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GG Editors: Greetings! Thank you for visiting for our weekly online chat. Unlike most Tuesdays, today we're fielding questions on Girlfriend Getaways topics. Let's get to it!
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Dallas, Tex.: My girlfriend and I, both 60, are looking for a fun spot for 3-4 days this October. We want good shopping, good food, and just a bit of slot action (not Vegas). What are some destinations that accomplish this?
GG Editors: Hello Dallas, you're in luck! There are a lot of great options for you on our website girlgetaways.com—and we've already done a lot of the research for you. Off the top of my head, I'd recommend Scottsdale, Ariz., and Laughlin, Nevada—which we wrote about in a round up of 50 great long weekend destinations around the country. I hope this article will help inspire you!
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Philadelphia, Pa.: My best girlfriends--my 2 sisters--and I take a long weekend getaway every year. We call it our "Sister Trip". Next spring's trip is hopefully to San Francisco. There is so much to do and see there, so can you give any suggestions on how to make the most of just a few days in the city, especially with flying to S.F. from the East Coast (two of us from Philly, one from D.C.)? We range in age from 26-37. On past trips, we've done things like museums, baseball games, historical sights, beaches, you name it. Thank you!
GG Editors: San Francisco is a great town to visit in a few days: it's compact, easily walkable, and has great shops, restaurants, and people-watching! In fact, we created a long-weekend guide to San Francisco specifically tailored to a girlfriend getaway. You can read up on our recommendations here. Our online reader-generated travel journals on budgettravel.com are also a good resource for tips and recommendations. (If you like coffee you're especially in luck because a member of our staff, a rabid coffee appreciator, recently posted his favorite coffee spots in the city.)
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Clear Lake, Iowa: I will be meeting eight girlfriends (ages 36-37) from around the country next February in the Napa Valley area for a 3-night trip. We have known each other for 18 years and meet for a Girls' Weekend annually. We are looking for somewhere to stay in the Valley where we will be able to stay together (not separate hotel rooms) and where we can walk to stores, restaurants and spas. We are open to areas surrounding Napa, such as Calistoga, Sonoma, etc. We would also like advice on how to get a group of nine to the vineyards for tastings and what vineyards you would recommend for an intimate experience. Finally, we do a "spa day" on one of the days. Any suggestions?
GG Editors: Great minds think alike! In our fall issue of Girlfriend Getaways, you can read about a group of friends who chose to celebrate their 10-year college anniversary by heading to Napa. Staying together is a good idea: These friends rented a house in nearby Santa Rosa, and not only did it allow for more bonding opportunities, they saved cash, too. Browse rental listings to find your perfect fit at: napavalley.com. (Just click on lodging and search for rentals.) Another great cost-saving option are the Hideaway Cottages, located next to the famous Calistoga hot springs. For around $149 a night, you can have a stucco bungalow all your own. The 17 cottages are all configured differently—some have sitting rooms in addition to a bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen; others have private patios—but all are located a few steps from a swimming pool and hot tub filled with Calistoga's legendary water. As for your spa day, the property is just two blocks from Calistoga's quaint main street, and a short stroll from the 55-year-old Dr. Wilkinson's Hot Springs Resort, where guests can get The Works: a soak in mineral mud baths, a lavender mineral whirlpool bath, time in the steam room, a blanket wrap, and a 30-minute almond oil massage. 707/942-4108. For another spa experience unique to wine country, consider the Kenwood Inn & Spa, which uses the Caudalie line of products, all based on grape-seed extracts. Kenwood also has a particularly lovely setting; if you sign up for one of the "wine barrel baths" you can soak while gazing at vineyards. If you're looking to splurge, try the spa at Villagio.
And now for a few fun tasting ideas: The focal point of the tasting room at Peju Province Winery in Rutherford is a stained-glass window depicting the Three Graces. The gardens are dotted with fountains and statues of mythological figures. Peju is known for its cabernet sauvignons, which you can taste for a $10 fee (800/446-7358, peju.com). There's a different feel entirely at Kaz Vineyard and Winery, a small Sonoma Valley operation that's as unconventional as they come. Owner Richard "Kaz" Kasmier—with help from his wife, son, and daughter—runs a tasting room in his barn. You can sample six wines for $3, including Kaz's specialty, port (877/833-2536, kazwinery.com). For a laid-back vibe and to learn about organic viticulture: Frog's Leap in Rutherford. And no girlfriend getaway is complete without some bubbly: Try Schramsberg, one of Napa's oldest wineries, where you can see literally millions of bottles in 19th century caves. Finally, a few ways for all nine of you to get around: Beau Wine Tours can chauffeur you around in a sedan or limo; you can either put together your own list of places to visit, or pick one of their pre-set tours. Or, the Napa Wine Tours company has several prearranged options and group tours, including a bike tour.
