the bank when you’d rather spend all your money shopping and drinking, and also plan to spend every night in club. If you want a reliable, simple place to lay your head when visiting Paris, the Grand Hotel Leveque right on rue Cler is just what you’re looking for.
Very clean and tidy, with helpful friendly staff, AND a location that’s second-to-none in Paris: right on rue Cler, one of Paris’ greatest market streets, just a few blocks from the Eiffel Tower and Invalides.
Rates, even when it’s full-on tourist time in Paris, are amazingly reasonable. Have a look at: http://www.hotel-leveque.com/
A word of caution to American guests: even if you’re traveling alone, if you get a single at older hotels, you may have a twin bed and have to share a bathroom with people on your floor. So, if you plan to have company or if this bothers you, book an en suite double. True at the Grand Hotel and all other French hotels of a certain age. If this isn’t a problem, book the single, as these rooms are typically a great bargain.
The 7th is a great neighborhood to stay in Paris, as it’s centrally located and you can walk nearly everywhere you’d want to visit. Not to mention, there’s a lot to see and do in the 7th itself. The neighborhood manages to be accessible to visitors while not losing its classic Parisian feel.
A fabulous base camp in the 7th is the charming Hotel de Latour Maubourg. In a beautiful older building with nicely appointed, very comfortable rooms, it’s a great home away from home when you’re visiting Paris. The staff are all extremely friendly and very helpful.
Just blocks from rue Cler, right across from a convenient Metro, and within walking distance of just about everywhere, Hotel de Latour Maubourg is a great find. The rooms that look over the little square have great views of Invalides/Ecole Militaire as well.
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