Good Bay Area activities for a mom-in-law birthday weekend? (spas, outdoor, day trip, non-hotely places to stay)

Try the hostel at a lighthouse in Half Moon Bay. Up the road from there, you can find a small airport w/ a great breakfast joint.

cool! never heard of that.

If the suburban-y nature of the peninsula doesn’t bother you, it’s possible to get not exorbitantly high hotel rates in Palo Alto on the weekends because those hotels are mostly used for business. The hotels I’m thinking of are chains, though (the Sheraton and Westin on El Camino)—the boutique ones downtown are always pretty expensive. I like wandering around Stanford campus, but that’s just me. There’s the Cantor arts museum there, too.

There’s a spa a few blocks off the main drag in PA that everyone raves about, Watercourse Way that would probably work if you want a spa day. They book up wicked far in advance on the weekends, though.

I’ve enjoyed visiting Moss Beach in Half Moon Bay for the tidepools and Pescadero for just sandy beachy-ness further; they’re pretty close by car and would make for okay day trips.

You can also take Caltrain up to the city (I still find the train to be reasonably entertaining unless I’m/it’s late) and then work your way to the farmers market which sounds like a good reason to get up early on a Saturday.

This isn’t exactly what you’re looking for but I wanted to show a little bit of love to my part of the Bay Area.

Muir Woods, definitely. Its just across the golden gate. Then drive up the 101 to Stinson Beach, get lunch here., browse the shops. Its a great, relaxing day trip. Muir Woods, really, you will not be disappointed.

If you go to Half Moon Bay, as suggested above, you can circle round back via 17/880 and stop at Big Basin and see the redwoods there.

You know, you don’t have to do winery tours in Napa/Sonoma.. there are lots of hot springs in the area. We used to go to Calistoga with some frequency and there are all sorts of spas, mineral baths, and hot springs. The hotel we stayed at (the name escapes me now) offered your standard array of spa activities, plus the pool was fed directly from a mineral hot spring. The water felt different and it was very nice.

There are lots of good restaurants in the area, even some owned by famous chefs, plus there are hot air balloon rides, air glider rides.. I’m sure you can find lots to do up there.

I second what hoteipdx, tinyfaery, and Seesul said. In addition, there’s always Santa Cruz (for the boardwalk, beaches, and mountain forests) and Monterey (beaches, restaurants, the world’s most awesome aquarium).

Man, I miss the Bay Area. :)

That’s the longest description I have seen yet!

Half Moon Bay, Monterey and Carmel are all nice places.

Why not spend the day at Harbin Hot Springs just outside of Middletown a little beyond Calistoga. No cars just peace and quiet on 1500 acres of sanctuary. You can even go au-naturale or not. People of every shape and size from every background phylosophy and culture can be found there. Hike the many trails in the hills or sun bathe. They have a natural foods store and cafe for some heathy simple food. Get a massage or attend a free yoga class. When you leave you will feel light as a feather having possibly gone beyond your old comfort zone and into a new one. Many people with tight schedules often find ways to extend their stay once they find that there is no other place that they have to be. It’s a heart consciousness kind of place.

Don’t mss Muir and the redwoods.