A trip to the Northern California coast is almost always a guaranteed great getaway, but when it also includes a luxuriating Swedish massage followed by a relaxing soak in an ocean-view hot tub with a flute of bubbly in your hand, then you’re approaching nirvana. Which is why I’ve put together a short list of my favorite coastal spa retreats from Mendocino to Big Sur—and at every price range, from reasonable to oh dear. It was a tough job, but I personally reviewed all of these spa retreats to make sure you won’t be rubbed the wrong way. So c’mon, spoil yourself this weekend and make an appointment for 120 minutes of pure heaven.

CAVALLO POINT LODGE, Sausalito
The best new spa in the Bay Area is the beautiful Healing Arts Center & Spa at Cavallo Point Lodge, situated in a serene park-like setting just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. The Lodge opened its doors in the summer of 2008 to much national acclaim and anticipation after nearly a decade in the making (the guestrooms are gorgeous). The lodge also offers an interesting mix of classes and activities, from cooking school to sunrise yoga sessions. Their Signature Massage, and blend of several massage techniques, is 90 minutes of bliss (888/651-2003).

SWEETWATER SPA & INN, Mendocino
Sweetwater Spa & Inn, located in the heart of Mendocino, offers the finest massage staff on the Mendocino coast. Along with a wide array of romantic lodgings to choose from—private fireplace cottages, historical water tower suites, ocean view luxury suites—the inn also houses a hot tub & sauna spa called Sweetwater Gardens, which offers private saunas and hot-tub soaks by the hour, as well as Swedish and deep-tissue massage therapy. The Sweetwater is also one of the most pet-friendly lodgings on the North Coast (800/300-4140).

ELK COVE INN & SPA, Elk
It’s hard to imagine a more idyllic and romantic coastal retreat than the Elk Cove Inn. Situated on 1.5 acres of quiet and secluded oceanside property about 15 miles south of Mendocino, the 15-room inn offers a variety of romantic cottages and luxury suites. But you’ll be spending most of your time luxuriating at the inn’s European-style day spa, which offers an array of therapeutic treatments such as their “Couples Renewal,” where you and your lover “renew and reconnect” with a 1-hour massage together, then enjoy a private aromatherapy steam shower and sauna (800/275-2967).

BODEGA BAY LODGE & SPA
This is Bodega Bay’s finest spa retreat, Bodega Bay Lodge Spawhere every room is replete with plush furnishings, a fireplace, and a private balcony with sweeping views of the bay and bird-filled marshes. Guests have complimentary access to a fitness center and sauna, heated pool above the bay, and a full-service ocean-view spa offering an array of massages and body/facial treatments. Even the lodge’s Duck Club Restaurant enjoys a reputation as Bodega Bay’s finest, with picture windows offering a romantic setting. And it’s only a few hour’s drive from San Francisco (888/875-3525).

RITZ-CARLTON HALF MOON BAY RESORT & SPA
Set atop an ocean bluff and looking every bit like the grand seaside lodges of the 19th century is the spectacular Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay. It’s a popular weekend retreat for the Bay Area well-to-do, who come for treatments at the resort’s 16,000-square-foot Spa and Fitness Center, then try to squeeze in 36 holes on two of the finest coastal golf courses in the state. After a day of treatments, it’s de rigueur to go for a walk along the coastal path at sunset and soak in the beautiful views (800/241-3333).

CASA PALMERO RESORT & SPA, Pebble Beach
The Casa Palmero is a small, ultra-luxury resort on the first tee of the Pebble Beach Golf Links. And yes, it’s very expensive. Fashioned after a European villa with every modern comfort and a staff to anticipate your every wish, it has 24 cottages and suites with amenities that include wood-burning fireplaces and soaking tubs that open to the main room. The Spa at Pebble Beach is right next door, offering “Post-Golf Therapy,” couples massage, and even acupuncture (800/654-9300).

