by Lisa Trottier, Sunset travel editor

I’m not the turkey-baking type, so for me Thanksgiving means one thing: four full days to get out of town. Last year, I soaked up the sunny skies and 70-degree weather in Monterey, California, at the just-opened Clement Monterey.

Choosing the Clement broke several of my own personal rules. First of all, it’s on Cannery Row, a tourist haven of souvenir shops and candy stores. Plus, it’s part of an international hotel chain—the Intercontinental.

But, what can I say? I loved my stay at the Clement. Mostly for its back deck right over the crashing waves of Monterey Bay. From the fire pit, where cocktails are served under the moonlight, we could see seals peep out of the water. Plus, the hotel is literally next door to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, eliminating any parking or traffic hassles for the town’s biggest attraction.

Best of all, every day my husband and I loaded our kids into their bike seats and cruised along a path that crosses right in front of the hotel, skirting the edge of the bay all the way to the Pacific Ocean. After that, we’d dig in to the fish and chips at locals’ favorite Sea Harvest. And I have to say, we didn't miss the turkey one bit.  

Book it: From $199, (831) 375-4500

Plan your trip: Read Sunset’s advice on where to hike around Monterey and a great bike ride in nearby Pacific Grove.

By Rachel Levin, Sunset senior editor

I was happy to see an ode to Sunset’s favorite little Apple Farm in the Times magazine last Sunday, as part of its series on Slow Food. With a scattering of cozy-quiet cabins, acres of heirloom apple orchards, hands-on cooking classes, and a roadside stand that operates on the honor system, the Apple Farm, in Northern California's Mendocino County, was the haycation before haycations were cool.

You can read about our favorite farm weekends in our November issue, now on newsstands. (Yes, our article includes the Apple Farm, too.)

Book it: Cottages are $175/night midweek; $250 on weekends, including breakfast. Cooking classes are booked for the rest of the season, but start up again in February. Call now to reserve.

Plan your trip to the Anderson Valley

by Lisa Trottier, Sunset travel editor

I have a soft spot for Costanoa. I can’t help it. When it opened a decade ago, a cluster of stylish tent bungalows, cabins, and lodge rooms along an otherwise undeveloped stretch of coast south of Half Moon Bay, it was so completely unlike anything else in that tech-happy era.

There were no phones, no TVs. Trails led into the grassy hills and across Highway 1 to a pair of deserted beaches. Tents with robes, comforters, and pictures on the “wall” had you hoofing it across a field for middle-of-the-night bathroom runs. But when you got there, you’d find heated floors, a sauna, a crackling fireplace with a pair of adirondacks. This was glamping before the term had even been coined.

I liked the place so much I got married there nine years ago—spoke my vows on a grassy bluff where we could hear the elephant seals calling, then hiked down to Costanoa’s lodge for a barbecue and s’mores in the slanting November sun. So, when the place changed hands once, then again, I was worried.

More than I needed to be, it turns out. I stayed in a tent bungalow here with my kids this past summer, and while the place isn’t maintained to the exacting standards of its early days, it’s still a great way to spend a weekend outside in a glorious spot. We hiked to the beach, ate pancakes under the sun, and trekked to the nearby Pigeon Point Lighthouse.

The only thing I will say is that summers along that stretch can be foggy and windy, and it often was the July weekend we were there. Today, though, the forecast is 75 degrees and calm. Perfect. Plus, off-peak rates started yesterday, and tonight is a full moon. So what, you say? Costanoa celebrates full-moon nights with a 50 discount. If I had nothing pressing going on, I’d be on my way right now.

Book it: costanoa.com, 877/262-7848

Plan your trip: Get Sunset's tips on what to do in nearby Pescadero and, north of that, Half Moon Bay.

by Anna Nordberg, Sunset Special Projects Editor

It's been gray and rainy in the Bay Area, which makes me want to write about beaches—in particular, island beaches. And yes, I know the Four Seasons is to budget accommodation what a Krispy Kreme donut is to my pre-holiday diet, but for special occasions, I find there are few brands with more consistent service and quiet luxury.

For our own recent special occasion (an anniversary), my husband and I spent Labor Day at the Four Seasons Manele Bay, in Lanai, a tiny Hawaiian island within striking distance of Maui and Molokai. 

PHOTO:  Holupo'e beach at the Four Seasons Lanai, Manele Bay (Courtesy of the Four Seasons).

This was our first time to Hawaii, and many of our friends thought it odd that we skipped over Maui and Oahu to stay on a postage-stamp former pineapple plantation with no stoplights. But long sunny days with nothing to do is exactly why people go to Lanai.

