Contra Costa Lawyer - Contra Costa County Bar Association

The Vacation Maven
Everyone’s talking about tough economic times and planning “staycations” rather than
vacations… but don’t despair. There are lots of options somewhere between staying
at home and spending a month in Paris. Besides, what we do as family lawyers is so
stressful that we owe it to ourselves, our families, and yes, our clients, to periodically
rest, relax, and regroup. So here are some budget-conscious alternatives:
The Anderson Valley and Mendocino Coast
Wander up to Mendocino via the Anderson
Valley. Not only can you get good
midweek and off season deals this time of
year, but the trip itself is half the fun. Stop
in Booneville for lunch at the Booneville
Inn. Sample wine at the various vineyards
along the way, treat yourself to champagne
at Roderer Estates [www.roedererestate.
com]. (Hint: the same vintage tastes much
better in magnums. Instead of buying
two standard bottles, buy a magnum
— they’ll give you a champagne stopper
— and enjoy the difference in depth of
flavor). If so inclined, take the dog — you’ll
save on kennel or pet sitting fees and have
your companion for the trip. Stanford Inn
in Mendocino [www.stanfordinn.com] is
high on the scale of dog-friendly accommodations
and extremely comfortable.
Food is vegan (though they will make you
eggs and traditional breakfast on request)
and delicious. Try the house specials —
they’re wonderful! You can even take Fido
to meals with you if you eat in the lounge
just outside the restaurant. And if you
can’t stomach a vegan dinner, there’s
something wrong with you if you can’t
find a great restaurant in Mendocino. Take
Fido to splash in the surf at a nearby beach.
Stroll through the art galleries by day or
relax in the full size indoor pool surrounded
by lush tropical plants, or take the chill
off in the indoor spa, listening to the rain
pounding on the roof — heavenly.
Monterey Dunes
Rent a house at Monterey Dunes. You can’t
take the dog, but the setting is spectacular.
The mile-long stretch of beach is great for
walking or flying kites. The units are laid
out so that they are one house deep, so
everyone has an ocean front view. It’s a
short drive into Monterey for the wharf,
or Carmel for the art galleries and ambience.
Pick up some freshly caught fish and
grill it back at the Dunes. Watch the sun
go down from your deck. Build a driftwood
bonfire on the beach at night. Curl up in
front of a roaring fire and listen to the surf
pound. One of the best trips I ever had to
Monterey Dunes was a stormy, blustery
week in January. Stock up on provisions
and all those books you intend to read
someday, and relax in front of the fire while
listening to the sea crash beyond the Dune
[www.montereydunes.com/index.htm].
Ski Season Bargains
Most of the ski resorts are hurting, so you
can pick up good bargains in rentals, lift
tickets and extras. Check out liftopia.com,
getskitickets.com, discountlifttickets.com
or skicoupons.com for bargains.
Napa Valley
People come from all over the world to
see the Napa Valley for crying out loud.
Find a B&B set in a vineyard. The Napa
Valley Lodge has rooms with fireplaces
overlooking the vineyard. Trail around
Yountville and St. Helena. Downtown
Napa has been recently refurbished and
is crawling with good restaurants.
Take a Nature Expedition
If you’re flush, green and adventurous,
take a Lindblad Expedition to the Galapagos.
Lindblad was the pioneer of ecotravel
and specializes in small ships with
lots of naturalists, photographers and other
experts on board. It recently partnered
with National Geographic, so there are
both Lindblad and National Geographic
experts on board. Your fellow passengers
will be a small (60–100) self-selecting
group of educated, interesting people, who
share your interest in wildlife, conservation,
and good conversation. As you read this,
I’ll be on the Lindblad/National Geographic
Sea Lion in Baja California communing
with grey whales, humpback
whales, and lush wildlife, getting up close
and personal to them in a zodiac, or even
a kayak. Go to www.expeditions.com.
So get going! It’s a big world out there.
We happen to live in one of the most
attractive parts of it, and it’s just waiting
to be explored in more depth. u
— M. Sue Talia is an AV rated Family Law
Specialist, certified by the Board of Specialization
of the State Bar of California. She has
practiced in Contra Costa County since 1977,
focusing on complex family law litigation.
18 March 2009