MONTEREY PLAZA HOTEL & SPA
One of the finest hotels in town, the Mediterranean-style Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa is a pleasure to behold, with public areas elegantly decorated with marble, Brazilian teak, and attractive artwork, while the guestroom décor is reminiscent of 19th-century Biedermeier, with Italian marble bathrooms and balconies overlooking the water (sea otters included in the view). But it’s the hotel’s 11,000-square-foot Vista Blue Spa with its outdoor sun deck, bay-view whirlpool tubs, customized spa packages, and gorgeous views of Monterey Bay that makes the stay here worth every penny (800/334-3999).

VENTANA INN AND SPA, Big Sur
Luxuriously rustic and utterly romantic, Ventana has been a popular wilderness outpost – Ventana Inn and Spa for more than 30 years, and with good reason. Perched on 243 mountainous oceanfront acres, Ventana has an understated elegance that has attracted famous guests such as Barbra Streisand, Goldie Hawn, and Francis Ford Coppola since opening in 1975. The inn’s full-service Allegria Spa offers a variety of massages—try the Organic Seaweed Muslin Wrap—in the privacy of your room, on your deck, or at the spa. This is one of the best spa retreats in the region, if not California (800/628-6500).

(Via Matthew Poole, LocalGetaways.com)

There’s something about strolling around a California small town that restores your faith in America— that, in the long run, everything’s going to be alright. It’s the kind of travel getaway that does your soul some good, a relaxing visit to a place where the locals nod and say hello, the shops and restaurants are locally owned, and the pace is pleasantly slow. So if all this talk of hard times is getting you down, perhaps it’s time for a rejuvenating and quaintly romantic trip to one of my six favorite small towns in Northern California.

ARCATA
Arcata, just a drive from San Francisco, has it all: its own redwood forest and bird sanctuary, a beautiful town square, great restaurants, and even its own minor-league baseball team, which draws the entire town together on many a summer afternoon. Sort of a cross between Mayberry and Berkeley, it has an undeniable small-town flavor, yet it possesses that intellectual and environmentally conscious esprit de corps so characteristic of university towns (Arcata is the home of Humboldt State University). Arcata is also a great launching point for exploring the amazing Redwood National Forest. So worth the drive from San Francisco. Arcata Hotels

HEALDSBURG
A uniquely romantic destination within the vast wine country region of Sonoma, Healdsburg is centered on its historic square, which has maintained its old-fashion charm since 1857 despite the recent addition of high-end luxury wine country hotels, restaurants, and boutiques. Adding to its intrinsic allure, the town is surrounded by rural roads leading to country B&Bs, family owned wineries, and an abundance of Victorian architecture that gives the California wine region an old-world charm. All the premier viticultural regions are nearby, allowing for easy access to Russian River, Dry Creek, Alexander Valley, and Chalk Hill (Pinot Noir fans will love this local travel getaway). Healdsburg is also a great launching point for a wine-tasting bicycle tour with Wine Country Bikes. Healdsburg Hotels

MENDOCINO
Mendocino is the premier San Francisco getaway destination. Despite (or because of) its relative isolation, it emerged as one of Northern California’s major centers for the arts in the 1950s. It’s easy to see why artists were—and still are—attracted to this idyllic community. Mendocino effuses so much New England flavor that it doubled as Cabot Cove, Maine, the backdrop for Murder, She Wrote. Perched on picturesque headlands overlooking the ocean, its art galleries, general stores, weathered wooden homes, and cozy restaurants make it the ultimate romantic coastal getaway. Even the drive getting here from the San Francisco Bay Area is beautiful. Mendocino Hotels

NEVADA CITY
Nevada City’s wealth of Victorian homes, B&Bs, and storefronts makes it one of the most appealing small towns in California. In fact, its entire downtown has been designated a National Historic Landmark. In its heyday, thousands of fortune seekers visited this rollicking Western outpost with its busy red-light district: Mark Twain lectured here in 1866, and former president Herbert Hoover lived and worked here as a gold miner. You can pick up a walking-tour map at the Chamber of Commerce and stroll the streets lined with impressive Victorian buildings such as the Nevada Theatre (1865), one of the oldest theaters in the nation and still operating as such, and the 1861 Firehouse No. 1, which has on display relics from the ill-fated Donner Party. Nevada City Hotels

