Green scene
With a rich café culture, culinary intentions, and a lively nightlife, Portland has become a destination for lovers of the urbane.

Maybe it’s the steel-gray sky or the river that slices the city in half and stitches it back together again with a lacework of bridges, but these days, Portland is beginning to feel a little bit like Paris.

THE ALLURE: Start your exploration in Old Town, a neighborhood that experienced its first wave of development shortly after the city found its fortune in the lumber industry. That’s when Simon Benson, a local philanthropist, commissioned his downtown hotel. Nine decades later, the 12-story Benson Hotel, with its Austrian crystal chandeliers and lobby fashioned of now extinct Circassian walnut (a choice to scandalize contemporary eco-conscious Portland), remains one of the city’s most comfortable places to spend a night. After checking in with the past, head out to discover Portland’s present. On the other side of the Willamette River, lumber fortunes have given way to lumberjack chic at the Doug Fir Lounge, a timber-lined club that plays host to indie bands like Rainer Maria and Oakland’s own Rogue Wave. During the daylight hours, emerging neighborhoods on the east side of town like the Mississippi and Northeast Alberta Street are filled with a dispropor­tionate number of 18- to 35-year-olds. This demographic is responsible for the hey-kids-let’s-open-a-café/art-gallery-where-we-can-sell-hazelnut-scones-and-neck­laces-made-out-of-bottlecaps ethic so visible here. Benson Hotel, 309 SW Broadway St., 503-228-2000, http://www.bensonhotel.com/, rates from $125; Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E. Burnside St., 503-231-9663, http://www.dougfirlounge.com/.

THE PALATE: Former Oakland resident Nancye Benson moved to Portland in 2003 and opened Moxie Rx, a juice bar and café in a vintage trailer on an empty lot. Every weekend she bakes candied-lime macaroons and pignoli cookies for the crowds who come to troll the neighbor­hood’s galleries and shops. Thick wood tables and a wall of woven reclaimed beams define the refined-rustic attitude of the Gotham Building Tavern. In the evenings you can request to sit in one of the restaurant’s signature pods and enjoy fried cod with mint aioli or a Crater Lake blue cheese soufflé. Moxie Rx, N. Mississippi Ave. and Shaver St., 503-285-0701, http://www.moxierx.com/; Gotham Building Tavern, 2240 Interstate Ave., 503-235-2294, http://www.ripepdx.com/.

BY JAN NEWBERRY

Great like Gatsby
Spiffed-up Santa Barbara—now a bewitching place half-Hollywood, half-Hamptons—is enjoying itself hugely.

While the Bay Area shares many of Santa Barbara’s natural charms—seaside mountains, offshore islands, and adjoining wine countries—our southern relation is blessed with a mix of SoCal cash and Eastern class.

THE ALLURE: The Four Seasons Biltmore, hovering above Butterfly Beach, is basking in a $200 million makeover, unveiled last month, which has transformed the 207-room property from grande dame into hottie. Kentia palms and colorful mosaics are scattered throughout the meandering grounds. The resort’s new signature spa is a weekend high point, with couples’ suites featuring spark-igniting massages. For a taste of the new Santa Barbara, visit Sevilla. The former 1920s speakeasy lived off its raffish reputation until the original crowd died away. Reopened in 2005 as a French-Brazilian restaurant, Sevilla is now as sultry as a Rio samba. Chef E. Michael Reidt has struck a deft balance in his fetching cuisine, as between fresh Dungeness crab served with an Asian pear and pea-sprout slaw. The bar and lounge is where full-fare-flying trustafarians and the likes of Nicole Richie, Jessica Alba, and Michael Jordan are scrambling for stools this summer. Four Seasons Biltmore, 1260 Channel Dr., 805-969-2261, www.fourseasons.com/santabarbara, rates from $550; Sevilla, 428 Chapala St., 805-564-8446, www.restaurantsevilla.com.

THE BODY: Want to see the famous crowd let loose? Head to Indochine, an intimate yet high-octane nightclub where Paris and Saigon collide, beautifully. 434 State St., 805-962-0154.

