Tag Archives: romantic travel

Romantic places for V-day

Most romantic towns and some of them are pet friendly too

I would add Carmel, Mendocino and Napa to this list, too (in terms of romantic AND pet friendly).

 

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No. 5 San Luis Obispo, CA

With mild year-round weather, fewer crowds, and affordable prices (at least compared to L.A. and San Francisco), this central-coast college town embodies California mellow, making for easy romance. It also offers easy access to great wine country (thinkSideways), laid-back Pismo Beach, and the grandeur of Hearst Castle. Readers ranked it at the top of the survey for its coffee—like the fair-trade, organic brews served at local favorite Blackhorse Espresso and Bakery.

No. 6 Aspen, CO

The A-list ski town has no shortage of plush hotels primed for romance—such as The Little Nell or the St. Regis—or sips to get you there: the Rocky Mountain state’s legendary craft beer scene helped rank this tony mountain town at the top of the survey for its local brews (such as Aspen Brewing’s pale ale called This Season’s Blonde). For a romantic dinner you can’t beat Cloud Nine Alpine Bistro, with big views—from 10,700 feet—of the Maroon Bells and European-style classics such as fondue and veal schnitzel. Readers also applauded Aspen for its variety of events, from the X Games to the high-minded Aspen Ideas Festival.

No. 8 Sonoma, CA

The surrounding wine country makes this bucolic town a no-brainer for romance—with the added couples-friendly enticements of dreamy hotels (such as the rambling Spanish Mission–style Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa) and a noted lack of kids. The foodie factor runs high, too, thanks to renowned restaurants (such as French-country The Girl & the Fig) and top-notch farmers’ markets, like the Sonoma Valley Certified Farmers’ Market on Fridays. Readers also voted Sonoma into the top 10 for having quirky locals, a plus on any memorable weekend getaway.

No. 18 Bend, OR

This Oregon ski town offers a casual alternative to a romantic wine country getaway: the Bend Ale Trail, which leads you to 11 craft breweries, such as the famed Deschutes, and a branch of McMenamins at theOld St. Francis School, a 1936 Catholic schoolhouse turned inn. Bend also won the survey for burgers, and locals swear by the classic versions at Pilot Butte Drive-In. (Go ahead, get two straws for that milkshake.) visitbend.com

http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/americas-most-romantic-towns

 

 

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Filed under California, Carmel, dogs, K9 travel, Oregon, pet friendly lodging, romance, travel, Uncategorized, Valentine's Day

da beach da beach… we are in doggie heaven…

ahhhh…. lots of room to roam and trees and bushes to sniff… this must be dog heaven !  

http://www.pacificmistinn.com

if you are looking for a dog friendly inn for some peace and quiet and relaxation, run do not walk to the Pacific Mist Inn in Little River, California along Highway One (20 minutes from Fort Bragg)… I can feel the stress melting away.  We conked out, slept really well in our cabin. Doesn’t look like much as you drive up, rustic ambiance nothing fancy but boy there is a whole lotta Silence. Peace. Quiet. There are nicely spaced apart for privacy individual bungalow cabins,  with do it yourself barbecues, kitchens, a hot tub in the woods (how romantic)… speaking of romance, if I were getting married, this would be a fabulous place to tie the knot and invite your wedding party to stay…

it is five minutes to restaurants, the innkeepers here have thought of everything… just love the personal touches, from a book that tells you all of the local info from beaches to restaurants to art galleries… to the little notes and tips (28 thing to do on a rainy day) with instructions, they make you feel very welcome and at home here… 

http://www.pacificmistinn.com/accommodations.html

and if you are thinking about having a girlfriend’s getaway, the cabins are perfect because you can each have your own room and share one cabin. It is a hop, skip and a jump to the beach. Close the doors in between the rooms for privacy, open them for late night snacks, movie watching and girl talk…

cici and i stayed in the zen cabin at the Pacific Mist Inn with our very own zen water fountain tinkling outside, i kid you not… we had two rooms, an entire cabin, with two beds, one for me, and one for her… 🙂  a fireplace with wood to cozy up, two bathrooms, two televisions, two phones, a kitchen, and a deck to sit outside… cici is happy and at home, only restriction was for her to have fun and eat her doggie biscuits that they left for us with a sweet note… and two chocolates for me (i did not share them with her)… 

there is a whale and dolphin room, ocean mist room and more…

If and when you bring your dogs, you can have a fabulous breakfast, lunch or dinner with your pooches at the nearby Stanford Inn. We ate breakfast there. The scones are to live for and the food is divinely scrumptious. Cici got overexcited and had to go back in the car, there were so many people and dogs and smells and she was just a little too happy. And one dog arrived and for some reason, she just went berserk. The only time I have ever seen her act like that was when she saw a cat. Bark bark bark. Poor baby. She just loves it here. 

 

www.standfordinn.com

 

The inn is a whole dog universe unto itself… everything is organic, vegan and makes Carmel almost look small and quaint by comparison. This place is huge, has greenhouses, organic gardens, pools and it is so very majestic looking and zen at the same time. How do they do that? 

 

the trip from santa rosa was a little twisty and windy on highway 128 from cloverdale (101 north), but only in a few places… and you are rewarded with driving through a redwood forest and alongside the beach… spectacular.

 

the weather is moderate all year round cool in the summer, about 75-80 degrees and colder in the winter.

 

the Pacific Mist Inn even has zap (electric) cars you can drive/rent in the area… and don’t forget the hot tub in the woods… ummmmmm… get in the zone…

 

i noticed along the way that scharffenberger has a tasting room, does that mean a wine and/or chocolate tasting room?  oh well, found out that it’s not chocolate, oh well,  mmmmm help me, I’m melting… mmm  mmm good…

 

      

 

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