PACIFIC GROVE
Some compare the 2.5-square-mile town of Pacific Grove to Carmel as it was 20 years ago. Plenty of tourists wind their way through here, but the town always remains quaint and peaceful—amazing considering that Monterey is a stone’s throw away. While Monterey is comparatively congested and cosmopolitan, Pacific Grove is sprinkled with Victorian homes, flowers, butterflies fluttering about (really), and deer meandering fearlessly from yard to yard. Pacific Grove is best strolled, so park the car and spend the day meandering around George Washington Park and the waterfront around the point. Or better yet, rent bikes and take an uber-romantic ride along Pacific Grove’s Ocean View Boulevard. Pacific Grove Hotels

ST. HELENA
Located in the heart of the Napa Valley, this former Seventh-Day Adventist village St. Helena maintains a pseudo Old West feel while catering to upscale shoppers with deep pockets. In a horse and buggy, Robert Louis Stevenson and his bride once made their way down Main Street lined with Victorian homes. The many beautiful old homes remain, but now they’re stores for designer clothiers, chic pet gift shops, and European home accessories (this is the destination for retail-therapy seekers). After giving your credit card a workout at the St. Helena Premier Outlets, rent a couple of bikes and a picnic basket at St. Helena Cyclery and tour the Silverado Trail wineries. St. Helena Hotels

Courtesy of Matthew Poole at LocalGetaways.com

And when it comes to real estate, the experts always say, location, location, location. The ownable Work Lofts at 200 Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach caught our eye because they are everything we want in a homey office environment without feeling like an airless corporate library.

Each unit is between 300 and 400 square feet which makes it perfect for the solopreneur or a couple who want to keep the office separate from home. We’re angling for a his and hers work loft across the hall from each other.

The modern minimalist work lofts look and feel so serene, it is the kind of inspiring space where you might write the next great American novel or solve global warming.

The units have floor to ceiling windows to take in the Hermosa Beach, California scenery, wood beamed ached ceilings, windows that actually open (gasp!), personal lockers for your surfboard and other toys (no need to junk up your personal retreat), a shower so you can surf at lunch without your next appointment knowing and a planted roof with teak furniture where you can take all of your important calls. Many of the units have ocean views and balconies.

Built using 70 percent recycled steel and wood from a sustainable Indonesian forest, the modern architecture development complies with LEED certification.

Pricing to be determined. The project is due to be completed in Q1 2009.
200 Pier WorkLofts

One of the toughest things when traveling is leaving your baby behind… your four-wheeled, 400-horsepower baby, that is. Fortunately, Raffles L’Ermitage Beverly Hills understands your pain. They’ve instituted the “Choice Is Yours”, which allows people who book the Presidential, the Governor, or the Grandlux Suite to choose from a Ferrari 430 Spyder, a Bently GT Convertible, a Bently GT Coupe, or a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder.

Simply book the Presidential Suite and select your ride. You’ll be met at the airport and whisked off to the vehicle of your choosing. From then on you’re free to cruise Rodeo to your heart’s content or blaze up Highway 1 to Malibu. Any way you cut it, you’re rolling in style.

When you’ve turned enough heads, come on home to your newly-enlarged grand 4,400 square foot Presidential Suite. This cozy little abode features three bedrooms, a living room (with grand piano), a media/game room, a formal dining room, four bathrooms, kitchenette, private entrances, and five balconies with views from Downtown to the beaches.

If you can find your way out of your room, you can enjoy a smorgasbord of other treats: the RafflesAmrita Spa with a full suite of spa treatments, steam rooms, aromatherapy,and more; their rooftop pool with private cabanas and pretty one of the best views in all of LA; and multiple dining options, including JAAN and meals in the poolside cabanas. If you can’t find your way out, stay in and indulge in their top-ranked private dining. Added bonus: Raffles is extremely pet-friendly with wide selection of pet services, so your puppy will feel as pampered as you do.