THE PALATE: C’est Cheese, a fromagerie downtown, boasts over 100 selections. Tidy picnic packs are tailored for hikers, beach­goers, wine tasters, and those en route to
the free Sunday concerts in Alameda Park. 825 Santa Barbara St., 805-965-0318, www.cestcheese.com.

THE SPIRIT: Eddie Ellner’s Yoga Soup has as many devotees as Krishna has gopis—and they’ve journeyed with him to studio nirvana. Ellner’s vision was actualized this year in the form of a blissful, mind-clearing yoga center. Pack your high-tops. He’s got basketball hoops, too. 28 Parker Way, 805-965-8811, www.yogasoup.com.

BY AMY WONG

Leisure suits
At the Parker in Palm Springs, your every candy-colored fantasy comes true.

Used to be that Angelenos went to Palm Springs for a little rustic R&R. Now the desert’s all glamour, all the time. The hottest new resort attracts far-flung fun-seekers and the coolest local crowd.

THE ALLURE: You’ll want to park yourself at the Parker, the latest incarnation of a hotel that was most recently Merv Griffin’s Givenchy Resort and Spa. After being given an upscale, electric Kool-Aid makeover by ceramist and interiors guru Jonathan Adler, this favorite hideout of Shirley Maclaine put a new spin on colorful, retro-desert luxe. Eye candy is everywhere: a suit of armor near a shag rug here, a vintage Italian chandelier paired with Moroccan bridal tapestries there. Tanned Angelenos in plush white robes lounge on tropical-hued daybeds, absentmindedly petting dogs (the Parker’s pet-friendly) while skimming scripts.

Once you’ve checked in, kick back on your lanai (rooms with these are the ones to score). Imbibe a glass of Moroccan mint tea and flip through whatever Jacqueline Susann novel catches your eye in your room library. The bougainvillea canopy shades you, and the swaying palms will lull you into a nap.

After you wake, take your dinner at Mister Parker’s, where white tablecloths meet neon-psychedelic-pinup-girl artwork in rococo frames. Disco music swirls softly in the air as diners air-kiss under a mirrored ceiling—while you devour a $42 steak au poivre. If eggs are what you crave, the on-site diner, Norma’s, serves breakfast until it closes at 3 p.m. 4200 E. Palm Canyon Dr., 760-770-5000, www.theparker palmsprings.com, rates from $395.

THE BODY: Take a dip in one of the Parker’s saline pools or the hot tub (because chlorine-induced red eyes are so unfabulous). Next, order up some fruit spring rolls from the lemonade stand, start a game of pétanque, or go to the croquet lawn and slam your opponent’s ball to the far end. Should the desert heat prove too stifling, consider leaving the grounds for a trip up the Palm Springs aerial tramway. The views at 8,500 feet are invigorating, there are miles of hiking trails, and it’s 30 to 40 degrees cooler up there. Aerial tram, 1 Tramway Rd., www.pstramway.com.

THE PALATE: Zin American Bistro, on Palm Springs’ main drag, packs them in for Belgian chef Nicolas Klontz’s moules frites and Zin burger (made with American Kobe sirloin). These dishes were made to stand up to the wine list, which is weighted with an out­stand­ing selection of the namesake red. 198 S. Palm Canyon Dr., 760-322-6300, www.zinamericanbistro.com.

BY SARAH MUELLER

To Sur with love
Ventana gives us new reasons to rekindle the romance.

Ventana is an iconic name, right up there with the Ritz, Four Seasons, and Fairmont, but travelers don’t visit this Big Sur resort for its fame. They’re enchanted by its sea views, 243-acre forest setting, and creative amenities.

