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I would like to do something special with my girlfriends for my birthday coming up. I'm not a drinker and don't much like crowds. Any ideas on a fun day? what do places like calistoga have to offer? I have some vague ideas but need details. Also how much do things cost like massage, facials and how did you organize the time? birthday girl
My sister turns 50 in the Spring and would like my other sister (age 54) and I to go to Europe with her. She has no real destination in mind - just wants a big trip with us gals. I am the youngest (35) and have actually been to Europe with some friends and my husband on several occasions. I certainly have my own ideas but I am looking for things that perhaps someone who has never been and is in the 50 range would like. All of us are very physically fit - not a problem there - but I doubt a physical trip would be our thing...can't see them trekking through the 'Stans, or trying to summit something. Day hikes around a town or to see something is one thing... I was thinking perhaps a cooking class in Tuscany (we LOVE wine..though the birthday girl is exclusive red, the other is white wines only and hey, I'll drink anything.) The birthday girl is a SAHMom of 2 teens and her husband travels the world for work. She lives in a very sheltered little town and lives for her kids. My other sis is a teacher and mom to a college student. Not the most adventurous gals out there.... Any place ideas for us or tours you loved? Sarah, the traveling baby sister
If your sister has some highlights in mind that she just has to see for herself (Eiffel Tower, Leaning Tower, Vatican, etc.) then that should form the basis for your itinerary. This would mean only a day or two in each city and lots of time traipsing from city to city/country to country on trains, in a car or on planes.
If you are looking to find a place and settle in, there are so many great ways to do this these days...renting an apartment or a house somewhere central and ''living like a local.'' I have done this in Umbria (fabulous for day trips), the South of France, Amsterdam, Prague and Paris. All of these were amazing trips, but totally different than hopping around to see the ''highlights.'' Probably you three need to sit down with a couple of bottles of wine and have your birthday sister think through and express her ''vision'' of the trip. Have fun! Loves Europe...can't wait til the kids are a little older
No cars - that place is magical! Paris is too cold and rainy in the spring (unless you are all art lovers and go from museum to musem). Venice will be very special! born & raised in Europe
Last year, for my 40th birthday, I went to Las Vegas with 5 women friends and had a fabulous time. We're now wanting to get together again and are thinking of some kind of spa destination. I've looked at the current recommendations and got some ideas, but most are in the wine country. Since half of us live in LA, I'm looking for recommendations for places to go that are driving distance from both the Bay Area and LA, or perhaps a short plane ride away from both places. We're interested in somewhere with massage and spa facilities onsite or nearby, good restaurants, maybe hiking or other nature activities, and somewhat moderately priced (at least for the accommodations--then each can choose how much to spend on other things). We'll probably go in December. Thanks! Mom who needs time away
I'm throwing a bachelorette party for my oldest friend. We're all in late 30's and 40's. Looking for fun, but not strippers or a super young SF scene. Any suggestions? Thanks for your help!
My very athletic (east coast) sisters and I would like to take a short active holiday together. We're looking to do some vigorous hiking, or the like, someplace in this country. We don't have an enormous amount of time, as we all have children, but could manage to getaway over an extended weekend--say for 4 days. Has anyone out there done this? Or, might you have knowledge of something else adventurous and fun? linee
On the East Coast, the White Mountains has a great system of huts run by the Appalachian Mountain Club. You can hike from one to the next. It's beautiful.
