A romantic weekend from LA?
May 13, 2011 8:30 PM Subscribe
What's a great weekend getaway from Los Angeles at a resonable price?
My wife's pregnant, and we'd like to get in one last romantic weekend getaway before the baby's born. She'll be pretty big when we're thinking of going (late June), so we're looking for somewhere beautiful and, well, easy (ie: no camping). We're in northeast LA, and would drive maybe three hours to get to this place.
Can anyone recommend a destination? We thought about going east, but the heat makes that plan seem a little nutty. We could do a couple hundred bucks a night for a weekend stay, but not $600 or $800, which seems to be the rate in a surprising number of places. We're open to non-traditional stuff (eg AirBnB or something), we just don't want to be roughing it.
My wife's pregnant, and we'd like to get in one last romantic weekend getaway before the baby's born. She'll be pretty big when we're thinking of going (late June), so we're looking for somewhere beautiful and, well, easy (ie: no camping). We're in northeast LA, and would drive maybe three hours to get to this place.
Can anyone recommend a destination? We thought about going east, but the heat makes that plan seem a little nutty. We could do a couple hundred bucks a night for a weekend stay, but not $600 or $800, which seems to be the rate in a surprising number of places. We're open to non-traditional stuff (eg AirBnB or something), we just don't want to be roughing it.
Laguna Beach? Beautiful and self-contained for a weekend away. Check out Casa Laguna.
posted by cecic at 8:43 PM on May 13, 2011
posted by cecic at 8:43 PM on May 13, 2011
SLO, Santa Barbara wine country, or Ojai... Sorry that I dont have recommendations for specific places, but those all seem to be a reasonable drive. Maybe Lake Arrowhead, or even Julian? Have fun!
posted by vignettist at 10:00 PM on May 13, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by vignettist at 10:00 PM on May 13, 2011 [1 favorite]
I think Santa Barbara is great any time of year, but really love it in the summer. The Franciscan Inn is very charming and a couple blocks off the beach and main shopping/eating area of town.
Temecula is nice as well. The Temecula Creek Inn and golf club is a lovely property with a great breakfast. The area has pretty drives, hot air ballooning, a nice spa at Pechanga resort. There is also Glen Ivy Hot Springs nearby which is wonderful place to spend the day relaxing in various mineral pools, swimming pools, mud baths etc for a low entrance fee. Spa treatments are available at extra charge, and there is a nice cafe for lunch. Very beautiful gardens and grounds.
San Clemente, Dana Point and Laguna Beach are all very nice beach towns with lots of hotel options. You can walk the newly completed beach trail in San Clemente and have lunch at Fishermans on the pier,or stay at the Blue Lantern Inn in Dana Point and walk the bluffs trail right across the street from the Inn.
I have had several fun weekends based in Del Mar at the Doubletree there. They often do specials. There is the Del Mar races right next door which is fun and different, and sometimes has concerts, La Jolla is just a 5 min drive away for beautiful walks, shopping, and good restaurants, and I usually go into San Diego ( 15 min drive away at non peak times) for nightlife or a sports event.
Lake Arrowhead is nice in summer as well. I like the Lake Arrowhead Resort right on the lake. You can go boating, take walks around the lake and even do some mountain sight seeing drives.
Enjoy your weekend wherever you end up!
posted by Rapunzel1111 at 10:34 PM on May 13, 2011
Temecula is nice as well. The Temecula Creek Inn and golf club is a lovely property with a great breakfast. The area has pretty drives, hot air ballooning, a nice spa at Pechanga resort. There is also Glen Ivy Hot Springs nearby which is wonderful place to spend the day relaxing in various mineral pools, swimming pools, mud baths etc for a low entrance fee. Spa treatments are available at extra charge, and there is a nice cafe for lunch. Very beautiful gardens and grounds.
San Clemente, Dana Point and Laguna Beach are all very nice beach towns with lots of hotel options. You can walk the newly completed beach trail in San Clemente and have lunch at Fishermans on the pier,or stay at the Blue Lantern Inn in Dana Point and walk the bluffs trail right across the street from the Inn.
I have had several fun weekends based in Del Mar at the Doubletree there. They often do specials. There is the Del Mar races right next door which is fun and different, and sometimes has concerts, La Jolla is just a 5 min drive away for beautiful walks, shopping, and good restaurants, and I usually go into San Diego ( 15 min drive away at non peak times) for nightlife or a sports event.
Lake Arrowhead is nice in summer as well. I like the Lake Arrowhead Resort right on the lake. You can go boating, take walks around the lake and even do some mountain sight seeing drives.
Enjoy your weekend wherever you end up!
posted by Rapunzel1111 at 10:34 PM on May 13, 2011
2 hours - Idyllwild
3 hours - Julian
4 hours - Cambria
5 hours - Big Sur
posted by dhammond at 10:42 PM on May 13, 2011 [1 favorite]
3 hours - Julian
4 hours - Cambria
5 hours - Big Sur
posted by dhammond at 10:42 PM on May 13, 2011 [1 favorite]
Drive the PCH. In two days, you can wind your way slowly to San Fran. Stop at tons of little sites, and some big ones like Hearst Castle and Muir Woods.
Then from San Fran, take Rte 5 back to LA in a 5 hours.
posted by Flood at 3:55 AM on May 14, 2011
Then from San Fran, take Rte 5 back to LA in a 5 hours.
posted by Flood at 3:55 AM on May 14, 2011
Santa Barbara!
posted by theDrizzle at 4:58 PM on May 14, 2011
posted by theDrizzle at 4:58 PM on May 14, 2011
We had a nice stay at the Lavender Inn in Ojai about a year ago.
posted by doctord at 7:10 AM on May 16, 2011
posted by doctord at 7:10 AM on May 16, 2011
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You can get a suite with in-room kitchen and bring your own food to cook (the suites have patios with grills, too) but there's also the Crossroads Cafe down the street which has great food and a fun atmosphere. The Inn offers a pretty good breakfast spread (their website mentions coffee and snacks but when I've stayed there it's been cereals and granola, fruit, eggs, and a variety of beverages).
There are some very easy walking paths in nearby Joshua Tree National Forest that even a very pregnant woman could do, speaking as someone who was dragged to Yosemite at a very gravid point in her life.
posted by padraigin at 8:39 PM on May 13, 2011 [4 favorites]