THE ALLURE: Given its spacious serenity and spa treatments, Ventana’s rooms are almost secondary. And how do you improve on silky Egyptian cotton sheets and masses of perfect pillows, wood-burning fireplaces, and private decks, some with hammocks and hot tubs? In the recently renovated suites, you add huge flat-screen TVs with Bose surround sound and DVD players. You put in oversize soaking tubs. And you offer the option of an outing with photographer David J. Gubernick, a local fine artist and fine, patient guide. Two hours before sunset, he’ll take guests out to the craggy coast or into the forest to create their own immortal keepsakes (see Back Story). He brings a high-resolution digital camera, tripod, and low-key expertise; you pick the spot and compose the shots. The next morning, you’ll pick up the best one transformed into a 16-by-24-inch archival print. Even if you’ve been here dozens of times, Big Sur looks entirely different through a pro’s viewfinder. 48123 Hwy. 1, 831-667-2331, rates from $340. The photography adventure costs $350 for two people, including CD and archival print.

THE PALATE: At Ventana’s Cielo, chef Anthony Calamari impresses with dishes like foie gras two ways and seared day-boat diver scallops on a mushroom ragout with truffle jus. With neighbors like Henry Miller, Orson Welles, and Rita Hayworth, Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn Restaurant was the nexus for juicy gossip (founder Helmuth Deetjen allegedly trysted with Greta Garbo in his tool shop). But Deetjen’s also prides itself on dish of another sort, such as its legendary French toast stuffed with blackberry cream cheese. 48865 Hwy. 1, 831-667-2377, www.deetjens.com.

THE BODY: The best way to explore parts of Big Sur, like sprawling Andrew Molera State Park, isn’t necessarily on foot. Morning and evening horseback tours through towering redwoods and on white-sand beaches offer the rejuvenating benefits of awe-inspiring coastal views with a new, four-footed friend. Andrew Molera State Park, 831-625-5486, www.molerahorsebacktours.com, rates from $25.

BY PAMELA FEINSILBER

Tally ho!
Sidewalks aren’t the only thing sizzling in Scottsdale this summer as a redone resort reclaims its glamorous mantle.

Check out of the Downtown Standard. Leave the Clift hanging. The hotel that’s buzzing loudest is a swankienda in Arizona. With poolside soirees and intimate parties in stand-alone tubs, it’s time to hop a flight.

THE ALLURE: The Hotel Valley Ho—OK, you hip-hoppers, snicker—was prestigious in the 1950s, when it was popular with stars like Zsa Zsa Gabor and Humphrey Bogart. Last year’s $80 million facelift has bestowed upon the Ho a combination of Scottsdale’s 21st-century affluence and midcentury pizzazz. Polka-dotted carpeting, homey fireplaces in the indoor/outdoor ZuZu Lounge, and the gift shop’s retro candy (Black Jack gum and Nik-L-Nips) give props to the past. Guests crowd around the circular pool at the hotel’s Oh Bar, and spaghetti-strapped young locals and tourists alike slink into the lobby bar to sip sweet Ricky Ricardos (cherry vodka, lime, and soda). 6850 E. Main St., 480-248-2000, www.hotelvalleyho.com, rates from $199.

THE BODY: Lovers of Scottsdale’s libido-fueled nightlife will stand in long lines at clubs Suede and Axis/Radius. But it’s really worth the wait to get into the new dance palace e4. Designed for the multiple-personality partier, e4 is four clubs in one, each modeled after one of the elements—earth, wind, fire, and water. With textured walls, flashy lighting, and tables built for dirty dancing, the club’s a bit outré, but to see and be seen, this is the spot. Suede, 7333 E. Indian Plz., 480-970-6969; Axis/Radius, 7340 E. Indian Plz., 480-970-1112; e4, 4282 N. Drinkwater Blvd., 480-970-3325.

THE SPIRIT: Get ready to face the day with an awakening body scrub, or renew yourself in the evening with a Recover Touch facial at the new Spa Avania at the Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch. The spa offers custom treatments, all designed according to the body’s rhythms during the different times of the day. 7500 E. Doubletree Ranch Rd., 480-483-5558.

THE PALATE: Each course at Vu, the Hyatt’s restaurant, focuses on one ingredient highlighted by three flavors, like tuna kissed with quince, citrus, and soy. 7500 E. Doubletree Ranch Rd., 480-444-1234.

BY GINA KESSLER

The frill is gone
Victorian Mendocino loosens its stays in an elegantly realized retreat built from gold-rush-era redwoods.