So get it in gear: LA luxury awaits!

The Rovio is basically a GPS-enabled webcam on wheels that looks suspiciously like an upside-down Star Trek Enterprise. The robot syncs with your computer via WiFi to allow it to be controlled by your mobile phone, gaming console… basically anywhere you can get an internet connection. Say you’re sitting in Rome and want to know if your pooch is sleeping on the guest bed. Simply fire up the Rovio from your hotel room and check out the situation. The streaming video and audio will allow you to hear the dog snoring, see his drooling face on your pillow, and tell him to get off the bed.

The top-mounted movable camera and wide range of vision enables you to see and hear exactly what Rovio sees and hears on your screen, even in low light.

Although the company thinks this is a good home product, we could have much more fun with it at the Mi4M office. We’ve come up 7 compelling ways to incite office espionage with the Rovio.

1. 1. Guard our secret vodka stash from our advertiser
2. 2. Check out what the new employee is doing and contribute to her growing sense of paranoia
3. 3. Use instead of email to deliver papers from office to office (hey, what better way to “break through the clutter”)
4. 4. Keep an eye on the front door (due to the recession, we had to let the nail-filing, gum-chewing receptionist go… go figure)
5. 5. Watch the new intern try to figure out the Italian cappuccino machine and bark conflicting instructions at him
6. 6. See what the marketing team is planning to present, so we can quickly squash any good ideas they might have
7. 7. Follow the art director down the street to his favorite lunchtime bar (and make sure he’s drinking the good stuff)

Just refrain from going crazy with more babysitter videos… the internet has enough of that on it already.

When you think of Switzerland, you don’t usually think of “crazy”. “Meticulous,” “clean,” “reliable,” “courteous”—all these may come to mind. But crazy? Well, it’s easy to forget that the Swiss do have some of the most extreme mountains in the world and they’ve got enough loose marbles to rip it up on them no matter what the time of year.

Enter the Kulmhotel Gornergrat, which embodies all the qualities listed above. The “craziness” comes into play due to its location: 10,000 feet above sea level situated in the midst of the Swiss Alps with panoramic views covering twenty-nine 13,000-foot peaks, including the Monte Rosa and the Matterhorn. Located about 45 minutes from Zermatt, you reach the hotel via the Gornergrat rack railroad, Europe’s highest open-air cog railway. The train climbs nearly 5,000 feet from the Zermatt station over bridges, ravines, and more to drop you off right in Gornergrat. Note that this place is so high with skies so crystal-clear that they built two observatories on top of the hotel in 1996, one of which is still in use by the University of Cologne.

Once at the top, you’ve got all sorts of activities at your disposal. Skiers can enjoy 250 miles of prepared ski runs in the wintertime. There’s the Swiss Topwalk, which uses computer chips to measure the time it takes you to do various Nordic walks, submit them online, and compare them against the best male and female athletes in the world (just in case you want to have your sense of achievement crushed). You can visit the igloo village (and even do an overnight), go snow-shoe trekking, or take their toboggan which drops you nearly 1000 feet in about 10 seconds. In the summertime, there’s hiking, biking, the Swiss Topwalk once again, sunset dinner hikes, and the newest rage in the Alps, nude hiking. Any time of the year, if you call ahead, you can get a personal tour through the observatory and observe the starlight skies through the telescopes.

When you’ve had enough adventure, relax in the best the Kulmhotel has to offer. An early 1900‘s chateau provides an historic exterior but the interior is completely updated: Clean modern styling reins throughout, with lots of sleek light woods playing off of white walls and red accents. Enjoy cocktails in the high-ceilinged bar and traditional Swiss comfort food in their cozy restaurant. Then retire to your room where flat screen TVs, plush beds, and sweeping views await. Word is that the Monte Rosa suite is the way to go.

Any way you cut it, you won’t regret getting high, Swiss-style.

