A three-day weekend that includes Valentine's Day? Oh boy, are you romance ready? Here are some inexpensive last-minute ideas for turning up the love dial in the outdoors. Get sweet on 'em!
Wheeling the Love: This year's Mavericks surf contest might be up in the air, but one thing is for sure: The views along Half Moon Bay never disappoint. Ride bikes along the car-free Half Moon Bay Coastal Trail (5 miles one-way). Top things off with chocolate and wine in the ENO lounge at the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay (open 3 to 10 p.m. on weekends).
Hoo Loves You? The dramatic setting of Marin's Owl Trail is only heightened with winter's rollicking weather. Walk the sweeping 1-mile (one-way) trail to a secret beach at Slide Ranch. Afterwards, toast the occasion with a pint at the Pelican Inn's cozy English pub.
Good hook up: Sure, cooking a meal together is romantic. But how about catching a meal together? Pick up a crab ring at Rusty Hook Bait & Tackle in Pacifica; then walk a few blocks to Pacifica Pier to catch fresh Dungeness crab.
Peak of My Heart: If the weather cooperates, hike to one of the clearest and most panoramic views in the Bay Area: Mount Diablo's North Peak. You'll avoid the hustle and bustle at the main peak, and be rewarded with hundred-mile views all the way to the Sierra.
From Gold Country with Love: Whether you're thinking of a day trip or an overnighter, the foothills of Calaveras County make a great destination. Murphys is a charming Gold Rush-era town with no less than 12 tasting rooms within five blocks and plenty of excellent restaurants. Twenty minutes up the road is Calaveras Big Trees State Park where every Saturday at 1 p.m. a snowshoe trip is led through the giant sequoias.
What's on your life-experience checklist? Climbing Machu Picchu, hiking to Everest base camp, cruising to Antarctica, or cycling from winery to winery in Italy? Chances are good that Adventure Center offers your fantasy trip—at a surprisingly better price than you'd think. Locally based Adventure Center has specialized in small-group travel for more than 30 years. Most of the trips include 6 to 12 people, and cost $1,000 to $3,000 (other companies charge two or three times as much for the same trip!) With Adventure Center you always get expert leaders who take the stress out of planning—and achieving—your next great adventure. Window shop the intuitively designed Web site and pick out your next trip. Hiking vacations are graded from leisurely "Grade A's" (eight days of Italy's Amalfi Coast) to slightly tougher treks, "Grade B's" (hiking Norway's fjords), and so on. Adventure Center offers 200 hiking trips and 70 cycling programs in the world's most beautiful places. Get your checklist ready!
TIP: Customized cycling tours are easily organized; from road rides, to mountain bike tours, to self-guided adventures where your luggage is transferred from one hotel to the next. Road ride from Nicaragua to Costa Rica? Self-guided ride through France's Bordeaux region? Put your own spin on it!
Visit AdventureCenter.com or call 800-211-9721 to find your next big trip. Aren't you ready for more than a vacation?