There’s a reason honeymooners flock to Mendocino. Windswept dunes, roiling surf, and sumptuous feasts are not just the stuff of bodice-rippers; they exist, less than four hours north of the city. But Mendocino isn’t only for newlyweds. Anyone who loves nature and living well can appreciate the juxta­position of a pristine Victorian town with wild, ocean-carved headlands. Part school­marm, part drama queen—that’s what this romance is all about.

THE ALLURE: Victoriana can mean frills and furbelows. If you can’t abide them, Brewery Gulch Inn, a mile south of town, is for you. Owner Arky Ciancutti, a former ER doc and a do-it-yourself guy, wanted salvaged redwood for his inn. So he probed the Big River mud for submerged logs (some date back to 1849), and hand-winched them out. He and his crew milled them into elegant window frames, paneling, and doors. As much as he reveres nature, though, Ciancutti knows that travelers crave cush. So in addition to providing leather chairs and down comforters, he recruited chef François de Mélogue, who prepares breakfasts like a trout-stuffed omelet made of eggs from Brewery Gulch’s own chickens. Every evening, de Mélogue offers a lavish spread, including bacon-wrapped scallops and sticky ribs. And he doesn’t pour plonk to go with them: the wines are from fine Anderson Valley vintners like Navarro and Yorkville Cellars. 9401 Hwy. 1, 707-937-4752, www.brewerygulchinn.com, rates from $170, including breakfast, hors d’oeuvres, and wine hour.

THE PALATE: Two nice spots in town are the Moosse Café and the MacCallum House Inn. In Moosse’s charming clapboard building, you’ll find cioppino with a light fennel broth and fresh fish and shellfish. MacCallum House, with its graceful dining room, pulls out all the stops, offering Pacific Rim oysters with grapefruit-pastis mignonette, and Niman lamb T-bone served with lamb sausage, arugula, and a cherry-cabernet sauce. Moosse Cafe, 390 Kasten St., 707-937-4323; MacCallum House Inn, 45020 Albion St., 707-937-0289, www.maccallumhouse.com.

THE SOUL: If you’re not in the mood to listen to a chorus of crickets or wander the headlands, you can fulfill a fantasy by riding horseback on the beach. At Ricochet Ridge Ranch, about 13 miles north of the inn, wranglers escort you along Ten Mile Beach on well-trained steeds. Ricochet Ridge Ranch, 24201 Hwy. 1, Fort Bragg, 707-964-7669, www.horse-vacation.com, rates from $45.

BY PEGGY NAUTS

The camper pampered
Costanoa’s eager masseuses and snuggly duvets make roughing it a memory.

Costanoa’s delights are both outdoorsy and indulgent—care for a post-hike glass of chardonnay and a massage? And kids love it, especially the organized bug hunts. And if the critters prove fascinating enough, Mom and Dad might sneak in some private hot tub time.

THE ALLURE: Located off Highway 1 north of Santa Cruz, Costanoa lodge and its collection of canvas tents, wood cabins, and campsites may look like a state park, but this private luxury lodge and camp­ground is anything but rough. Instead of sleeping bags, there are king- and queen-size beds with downy duvets. Forget weenies on a stick. There’s a restaurant serving organic local produce, fresh tombo tuna, and local vintages. Kids will love the mountain biking, insect hunts, and tidal pools. You’ll fall for the yoga, horseback riding, and the spa’s arnica massages. Mind you, unless you stay in the lodge, you have to traipse outside to use the loo, but unlike the spider-infested latrines of summer camp lore, the camping area’s bathrooms have heated concrete floors, dry saunas, and outdoor fireplaces. Snag one of the heavy canvas tents (ask for Pine Village’s number 29, 30, or 31 for seclusion). Or upgrade to the Douglas Fir Cabins (they sleep four), where you’ll have access to a wood-burning fireplace and outdoor hot tub with spectacular views. The comforts are cozy, but Costanoa’s beauty is in its hiking trails. These start in the resort and continue through a secluded patch of coastal cliffs offering stunning views of the nearby Pigeon Point lighthouse. A more challenging hike leads to Big Basin’s popular waterfalls. Let the cascades commence. 2001 Rossi Rd. at Hwy. 1, Pescadero, 650-879-1100, www.costanoa.com, rates from $40 (campsite) to $365 (lodge suite).