Katafanga Island, Fiji

While looking for our next vacation adventure, I thought that a nice deserted island would provide a little respite for the soul. Then it occurred to me: why visit when you can move in? And why share when you really don’t have to do so? And really, who doesn’t want to be the monarch of their own little kingdom?

With a renewed sense of destiny and a Reidel flute full of my favorite bubbly, I checked out islands in Greece (a little too raw), Tonga (questionable government), the Caribbean (too common) and South America (has promise, but not quite yet). The sun was setting over the Bay, the champagne was getting low and I was losing hope.

Then I discovered Katafanga Island, one of the last pieces of paradise for sale in the South Pacific. It’s everything you might want in a Fijian island complete with a luxury resort complex currently under development. Just think: own your island and you can release your inner designer when you put the finishing touches on the resort.

The resort includes 20 private guest villas, each with its own outdoor shower, spa tub built for two and private lanai with a fresh water plunge-pool overlooking the 5000-acre turquoise lagoon and reef that encircles the island. Other buildings on the island include a dining pavilion, open air lounge, two-story wine cellar, fitness center, full-service spa, nine-hole executive golf course, tennis court, airplane hangar, marina and moorings for visiting mega-yachts, and a runway perfect for your small personal jet.

The island also has nine limestone caves full of stalagmites and stalactites – perfect for splunking. The deepest cave explored so far is 400 feet below the surface, but we’re sure you can do better.

When we all move to the island, what should we call ourselves? Katafanganese? Katafanganoans? Those all sound a bit like bizarre dog breeds. Either way, I’ll bring the champagne.

What you want is a new master, steeped in the lore of the masters that came before, but eager to leave his mark on the modern world. Enter the geniuses at Gaziano & Girling. With pedigrees from Green and Cleverly, these guys are ready, willing, and able to make their mark on the world of good taste. Dean Girling states it eloquently: “English shoemakers don’t like challenge or evolution, whereas Italian and French counterparts are so hungry for both that their styles are too fashion-oriented. We want to create a balance between the two.” Translation: not too hot, not too cold, but just right (thank you Goldilocks).

They offer bench made, made to order, and bespoke shoes with the full compliment of designs that combine the classic and cutting-edge. Classic calfskin oxfords that defy the norm with cap toes cut in the shape of diamonds; square-toe loafers with twisted penny straps; classic wingtips with diamond-shaped perforations; they take the best of the old and add just the right amount of new. They’re not afraid to seek out tanneries anywhere in the world to find the right leather for your ideal shoe. The final touch: they’ve got sole—their soles cause raving among fans for their attention to detail.

If you’re interested, the time to act is now. Tony Gaziano will be visiting the United States all through April, hitting Chicago, Washington D.C., New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

I wanted grab the dude by his Brooks Brothers lapels and drag him off to Bobby Ore Motorsports. This is truly the place to unleash your inner Steve McQueen. Bobby Ore has been doing insane auto stunts for 35 years in everything from “Dukes of Hazzard” to “Gone In 60 Seconds”. He was one of the first to start drifting in feature films, and by request by fellow stuntmen in the industry, he started up his own specialized driving school.

Now open to the public, you too can learn the fine arts of the forward 180, the reverse 180, and the sliding parallel park—and that’s just in the beginning stunt driving class. You’re only stuck in the classroom for the first hour, after which you’ll be shuffle steering, skidding, and cruising the obstacle course in no time. From there you can move up to the advanced course where you’ll dive into high-speed driving, slaloming, and drifting.

But it doesn’t stop there. When you’re ready to take your driving from showbiz to the real world, step it up to the Counter Terrorist Driving program, which covers life’s necessities like ramming techniques, multiple vehicle ambush encounter drills, escape and evasion, attack scenarios, dead man driving (passenger side driving), and car to car weaponry. This is a fully custom program and you need to apply for acceptance (no dilettantes allowed).

If nothing here sounds quite right, just give their office manager Rosyln a jingle and they can set up a specialized (dare I say “bespoke”?) training program tailored to your whims.

And then you’ll be ready to set those horsies FREE…