Relaxing, inexpensive birthday trip wanted!
April 23, 2015 7:57 PM Subscribe
I'm looking to do a 4-day weekend for my birthday this year and looking for suggestions for cheap, relaxing travel in June!
Askme friends, you steered me right in my vacation last year, so here I am again!
I'd love to do a 4 day weekend for my birthday in June. The parameters are:
-Relatively inexpensive for a group of 3-4 young women. I'm trying to save money, and some of the friends I'd like to come with me are unemployed/not starting employment until the fall
-Not too far from the SF Bay Area- not more than a 3-4 hour plane ride
-Somewhere relaxing and beautiful. Bonus for delicious food (but not an absolute requirement).
-Not disgustingly, horribly hot in June
Here are places nearby I've been to a lot and am not considering:
-Los Angeles
-Big Sur / Drive down the 1
-Fort Bragg / Mendocino
-San Diego
-Seattle
-Las Vegas
-Yosemite
-Tahoe
Here are places I'm going to be going to later this year or next year so not considering for this June trip:
-Portland
-New Orleans
-Palm Springs
Thanks in advance!
Askme friends, you steered me right in my vacation last year, so here I am again!
I'd love to do a 4 day weekend for my birthday in June. The parameters are:
-Relatively inexpensive for a group of 3-4 young women. I'm trying to save money, and some of the friends I'd like to come with me are unemployed/not starting employment until the fall
-Not too far from the SF Bay Area- not more than a 3-4 hour plane ride
-Somewhere relaxing and beautiful. Bonus for delicious food (but not an absolute requirement).
-Not disgustingly, horribly hot in June
Here are places nearby I've been to a lot and am not considering:
-Los Angeles
-Big Sur / Drive down the 1
-Fort Bragg / Mendocino
-San Diego
-Seattle
-Las Vegas
-Yosemite
-Tahoe
Here are places I'm going to be going to later this year or next year so not considering for this June trip:
-Portland
-New Orleans
-Palm Springs
Thanks in advance!
Best answer: * Vancouver/Victoria Island? Consider flying into Seattle and driving or taking the ferry across the border for cheaper flights.
* Drive up Hwy 101 to the Lost Coast in Humboldt County, or further north to the National Redwood Park in Humboldt/Del Norte counties (Memail me for lots of specific suggestions - as a native, I think it's pretty different from Mendocino)
* Russian River, if you haven't already
* Hiking/outdoors in Montana (Glacier National Park) or Colorado (Boulder area)
* Camping on the Channel Islands off the coast of Santa Barbara (it's as easy as car camping, but you're on an island!)
Check out Sunset magazine or its website for other ideas - it has great suggestions of cute towns and areas to visit up and down the West Coast.
posted by Jaclyn at 8:47 PM on April 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
* Drive up Hwy 101 to the Lost Coast in Humboldt County, or further north to the National Redwood Park in Humboldt/Del Norte counties (Memail me for lots of specific suggestions - as a native, I think it's pretty different from Mendocino)
* Russian River, if you haven't already
* Hiking/outdoors in Montana (Glacier National Park) or Colorado (Boulder area)
* Camping on the Channel Islands off the coast of Santa Barbara (it's as easy as car camping, but you're on an island!)
Check out Sunset magazine or its website for other ideas - it has great suggestions of cute towns and areas to visit up and down the West Coast.
posted by Jaclyn at 8:47 PM on April 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Flagstaff/Sedona, AZ. 4 hour flight from SF, weather in the high 70's or low 80's in June.
posted by lemonwheel at 9:01 PM on April 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by lemonwheel at 9:01 PM on April 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Nevada City/Grass Valley?
Laguna Beach?
Boulder?
Southern Oregon like Jacksonville?
Lassen?
Crater Lake?
Big Bear
Mammoth
posted by vunder at 9:02 PM on April 23, 2015
Laguna Beach?
Boulder?
Southern Oregon like Jacksonville?
Lassen?
Crater Lake?
Big Bear
Mammoth
posted by vunder at 9:02 PM on April 23, 2015
Allegiant Air has inexepensive flights to Kalispell and Missoula, MT from Oakland. Kalispell is near Glacier National Park, if you go there I recommend staying in Whitefish which is a fun little town with a lot of good food. Please note that Allegiant adds fees for everything (checked baggage, carried on baggage, seat choice) but it's still a great deal.
posted by Duffington at 12:08 AM on April 24, 2015
posted by Duffington at 12:08 AM on April 24, 2015
Banff, Canada.
The Canadian Rockies are amazing, and Banff is the center piece of it all.
posted by Flood at 4:15 AM on April 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
The Canadian Rockies are amazing, and Banff is the center piece of it all.
posted by Flood at 4:15 AM on April 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
Yes, was going to say Calgary.
If it wasn't June I was going to suggest Catalina Island, but the weather will suck in June. July, August and September are gorgeous though.
posted by vignettist at 7:49 AM on April 24, 2015
If it wasn't June I was going to suggest Catalina Island, but the weather will suck in June. July, August and September are gorgeous though.
posted by vignettist at 7:49 AM on April 24, 2015
Go to Portland! Summer is the absolute best time of year to be a tourist in Portland because it's sunny out.
posted by oceanjesse at 8:00 AM on April 24, 2015
posted by oceanjesse at 8:00 AM on April 24, 2015
Dang it, I read that as "places I'm considering" - my mistake. What about Vancouver, Canada?
posted by oceanjesse at 8:01 AM on April 24, 2015
posted by oceanjesse at 8:01 AM on April 24, 2015
Calistoga?
Santa Cruz? Maybe car-camping with bikes at Big Basin?
Santa Barbara? It can be pricey, but you could stay at less expensive places in the San Roque neighborhood and use bikes to see the beach and downtown stuff.
I would second Portland and have no qualms about making two trips close together. Omnomnom foodcart courts and culture.
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 8:27 AM on April 24, 2015
Santa Cruz? Maybe car-camping with bikes at Big Basin?
Santa Barbara? It can be pricey, but you could stay at less expensive places in the San Roque neighborhood and use bikes to see the beach and downtown stuff.
I would second Portland and have no qualms about making two trips close together. Omnomnom foodcart courts and culture.
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 8:27 AM on April 24, 2015
Response by poster: Update: we're renting a beautiful little house near Russian River! Thanks all
posted by raw sugar at 8:13 AM on May 15, 2015
posted by raw sugar at 8:13 AM on May 15, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
* Napa/Sonoma/Anderson Valley
* Hawaii
* a vacation package to a resort in Mexico
but the pickings are slim if you want close, cheap, and not on that list.
posted by blob at 8:00 PM on April 23, 2015