For a really beautiful beach camping experience, check out the campgrounds at Manresa State Beach near Santa Cruz. The campsites are perched on a bluff overlooking [more...]

If you prefer your campsites to be away from the smell of car exhaust, Northern California is rife with places to backpack. My personal favorite spot is located in the Sierras just past Feeley Lake. Yo [more...]

Most of Big Sur's stunning coastline is reservations-only when it comes to campgrounds, and those reservations get made a year in advance. If you're someone who doesn't plan your weekends that far ahead, check out Andrew Molera State Park. Ca [more...]

Though Mount Tam holds a firm grip on the imaginations of our city dwellers, Bay Area natives have another mountain they can turn to in times of trouble: Mount Diablo. Many aren't aware that in addition to creating a pleasing skyline, [more...]

We can't all be friends with celebrities. Some of us have to create our own. Why not take a few classes at the San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking? After a [more...]

Maybe it's always been your dream to sleep with Keanu Reeves, a member of Pearl Jam, or Little Richard. (Hey, we've all got our fetishes; let's not judge.) Or maybe your dream is simpler: to find a fun, funky hotel to stay in when you [more...]

Check in for a weekend at the Carneros Inn, a luxury resort in Napa owned by Plumpjack, a company founded by SF mayor Gavin Newsome. It's sort of like when you [more...]

Take a weekend in beautiful Morro Bay and you can spend your Saturday playing chess on the town's giant chessboard. The city puts the pieces out every Saturday for use, and once a year sponsors a tournament using human pieces.

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Once called "the washer woman's lake," Lake El Estero in Monterey is now the home of countless recreation activities such as swimming, [more...]

Always wanted to sleep in a lighthouse? Never wanted to sleep in a lighthouse but kind of intrigued now that the subject's come up? Try the East Brother Light Station, a [more...]

The Henry Miller Memorial Library in Big Sur is one of the most serene, surreal spots in the world. Enjoy the film nights, sculpture, glorious Big Sur backdrops [more...]

Yes, it seems cheesy, but attending Disneyland with your loved one as an adult is a whole different thing than attending it with your parents when you were five. Ride [more...]

Need a mountain retreat weekend but can't go too far from the city? Try the Mountain Home Inn on top of Mt. Tamalpais. Built in Bavarian style, this lodge [more...]

Angel Island has lovely campsites, many of which have views of the sea. Spend the night s'moring and smooching while the ocean shushes you self-importantly in the background.

Paradise doesn't come cheap, but it's worth it. Take a weekend at the San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara for the ultimate in pampering getaways. Ocean views and [more...]

If San Francisco just isn't pretty enough for you, take a weekend trip down to San Luis Obispo, the city that's fun to spell and to say. Full of shopping, [more...]

Swim over to the California Delta and rent a houseboat for a weekend or a night. Bring a bottle of wine, a bottle of massage oil, and about ten bottles of mosquito spray.

Before you are both under a mountain of diapers and suffering from endless exchanges of sleepless nights, indulge yourselves (both of you) at Berkley's Claremont Resort & Spa. T [more...]

Wander the Castro District on any sunny Saturday and you're guaranteed to run into one of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. These cross-dressing, Mardi [more...]