Where should I vacation?
September 27, 2022 11:37 AM   Subscribe

I have the week after Presidents' Day off. I am going through a divorce and have never really traveled on my own before. Where should I go?

It can be a direct plane ride or a 5-hour-or-less drive from San Francisco. I don't want Hawaii b/c I used to go there with my ex. I would like decent weather, though (not too cold so I am thinking maybe Southern California?). San Diego? Somewhere in LA? I've never been to Palm Springs. If you have a suggestion for me, suggestions of what to do and eat would be most welcome. I love food, cheap or spendy. I like EASY hikes, emphasis on easy. More walks than hikes maybe, but I can walk a long time. I like browsing shops. Museums can be cool but maybe not at the top of my list. Gardens are nice too.
posted by bookworm4125 to Travel & Transportation (10 answers total)
 
If you're willing to go outside the US, consider Mexico City. Great food options, fun neighborhoods to walk through and to poke through stores, some museums if you want to do that. And with a week, you could consider some day trips out of the city or going to another part of Mexico for a few days.
posted by Caz721 at 12:51 PM on September 27, 2022 [3 favorites]


I adore Mexico City but also think San Antonio or New Orleans might be just the ticket. Memail me if you want specific recommendations ... I'm a travel writer and always happy to talk trips.
posted by cyndigo at 1:01 PM on September 27, 2022 [7 favorites]


San Antonio or austin could be fun. But also Monterey/Carmel we’re lovely solo get away as with lots of walking options.
posted by dpx.mfx at 2:00 PM on September 27, 2022


Palm Springs is a great time, but you'd need a car to enjoy it. It'll be in the high 70's-80's F most likely in February, coming down to 50F at night. GREAT food literally no matter where you go. Good shopping, especially vintage, antiques, and thrift stores. Very pleasant zoo with primarily desert animals. You can almost certainly find a really cute motel with a pool.

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is a fun ride day or night-- you can hike around a little when you get up there or just enjoy the restaurant/gift shop. I have never done any hikes in the canyon but I gather there are easy options. If you want to drive around the area, Salvation Mountain is trippy and not too far out. Morongo Casino is like a 90 minute drive but gets good performers.
posted by blnkfrnk at 2:09 PM on September 27, 2022 [1 favorite]


Phoenix or Tucson. It should be a little warmer in Tucson but it will be cheaper to fly into Phoenix. If you're renting a car, it's a short enough drive that you could fly into Phoenix and then drive down to Tucson. There are lots of easy walks/hikes in interesting cactusy environments, botanical gardens, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Kartchner Caverns if visiting a cave sounds fun, the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix (way more interesting than you probably expect), plenty of shops and food of all types. If you like Mexican food, it's everywhere and most of it is pretty good. If you want peace and quiet out in nature, a short drive from either city will take you to a variety of places where you can find it. If the less isolated peacefulness of a botanical garden or a popular hiking trail right on the edge of the city is more appealing, you can find plenty of that, too.
posted by Redstart at 2:19 PM on September 27, 2022 [2 favorites]


Santa Fe, NM or Albuquerque might be nice, but chilly around President's Day. What about Catalina ? I've never been there but I hear it's nice and it ought to fit your time criteria.
posted by TimHare at 2:55 PM on September 27, 2022 [2 favorites]


5 hours from SF is relatively limited, you are still going to be somewhere that looks like the Bay Area if you squint. That won't even get you to LA. Not that Monterey, Big Sur, Solvang, Morro Bay, Mendocindo, Bodega Bay, Willits, Ukiah, or a bunch of other places aren't great to visit, but to my mind they're not a complete change of scenery like you're looking for.

Catalina is great for walking but the drive past LA to Long Beach plus the ferry is a lot of schlepping. I may be making that trip this February for the weekend but it's a lot. Palm Springs by air is a great choice, definitely in the desert, $250 ish round trip flights. I would also check out Santa Fe, there are nonstops from OAK to ABQ. While it could snow the winters are pretty mild there, as a rule. Great food (low and high) and walks.
posted by wnissen at 4:14 PM on September 27, 2022


Sacramento is very walkable and quite touristy in its downtown/midtown. You can take the Amtrak there, which is beautiful. Hike along the American River Trail, which goes right through the city and it goes forever. Browse shops in the touristy area. The capital grounds has a big park, but don't try to eat its oranges straight; they're sour. I'm not into museums but I'm sure it's got 'em.
posted by aniola at 5:49 PM on September 27, 2022


I haven't been to Catalina in 15 years but it's lovely. You can fly into LAX and get an Uber (or potentially transit-- I know the area has grown for transit a LOT since I lived there) to Long Beach for the ferry. The ferry takes about an hour and is moderately choppy (if the Staten Island Ferry is a 1-2, the Catalina ferry is a 6-8.) If you stay on the Avalon side you have your pick of hotels ranging from regular to extreme luxury, and you can walk all over and have good food and touristy shopportunities and laze around at the pool and/or beach.

The flying fish tour is sort of worth it, snorkeling for sure, I don't think the glass bottom boat tour is worth it (it feels crowded?) If you can get a native plant tour, that's worth it if you like plants since there are several Catalina-only species to see and very unique environmental things to Catalina that are interesting to learn about. Water's cold, you need wet suit in February but you can rent one. It's going to be oceany-breezy-cold the whole time, but not much colder than the Richmond district/Ocean Beach same time of year. Jeans and a sweater or light jacket, bring shorts for daytime.

Cars are not allowed, but you can rent a golf cart. There is a picturesque mission you can poke around at and cute little houses. The other side of the island is basically wilderness with interesting desert/chaparral hiking and camping. I know there's like a one-room schoolhouse and some people who live there-- I don't know if the wild side has been built up much since I've been there. There are buffalo wandering around because someone brought them over in the 20's to film a movie and left them there. Depending on the time of year (I think not February) the cactus pears are ripe and delicious. You can definitely spend a week on Catalina.
posted by blnkfrnk at 10:54 AM on September 28, 2022


I'll second New Orleans. You can get a 4ish hour direct flight from SF. It feels very different from anywhere else in the US. Amazing food obviously, many chill neighborhood bars, lots of shopping. Add in some live music, a boat ride on the Mississippi, and the sculpture garden at NOMA. Easy to get around on foot, plus transit, bikeshare, or cab as needed.
posted by umwelt at 4:39 PM on September 28, 2022 [2 favorites]


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