Brief reprieves

Whether you’re planning an easy afternoon away, a day trip, or a weekend excursion, these nearby locales provide a respite from the urban landscape while still offering big-city attractions.

Vanessa Sharp

Taking a couple of weeks off for a vacation is nearly impossible for the overworked professional, and yet it’s these poor souls who generally need it the most. Traveling to exotic, remote destinations in Africa, India, or Latin America requires a good chunk of PTO accrual and the rare ability to clear a busy work schedule; plus, it quite often means you can’t be reached by phone or e-mail. But none of that should stop you from embarking on what the travel and leisure industry is calling the “mini-vacation,” a brief respite that can be found close to home. In fact, taking a handful of short excursions throughout the year is saving many relaxation-hungry folks from burnout. And San Franciscans are particularly lucky, as there’s no need to stray too far from the city to find a little R&R—an inspired world of quiet beaches, private luxury lodging, and unspoiled wilderness exists less than five hours away.

In a day

Within an hour, restless urbanites can find themselves in a deluxe resort overlooking the sea or a charming wine country spa where they can rejuvenate in an afternoon. You won’t be alone, however, if you feel tempted to extend your getaway and stay the night. These resorts are luring overworked businesspeople with lavish, all-inclusive properties close enough to San Francisco to allow for a well-deserved vacation between long workdays and an almost-nonexistent weekend.

Many people who only have time to venture to the outskirts of San Francisco are opting for wellness packages offered at world-class hotels and resorts like historic MacArthur Place, a popular wine country estate within walking distance of Sonoma’s town plaza and numerous vineyards where beautiful wineries pour the region’s finest. The elegant full-service spa affords every indulgence, including a unique style of treatment based on fruits, flowers, herbs, vegetables, and other earthly elements. Guests also have the option of recuperating with treatments in the comfort of their hotel room. Two new garden cottages, for example, treat guests to the ultimate spa experience with in-room 40-jet hydrotherapy tubs and private outdoor patios featuring Japanese teahouses with two-person teak wine tubs.

If you have the time, you can venture over to Napa Valley in about 30 minutes by car. Wine aficionados from near and far who seek a slice of the good life also come to Napa for the ultimate wine country experience. Like neighboring Sonoma, the region has dozens of wineries and spas, as well as quintessential activities like hot-air ballooning above rolling hills and miles of vineyards and winemaking tours at such world-class wineries as Sterling and Robert Mondavi. Visitors who frequent the area (or dream of returning again and again) will want to check out the newest residential addition to the Carneros Inn, the Orchard. Located in the heart of the estate, the private-residence community offers a unique approach to resort living—the opportunity to own a wine country retreat in close proximity to San Francisco. Surrounded by an earthy farmland

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