The island, and the Four Seasons, didn't disappoint. We did exactly one activity the whole time we were there—surfing. The rest of the time we read on the beach or on the balcony of our room. And every time we went to the lunch cafe or ordered a glass of guava juice, we were greeted by name (I find it's hard to resist a hotel where everyone at least pretends to know who you are). 

PHOTO: The pool at the Four Seasons Lanai, Manele Bay (courtesy of the Four Seasons)

There are two Four Seasons on Lanai, the upland, plantation-style Lodge at Koele and the Manele Bay property, where we stayed. Hotel connoisseurs give the slight edge to Koele, which is indeed stunning, with its lush gardens and understated English grandeur. But if I'm flying six hours to an island, I want to stay at the place that's a three-minute walk from the beach. Period.

PHOTO: An oceanview room at The Four Seasons Lanai, Manele Bay (Courtesy of the Four Seasons)

PHOTO: The Lodge at Koele (Courtesy of the Four Seasons)

While the Four Seasons has resisted the rate slashing of other luxury brands, even it has bowed to economic reality—a little. For the shoulder season (until Dec 18), the hotel is offering a promotional starting rate of $295, and if you book three nights at the regular rate (from $445), your fourth night is free. Not exactly a bargain, but then again, your 40th birthday or silver anniversary only comes once.

Book it: from $295 through Dec 18; fourseasons.com/manelebay

Plan your trip: Want to learn more about Hawaii? Here are our top picks for what to do on Kauai, Maui, and Oahu, and the Big Island. 

Talk to us: Have a favorite hotel in Hawaii? What luxury hotels do you think are worth the splurge?

by Lisa Trottier, Sunset travel editor

Strange, but true: Ski season starts today at Mammoth Mountain, which was slammed with 30 inches of snow this week. To celebrate the absurdly early opening day, this resort five hours east of Los Angeles is offering a room at the slopeside Mammoth Mountain Inn plus two lift tickets for $99 per person.

But if you don’t mind being a couple of miles from the lift, my favorite place to stay in Mammoth is the Tamarack Lodge (pictured), a collection of 32 cabins and 11 lodge rooms scattered across a piney hillside under a craggy bluff at Twin Lakes.

Tamarack has that middle-of-nowhere feeling where the glow from each cabin comes not from a television (there are none) but from a fireplace. The “traditional” (read: unimproved) cabins are charming, if slightly smoky. The pricier, polished new ones are as comfortable and stylish as anything you'd find at a slick resort but without any of the corporate sheen or surrounding sprawl. Whatever cabin you choose, this place is throwback all the way.

Book it: From $139; from $269 for a newer cabin; 800/626-6684 or 760/934-2442. tamaracklodge.com

Talk to us: What’s your favorite ski hideaway?

by Lisa Trottier, Sunset senior travel editor

When the superposh Aman Resorts opened their first U.S. hotel in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, 11 years ago, it was clear they knew something about the habits of the American jet-setter. This week, they open their second U.S. project. But this one’s a bit more of a head-scratcher.

Amangiri, they’re calling it, a collection of 32 suites fit for a CEO who’s taken the golden parachute. And they’ve put it on a 600-acre swath of Utah desert 25 minutes outside Page, Arizona. I don’t know if you’ve ever been to Page, but I have. And it ain’t no Jackson.

No one loves the desert of Southern Utah like Sunset does—it’s tops in our book. But having camped in this country many times, I can’t help but chuckle when I picture the guests of a $600/night hotel (that’s the discounted opening rate, by the way) mingling with the beer-chugging houseboaters on Lake Powell or pulling into a strip mall in Page to hook up with a tour of Antelope Canyon.

There’s no arguing with the views. I mean…wow. But will this arid corner of the world, so remote and desolate that polygamists like to hide out in it, really become a playground for the world’s superrich? If so, the Aman visionaries are smarter than I am. They’re certainly gutsier.

Curious? Check out more photos on Amangiri’s website.

by Natalie Jabbar, Sunset editorial intern

If you're visiting Yosemite National Park's Tuolumne Meadows on these crisp fall days, don't cruise through without getting out of the car to explore a bit. Even if you're in a hurry, try to set aside a bit of time for Twin  Bridges. You'd think a spot this idyllic, and just a 10-minute walk from a major road, would be packed with people, but, oddly, it isn't.

When I ventured to Twin Bridges recently, I couldn't help snapping way too many photos (two pictured below), before simply lying down on a flattened rock, basking in the last rays of summer and in the quiet beauty of those mountains.

To get to Twin Bridges, just follow the easy trail from Tuolumne Meadows Lodge, where parking is also  available.

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For more tips on what to do and where to stay in Yosemite, check out Sunset's Yosemite National Park Guide.

by Natalie Jabbar, Sunset editorial intern

I took a day trip to Santa Cruz last weekend, hoping to find a serene spot away from the the crowded beaches and infamous boardwalk, where I would inevitably be lured into eating far too much funnel cake.