THE PALATE: The only thing sweeter than organic strawberries are the ones you pick yourself. Minutes from Costanoa, Swanton Berry Farm lets you pick pints beginning in May. And olallieberries, a local favorite similar to blackberries, are in season come June. Hwy. 1, Davenport, 831-469-8804.

THE SPIRIT(S): Think of the Santa Cruz mountain wineries as Napa’s eccentric siblings: award winning but without the pretense. Bonny Doon’s tasting room is known as much for its rambunctious parties as for the rieslings and rhones. 10 Pine Flat Rd., Santa Cruz, 831-425-3625, www.bonnydoonvineyard.com.

BY JUSTINE SHARROCK

Downward momentum
Boarding in July? Snowmelt lakes in the heat of summer? Mount Shasta proves it’s a place for all seasons.

Rising from the forests like some Pacific Kilimanjaro, Mount Shasta’s imposing white slopes have always drawn seekers, from gold prospectors to timber barons to New Agers looking for a bliss fix. Now the mountain and its surrounding near-pristine wilderness are luring weekending warriors who want to enjoy snowboarding, hiking, and fishing.

THE ALLURE: At 14,162 feet, Shasta’s snow doesn’t melt until midsummer, so right now you can combine the best of seasonal sports in one trip. For a morning fuel-up, the easygoing ex-logging town of Mt. Shasta has several options. Try the Seven Suns Coffee & Café, on the main street, or Lilys, next door, for the malted banana walnut waffles. Next, put those alpine trails to use with some backcountry snowboarding. You can usually board till July, and the guys at Sierra Wilderness Seminars will show you the ropes, guiding you safely through the mountain’s bowls, glades, and chutes. When you’ve had as much vertical as you can handle, pull on shorts and tackle some hiking trails. Castle Crags State Park lies 12 miles south. There, take the 5.4-mile roundtrip trek to Castle Dome, which winds through thick stands of oak and fir, then spits you out under a ridge of saw-toothed granite spires—peaks that sheltered Native American fighters during California’s Indian wars. Clamber to the top to drink in the vista. After sunset, head to Billy Goat’s Tavern, plant yourself in front of the four flat-screen TVs, and order a beer—they’ve got 120 kinds in bottles and a dozen on tap. Sierra Wilderness Semin­ars, 888-797-6867, www.swsmtns.com; Castle Crags State Park, www.parks.ca.gov; Seven Suns Coffee & Café, 1011 S. Mount Shasta Blvd., 530-926-9701; Lilys, 1013 S. Mount Shasta Blvd., 530-926-3372, www.lilysrestaurant.com; Billy Goat’s Tavern, 107 Chestnut St., 530-926-0209.

THE CATCH: Trout season begins this month, and Shasta boasts five great fishing rivers within an hour’s drive. Legendary guide Rick Cox runs McCloud Fly Fishing Adventures and will set you up with lessons, tips, and trips. 530-964-2533, www.mccloudflyfishing.com.

THE SHELTER: You’ll need a warm place to put your feet up at the end of the day. Call James Keith. His eight Shasta Destination Management rentals include a stately old home and a rustic cabin. Coupled? Consider the Stellar Cabin, a cozy yurt wedged up against the mountain. 418 Mount Shasta Blvd., 866-926-5396, www.shastareservations.com.

BY CHRIS SMITH

The beaches of gourmandy
A culinary eclipse no longer, Half Moon Bay waxes gastronomic.

We knew its coastal artichokes were peerless, but until recently Half Moon’s produce was known mostly to chefs. Now, the gourmands are coming, and local restaurants are printing the names of regional farms on their menus à la Chez Panisse. So check into the Ritz-Carlton, and check out the local bounty.

