Looking for a 4 Day Getaway? Try these!
- Asheville, NC
Best Spa (by far): The spa at The Omni Grove Park Inn
Definitely see: The Biltmore Estate (Mansion, Gardens, Winery)
Activity: Segway Tour of the Biltmore Estate
Shop: Downtown Asheville
Favorite restaurants: Sunny Pointe Café (great farm to table) and Stable Café (historical)
- Monterey/Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA
Stay: Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa
Best Spa: Vista Blue Spa - top floor of the Monterey Plaza Hotel
Definitely see: the beautiful Pacific shoreline via The 17 Mile (bike or drive) and the Monterey Bay Aquarium
Activities: Hike Point Lobos State Reserve (gorgeous) and take a Starlight Bioluminescence Kayak Tour at Elkhorn Slough.
Shop: Carmel Plaza (feels like you’re in a storybook)
Favorite restaurants: Mission Ranch Restaurant in Carmel (Clint Eastwood is the owner) and Lulu’s Griddle in the Middle on Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey; get clam chowder in a bread bowl at any restaurant (we liked Lalla Oceanside Grill in Monterey right on Cannery Row).
- Sedona, AZ
Stay: L’ Auberge de Sedona
Best Spa: L’Auberge de Sedona (try a massage by the babbling creek!)
Definitely see: Chapel of the Holy Cross, Oak Creek Canyon, and the sunset over Sedona at Airport Mesa
Activities: Hike!!! Sedona is one of the best destinations for hiking in the country. If MOAB is too ginormous for you, go to Sedona. It’s absolutely breathtaking. Also take a Pink Jeep Tour (we liked the Broken Arrow).
Shop: Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village
Favorite restaurants: Indian Gardens Café and Market (best sandwiches EVER!), The Pump House Urban Eatery and Market, and Mariposa (go for lunch and sit outside for an extraordinary view).
- San Diego, CA
Stay: Hotel Del Coronado on Coronado Island, The Sofia Hotel in the Gaslamp District (boutique hotel)
Best Spa: The Spa Torrey Pines; if you book a spa treatment, you get full unlimited access to the fitness studio, steam room, sauna, and inhalation room.
Definitely see: San Diego Zoo, The Whaley House in Old Town (supposed to be one of the most haunted places in the U.S.), Coronado Island, the sea lions sunbathing in La Jolla Cove, Balboa Park and Sea World.
Activities: Hike Torrey Pines State Park (try an early morning hike followed by spa day at Torrey Pines), and a day of wine tasting in Temecula.
Shop: Seaport Village
Favorite restaurants: Herringbone in La Jolla and Casa de Reyes in Old Town.
- Chicago, IL
Stay: theWit (it has a nice view of the city, rooftop lounge with sweeping skyline views, a great spa, and it’s located near the theater district)
Spa: Spa@theWit
Definitely see: Navy Pier, Millennium Park, any of the great museums, the Shedd Aquarium, or a Cubs game (Wrigley Field is historical).
Activities: beach day at Oak Street Beach on Lake Michigan, Broadway in Chicago musical
Shop: the Magnificent Mile, Water Tower Place
Favorite restaurants: There’s a million places to eat in Chicago! If you go to the theater, two favorites are Trattoria No. 10 and Catch 35, both near the theater district.
- San Francisco, CA
Stay: at a boutique hotel. There’s dozens and many are like B&Bs.
Definitely see: Alcatraz (night tours are eerie), Pier 39, and Golden Gate Park (take a Segway tour or rent a bike to see it - it’s SO BIG),
Activities: walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, take a hike at Muir Woods; the giant redwoods are incredible.
Favorite restaurant: The Tonga Room and Hurricane Bar at the Fairmont Hotel.
- Washington, D.C.
Stay: Holiday Inn Washington - Capital (SO CLOSE to the National Mall)
Definitely see: The Smithsonian (two favorites are Air and Space and American History), ALL of the war memorials, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, the White House, the Tidal Basin, U.S. Capitol, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Jefferson Memorial and more - grab a map and see what you have time for. If you can rent or bring a bike, do it. D.C. is a bike friendly town and there’s a lot of walking at the National Mall.
Activity: You’ll get your exercise walking or biking the National Mall!
Favorite restaurants: the food trucks - D.C. is known for them and there are dozens to choose from. There are also dozens of historical restaurants like Old Ebbitt Grill, 1789, Historic Cedar Knoll Restaurant, Occidental Grill, and Ben’s Chili Bowl.
- Virginia Beach, VA
Stay: on Atlantic Avenue (ocean front)
Definitely see: Colonial Williamsburg, Historic Jamestown, Cape Henry Lighthouse, Virginia Aquarium
Activities: Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Water Country USA, the Virginia Beach Boardwalk - biking, walking, rollerblading, horseback riding, surrey rental, fitness park
Shop: Town Center
Favorite restaurants: Chick’s Oyster Bar, Rudee’s Restaurant and Cabana Bar, Catch 31; for breakfast, The Bee and the Biscuit, Bay Local, and Hair of the Dog Eatery.
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