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Prescott, Mich.: How about some girlfriend getaways or even singles based on "things I've always wanted to learn?" I've always wanted to learn to make twig furniture from grass-roots folks who do it. I've checked everything from elder hostels to volunteer groups and can't find craft classes on this topic and actually many others. Do you have any answers?
GG Editors: Dear Gettin' Twiggy With It,
We have some good news for you: At the Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts in Mineral Point, Wisconsin (a forty-five minute drive from Madison), the Bend Willow Chair workshop, utilizing twig furniture-making techniques, is so popular they offer it several times a year. The next scheduled workshop is September 20-21st, followed by another, exact dates TBD, in October. Of note: enrollment is limited to six students per workshop, to ensure a good student/teacher ratio, so be sure to book early! This rustric retreat center—where they offer classes in everything from Wild Painted Furniture to Paper Making and Mosaic Tile workshops—also boasts tree-shaded gardens, an ancient spring, and is conveniently located around the corner from downtown Mineral Point, featuring shopping and 17 (count 'em!) art galleries. For more information, check out: shakeragalley.com. And happy crafting!
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Raleigh, N.C.: My girlfriend and I are planning our second girls getaway in 2009. We are wanting to do a spa weekend in Arizona. Any info on the best spa for a girls weekend? We usually travel in the late spring and are open to a better time.
GG Editors: Hi, Raleigh. You picked a great state for a spa getaway with your friend; Arizona has a bunch of destination spas that are highly regarded. And spring is actually a nice time in the state, before the temps rise in the desert. My top three suggestions are Miraval Resort & Spa in Tucson, Mii Amo in Sedona, and the Sanctuary Spa at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain in Paradise Valley. Miraval now has a special "Bring a Friend" package—you both get 20% off your stay if you come together. The spa has some unique offerings, including "Horsing Around," a one-on-one learn-to-ride program. Mii Amo has a gorgeous location in the heart of red rock country, and they allow guests to choose from seven-night to one-day spa packages. The Sanctuary Spa incorporates traditional Asian treatments into its offerings, such as Thai massage and reflexology, reiki, and a treatment called luk pra kopi, in which your feet are soaked in a fresh lime bath and exfoliated with white Thai clay, followed by a full-body Thai massage with herbs.
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Vienna, Va.: A group of 10 women would like to celebrate our 50th year in the Finger Lakes in NY State. We're coming from all parts of the U.S. Could you recommend a "budget" getaway in July 2009 with suggestions for lodging and activities? We'd like our stay to last about 3-4 days. Thanks much.
GG Editors: The Finger Lakes region is actually becoming a popular destination for women-only getaways. There's great boutique and antique shopping in the region—historic routes 5 and 20 are lined with antique shops—and there are more than 70 wineries in the area that produce Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet, and Pinot, along with some specialty wines. A few wine trails to consider include Canandaigua, Cayuga, and Seneca. The Canandaigua Lady, a 19th-century replica paddleboat, is a fun afternoon trip on the water; a two-hour cruise, including lunch, is $28 per person. If you prefer something with a bit more throttle, the Canandaigua Speedway has stockcar racing. In the summer, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra performs at the C-MAC performing arts center in Canandaigua. For places to stay, I'd recommend a B&B—there are dozens of them in the Finger Lakes. The 1840 Inn on the Main, in the center of Canandaigua, has rooms from $125 a night for next summer. A good resource for a more complete list of activities and inns in the region is visitfingerlakes.com.
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Hartford, Conn. and Westerly, R.I.: What's a great place to go for sisters to get away? My sister lives by the beach so something different would be great! Thanks for your help.
GG Editors: It all depends on what type of trip you're looking for, of course, but I'm obsessed with Charleston and Savannah as girlfriend getaways right now. Both have a great mix of culture, character, great food, and great shopping. We helped two friends plan a trip to both cities a few months ago. Check out our recommendations here.
If you and your sister like wine, you might consider a trip to wine country. Napa and Sonoma are the obvious options, but there are actually wineries all over the country. Check out our article about Wine Country Weekends to see if there's one that's convenient for you. If you want something more lively, head to a city. Our round-up of big city getaways will get you on the right track.
Finally, you can't go wrong with a trip to a spa. We found some great deals on spas in the Northeast for our America's Best Spa Values story.