THE ALLURE: Five years after its arrival, the stately Ritz-Carlton has taken on an iconic status worthy of a Scottish castle. The hotel’s Fire and Wine package puts you in front of a gas-burning fireplace on the patio with a bottle of wine. But the real treats are the graham crackers, marshmallows, and Ghirardelli chocolate ready to be transformed into s’mores—the perfect treat after your sunset beach stroll. Ritz-Carlton, 1 Miramontes Point Rd., 650-712-7000, rates $295–$1,200.

THE PALATE: To begin your movable feast, build a morning around Harley Farms in nearby Pescadero. It’s the bucolic ideal of a farm, and owner Dee Harley and right-hand man Wil Edwards lead goat’s-eye tours of their cheese-making facility. It doesn’t take long to move from trying your hand at milking to cradling a two-week-old kid in your arms to sampling Harley’s fromage blanc in their retail shop. Next, downtown Main Street’s draw is the small-town vibe, embodied in neighborhood institution Pasta Moon. Owner Kim Levin, who opened her Italy-centric restaurant 19 years ago, features dishes like orecchiette with chicken and sage. For dinner, a meal at the Ritz-Carlton’s Navio ends a gourmet day on a high note. Executive chef Aaron Zimmer’s cooking makes the most of extremely local ingredients like Dungeness crab and chard from Daylight Farms. Other options are the town’s renegade newcomer, Rogue Chefs (which is turning heads with its battery of sauces in squeeze bottles), or the standby Cetrella, which offers stripped-down Mediterranean cuisine and live jazz on weekends. Harley Farms, 205 North St., Pescadero, 800-394-2939; Pasta Moon, 315 Main St., 650-726-5125; Rogue Chefs, 730 Main St., 650-712-2000; Cetrella, 845 Main St., 650-726-4090.

THE BODY: As if you needed a reason to visit the Ritz-Carlton spa, this month it’s introducing three types of six-step Prada facials and a body treatment. 650-712-7000, $250–$375 per 90-minute treatment.

BY SCOTT HOCKER

Fare play
L’Auberge comes to Carmel with historic suites, coddled eggs, and one meal to die for.

You like Carmel—the nearby golf and shopping, white-sand beaches, fairy-tale facades, and twisty trees—but you may feel you’ve exhausted its charms. If you’re a gourmet, you’re in luck.

THE ALLURE: You can now spend your entire weekend preparing for, eating, and recovering from chef Walter Manzke’s many-course tasting dinner in the 12-table restaurant at L’Auberge Carmel. Of course, you don’t have to stay at the inn to eat this meal. Nor do you have to eat there to stay in the beautifully renovated inn, a wood-frame and stucco building with a flower-filled brick courtyard inspired by the first owner’s trip to Prague. Its 20 cozy guest rooms still feature richly painted, coved plaster walls and French windows, though now you can watch a flat-panel TV from under your fluffy duvet and brocade cover, and the large bathrooms have radiant floor heating and soaking tubs. In keeping with the Euro-luxe theme, a glass dish of pistachios, green olives, and sweet-and-spicy nuts waits in your room, and the breakfast features coddled eggs and warm croissants. Monte Verde at Seventh, Carmel-by-the Sea, 831-624-8578, www.laubergecarmel.com, rates from $250, including breakfast and valet parking.

THE PALATE: Oh, that dinner. You’d think five Iron Chefs were competing in the kitchen. Manzke creates 8 to 10 small but elaborate and often inspired courses. Your evening might start with his signature “deconstructed lobster taco,” and then move on to hamachi prepared three ways, a mini Thai feast, and a supersucculent short rib with foie gras plus an array of Kobe beef. He may throw in a cheese course on the way to crème brûlée and chocolate panna cotta, and wrap up with two homemade chocolates flavored with banana and caramel. We’re overlooking a few courses and sommelier Thomas Perez’s generous pourings of wine paired with each course. Frankly, it will be too much for some. But others may agree with Mae West: “Too much of a good thing can be wonderful.” The tasting dinner is $110; the wine pairing is $95. If that sounds like biting off more than you can chew, L’Auberge owner David Fink also runs Bouchée, considered one of Carmel’s best restaurants. Bouchée, Mission St. at Ocean Ave., 831-626-7880.