I found just that spot at Natural Bridges State Beach. Nestled at the northern tip of the scenic West Cliff Drive, Natural Bridges is the perfect place to enjoy a quiet picnic, fly a kite, or simply take in a great view, which includes the beach's namesake, a "natural bridge" composed of rock (pictured above).

If you're lucky, you may even sight some otters, a migrating whale, or other sea creatures, depending on the season. This beach also houses the Monarch Butterfly Natural Preserve, where from Mid-October to February you can walk through an oasis of eucalyptus trees dotted with over 100,000 monarchs. I'll definitely be returning to Natural Bridges in the future--what are some of your favorite, tucked away spots in the West?

DON'T MISS:

If you venture to Santa Cruz during these waning weeks of summer, you can also attend a performance of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” just the way the Bard would have wanted you to--in the middle of a redwood forest. The repertory company Shakespeare Santa Cruz will be performing that whimsical play, along with  “Julius Caesar” and the Bay Area premiere of Donald Margulies' “Shipwrecked! An Entertainment” through August 30th.

EXPLORE SOME MORE:

If you have a few hours to spare, drive south about 25 miles from Santa Cruz to another quiet sea escape, Moss Landing. This idyllic beach town could be the perfect pit stop on the way to Monterey if you want to make a night of it and rest by the water for awhile.

by Scott Hocker

 

Photographs by Jen Siska

Sebastopol, among the orchards and vineyards of Western Sonoma County north of San Francisco, is a favorite stopover for people heading west toward the Russian River or beyond that to the coast. But if you’ve only seen this quaint town from State 116, a cruise up into the less-traveled hills around town gives you new reasons to love the place.

Our favorite scenic drive is a 14-mile route that starts at Florence Avenue, which acts as a neighborhood-wide outdoor gallery of the madcap sculptures fashioned by local artists Patrick Amiot and Brigitte Laurent out of bits of junk. Outside town, you’ll climb up, up, up, then plunge into a pastoral valley and pass over trickling Atascadero Creek.

Follow these directions from State 116 and click here for a Google map of the route:

Start at the corner of Healdsburg Ave. and Florence Ave.
Head down Florence Ave. to see the sculptures.
At street’s end, turn right on Bodega Hwy.
After .8 miles, turn left on Pleasant Hill Rd.
After 1.5 miles, turn right toward Watertrough Rd., then left on Sanders Rd. The road comes down the hill, veers right, and becomes Barnett Valley Rd.
After 4 miles on Barnett Valley Rd., turn right on Bodega Hwy.
After 1.7 miles, turn left on Grandview Rd.
After 1.3 miles, turn right on Cherry Ridge Rd., then right on Mill Station Rd.
Follow Mill Station Rd. until you return to State 116.

by Sunset editorial staff

California is home to 279 sanity-saving state parks, but it’s also home to a $24.3 billion budget deficit. Governor Schwarzenegger recently proposed closing down 220 parks. And the list includes some serious A-list spots: Angel Island in the San Francisco Bay, Julia Pfeiffer Burns in Big Sur, Big Basin in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Emerald Bay at Lake Tahoe, Torrey Pines State Beach north of San Diego.

At least one ranger at Butano State Park this past weekend thought it was all bluster. But these days, who knows? It might be smart to make this the summer of the state park and knock a few off your list before the talked-about shutdown date of November. Here, a few suggestions to get you started: 

1. Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Your pick of four waterfalls is the payoff for tackling the roller-coaster trails that fan out under gargantuan old-growth trees in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Located 65 miles south of San Francisco, Big Basin Redwoods is the oldest state park in California, established in 1902. 831/338-8860.

Photo courtesy of redwoodhikes.com

2. Fort Ross State Historic Park

The perfect place to play "storm the fort," the Russians' southernmost outpost has high walls, corner towers, and, as frosting on the cake, sweeping views of the north coast. Well worth a stop whether you're a history buff or not.

Photo courtesy of inn-california.com

3. Mount Diablo State Park
Because Mt. Diablo rises abruptly from relatively flat land, visitors to Mt. Diablo State Park's eponymous 3,849-foot peak experience unmatched panoramas encompassing Sacramento, the Central Valley, the Sierra Nevada, Lassen Peak, Mt. Hamilton, and the Farallon Islands. It's a veritable tour of Northern California, all from one spot. Get oriented with trail maps and dioramas at Mt. Diablo State Park's historic visitor center and museum. Stand on "the rock" (Mt. Diablo's highest point), which juts through a hole in the floor. 925/837-2525.

Photo courtesy of waymarking.com

For more information, visit www.parks.ca.gov.