My best advice: Wherever you decide to go, don't over schedule yourselves! It's always tempting when we're in a new place to fill every second of every day, but don't do so much that you don't have time to just relax and enjoy each other's company.
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Wilmington, Del.: Can you recommend some places to go for my book club ladies for a literary-themed getaway?
GG Editors: So many possibilities! New York comes to mind right away. Greenwich Village was a magnet for American writers for years (and probably still would be, if it weren't so pricey!). Big names like Henry James, Edgar Allen Poe, Dylan Thomas, Louisa May Alcott, and Jack Keroac all spent time there at one time or another, and a stroll through the windy streets and hole-in-the-wall cafés will show you why. Despite being in the middle of hectic NYC, the village is calm, quiet, and inviting. Be sure to stop for a drink at the White Horse Tavern, a favorite writer's haunt, and, they say, the bar where Dylan Thomas drank his last whiskey. Frommer's Memorable Walks in New York has a great literary tour of the Village. I followed it years ago (long before I worked here!) and loved it.
For something a little more low-key, you could go to Savannah, Ga. It got a lot of attention when John Berendt's book (and, later, the movie) Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil came out. Savannah Tours will take you to several spots mentioned in the book, like the Bonaventure Cemetery, home to the story's famous statue (savannahtours.us/tours/tourDetail.cfm/tid/1730, from $40). Savannah was also home to Flannery O'Connor, one of my favorite writers. You can visit her childhood home at (207 E. Charlton St., 912/921-5618, flanneryoconnorhome.org).
If you're game for an overseas trip, it's hard to beat Paris as a literary destination. You can visit the graves of Baudelaire, Sartre, and Beckett at the Montparnasse Cemetery, and those of Colette, Balzac, Proust, and Getrude Stein at Pere Lachaise. But don't spend all your time at gravesites! Wander the Left Bank, the area of the city that drew writers and artists for generations. Stop for a coffee at Café de Flore or Café des Deux Magots, both popular with Sartres and the Existentialists. La Closerie des Lilas was a favorite writers' haunt, too—particularly members of the Lost Generation, like Hemingway and Fitzgerald.
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Chalfont, Pa.: A group of 4 friends will be traveling to the Napa Valley October 31 to November 7. We have never been to this area and have been told to visit the smaller wineries. We are staying at the River Pointe Resort. Would you be able to recommend a few smaller wineries as well as some casual restaurants to visit. We would also like to stay one night in San Francisco and would appreciate any recommondations for moderately priced hotels in that area, as well. Thank you.
GG Editors: Of course! In a past issue of Girlfriend Getaways we offered tips for planning weekend getaways in Napa and other U.S. wine regions. We suggested Peju Province Winery in Rutherford, known for its cabernet sauvignons, and Kaz Vineyard and Winery, a small, unconventional operation in Sonoma Valley. Packing a picnic lunch is one fun and affordable way to enjoy Napa—and I can vouch for Fume Bistro, where I enjoyed a terrific grilled salmon sandwich with bistro fries and a tangy peach salad earlier this summer. As for San Francisco, try the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, the Hotel Beresford, or the Orchard Garden Hotel.
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Arlington, Va.: My 23-year-old daughter and I would like to do a Christmas trip (someplace warm, spa perhaps) and are thinking of Scottsdale. My problem is that we live on opposite coasts and trying to figure out the most economical way to plan this is difficult.
GG Editors: What a fun idea. It'll be easiest if you meet each other at your destination; use booking sites like Kayak.com to find reasonable airfares from Arlington and from your daughter's hometown. Keep in mind, however, that winter is the high season for warm escapes like Scottsdale, so you'll pay more for a hotel stay at that time then you would if you chose to visit in, say, May or June. If you do go with Scottsdale, consider the spa at the Marriott's Camelback Inn. The sleek Mondrian also provides spa services, but has more of a reputation for its nightlife. You'll find plenty to keep you two busy during the day, from browsing art galleries in Old Town and shopping to touring Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West. You could also consider Santa Fe, which is enchanting at Christmas time; festive luminarias (brightly wrapped candles) line its historic Plaza and walkways, chili lights adorn Christmas trees, and Hispanic, Anglo and Native American celebrations are all represented. The El Rey Inn and Territorial Inn at the Marcy are among the more affordable hotel options. And don't leave Santa Fe without taking a dip in a private outdoor hot tub at Ten Thousand Waves Spa & Resort.
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GG Editors: Unfortunately, that's all the time we have to take for questions today. We regret that there were a few we weren't able to answer. Be sure to check back on Tuesday, August 26, when we answer your Girlfriend Getaways questions again.
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