BY PAMELA FEINSILBER

BOONVILLE HOTEL
The quirky epicenter of action in this Mendocino county town, the 10-room Boonville Hotel offers “luxury without fussiness.” Deckside hammocks make hanging with the locals a treat. 14050 Hwy. 128, Boonville, 707-895-2210, www.boonvillehotel.com, rates from $125.

BERNARDUS LODGE
Bocce enthusiasts and epicureans can find sanctuary in this Carmel Valley haven. The flawlessly clipped grass at Bernardus attracts a slew of lawn game aficionados, and the complimentary in-room “wine grottoes” generate a buzz, too. 415 Car­mel Valley Rd., Carmel Valley, 831-658-3400, www.bernardus.com, rates from $275.

HOTEL LOS GATOS
The Mediterranean feel of Hotel Los Gatos and its backdrop of the Santa Cruz Mountains is a welcome antidote to Silicon Valley’s SimCity ambience. The extensive service menu at the Preston Wynne Spa makes for the ultimate indulgence, as do private villa–style guestrooms. 210 E. Main St., Los Gatos, 408-335-1700, www.jdvhospitality.com/hotels/hotel/18, rates from $199.

MILLIKEN CREEK INN
It may not be the wine country’s best-kept secret anymore, but the Milliken Creek Inn still conjures the mystique of a riverside oasis. Plush canopy beds and a subtle Indochine decor give it an intimate vibe. This tranquil, 24-person retreat reinforces the notion that looks and personality both matter. 1815 Silver­ado Trail, Napa, 888-622-5775, www.millikencreekinn.com, rates from $495.

GAIGE HOUSE INN
This place so epitomizes the sexy weekend that even chef Charles Holmes’s breakfasts have been described as orgasmic. Private decks and gardens in the eight new suites marry Asian and modernist design in ways that will charm the pants off you—that is, if the soaking tubs and oatmeal-banana-walnut-raisin soufflé haven’t already. 13540 Arnold Dr., Glen Ellen, 707-935-0237, www.gaige.com, rates from $300.

CALISTOGA RANCH
Tombstone goes Napa. Calistoga Ranch may lack chuck wagons, but it does possess breathtaking mountain views and a state-of-the-art fitness center and yoga deck to provide Western inspiration. 580 Lommel Rd., Calistoga, 707-254-2800, www.calistogaranch.com, rates from $575.

HOTEL HEALDSBURG
Friday and Saturday evening jazz give the Hotel Healdsburg a madcap, 1920s feel. Consider the Suite Romance package, and don’t forget to troop downstairs to the Dry Creek Kitchen’s award-winning cellar for a night-cap. 25 Matheson St., Healdsburg, 800-889-7188, www.hotelhealdsburg.com, rates from $260.

MANKA'S INVERNESS LODGE
Rock fireplaces and deep reading chairs are new additions to the old hunting lodge, but Manka’s dining sticks to a solid formula. It’s a feast of farm-fresh goods that couldn’t be more local if they hailed from the backyard. 30 Cal­lendar Way, Inverness, 415-669-1034, www.mankas.com, rates from $215.

THE VILLAGE AT SQUAW VALLEY USA
Channeling Maui, the resort’s new Trilogy Spa brings gentle Hawaii to Tahoe, with the Lehua Honey Drenched body treatment. Meanwhile, the Barefoot Bar Lava Lounge alternates between merlot and manis for irresponsible weekend guests seeking a place to duck the family picnic back at the condo. 1750 Village East Rd., Olympic Valley, 530-584-1000, www.thevillageatsquaw.com, rates from $119.

ST. GEORGE HOTEL
Even persnickety wine-sipping San Franciscans will spring for a bit of rusticana every now and then. The 20-room hotel in the Sierra foothills boasts two stories of wraparound porches, eclectic rooms, and an old-fashioned watering hole called the Whiskey Flat Saloon that thankfully pours some of the local zins to go with the hearty burgers. 16104 Main St., Volcano, 209-296-4458, www.stgeorgehotel.com, rates from $89.