On the other hand, the Sierras are spectacular and completely different from the east coast. If your sisters have time, I recommend that you take a three day backpacking trip in the Sierra's. They can rent packs and tents from REI. The Emigrant Wilderness, leaving from a trailhead near Pinecrest is beautiful and only a three-hour drive from the Bay Area. There are lots of good books that detail 3-4 day backpacking trips in the Sierras. Have fun. rachel
I'm graduating in June from a long and grueling doctoral program, and want to have a party for myself and my girlfriends who have been there for me along the way. I'm looking for ideas for a party for 10-15 women, many of them moms. Ideally I'd like something fun, decadent, pampering, and not too expensive. Also I'd like it to be a situation in which we could really talk, not just a noisy restaurant or bar. Ideas? Phinally PhinesheD
My best friend and I are planning to go on an overnight without kids on Saturday, July 10. Ideally, we would like to be less than 1 hour away from SF/ Oakland and we need to be able to stay for just one night. We really want to relax and sleep, but we also would like to have a bit of fun. We do not want to spend a fortune (less than $200 per night). We really don't want to end up in some romantic B&B or a place filled with kids. We are up for sun or fog. Nothing listed on the website exactly fit what I am looking for. Lisa
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My best friend of 37 years and I want to do a ''gals night away''. Napa/Sonoma seems like a good choice, as it is not too far for either of us to go. The main wrinkle is this: we would need to go for a Friday or Saturday only, and although I consulted the previous postings, some of the places people recommended as okay for one night seem to have a two-night minimums now. So any suggestions based on recent experiences would be great. Also, any restaurant suggestions to go along with any hotels/B&Bs would be appreciated as well. One caveat: neither one of us really likes the potpourri-teddy bear atmosphere of many B&Bs! A B&B would be fine as long as it is not too ''precious''... Many thanks! sarah
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Why not SF? I've done some great women's get aways in SF for one night and cutting out all the travel time means you can have a great time. You can pick a particular hotel and get a good deal or you can hotwire.com it a few days before you go and know you'll get something good and reasonable. loads of great restaurants, spas, etc. think about it! Ioana
A friend of mind is turning 30 next month, and three of her girlfriends would like to treat her to a girls' day out with some sort of relaxing, pampering activity. I've seen the recommendations on the website for facials, pedicures, etc. This is completely foreign territory to all of us, however, and I'd appreciate any specific recommendations for something along those lines that would be both affordable and fun to do as a group activity. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Elisabeth
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For a fun Girls' Day Out type thing, you might check out Petroglyph. I used to work there a long time ago, things may have changed since I worked there last. With enough time you may even be able to reserve a time for a Friday or Saturday night if school nights are a concern. They used to offer packages for parties and one of my favorites was the package where everyone in the party could pick out whatever they wanted to paint. With a package you get a discount off of the items you want to paint. Call the store nearest to you and get the information or you could check them out at petroglyph.com for store locations, hours and prices. We used to host wedding showers, girls' nights out, children's birthday parties, etc. Depending on the pieces your group may paint, you could be there several hours. My best friend and I made an appointment and spent about two hours painting and chatting, it was a lot of fun. Also, when I worked there, we allowed parties to bring in outside food and the occassional bottle of wine. Hope this helps! Mariana
I recently attended a ''girls night out'' down in LA with my sister and wanted to organize something similar for my moms group. Does anyone know of services/people that they can recommend. We have someone to do massages and we will provide snacks and drinks. I am look for recommendations for how to go about getting a few ladies in to do maybe demonstrations or consultations with make-up, manicures, pedicures, maybe mini-facials? We also thought maybe even a Discovery Toy consultant or other product that people sell from home? Any ideas or leads? Do you know someone who might be interested? We want to keep things on the inexpensive side but are open to any ideas. Some people might opt to sign up for specific (cost) services and then there would be a couple free services or information. Please email me directly if you have any ideas. sandra
There's also a place in SF in the Mission called Beauty Bar that offers martinis and manicures. Never been - but it sounds fun! e
Try not to do something too focused on the kids.. Focus on yourself for once. We Moms forget about that. Just remember this mantra... If Mama isn't happy, ain't nobody happy. fellow traveller
Help! It is my turn to plan our girlie trip in February with my four sisters and mom (yearly celebration mom's birthday). Done Las Vegas, Skiing in Tahoe, Mud bath in Sonoma, Fort Braggs/Mendicino-horse riding on beach. We don't mind driving within 6 hrs. I was thinking of Hearst Castle Cambria/San Simeon or AmTrak to old town Sacramento. Any better ideas? Aleta
1. A Day of Chocolate--I have heard, but have yet to find out exactly where, that there is a small Hershey chocolate factory somewhere near (south of?) Sacramento. Having toured the factory in Hershey, PA, I am sure the CA factory would be a fun day trip or at least a fun part of a longer trip. If the women in your family are like mine, a little chocolate makes a party. (Editor: It's in Oakdale, on Highway 120)
2. What about crabbing? I don't know the dates for the seasons, but seem to recall driving up to the southern coast of Oregon in the fall about six years ago. None of us knew what we were doing, but we managed to have a great time. We rented a boat and traps and they even had a little park/ramada with cleaning stations and pots to cook the crabs in. (You'll need to supply the rest of the feast however.) It was fun because it was unusual and I actually became quite good at handling the little guys. I was a bit squeamish about cooking them, but others in the group were not.
No matter what you do, it sounds like a great family tradition. If you come up with something terrific, you'll have to share it with us.
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