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This 20 mile backpacking route is perfect for beginners! 

Backpacking at Sykes Hot Springs

At Sykes Hot Springs Campground, Big Sur, ensure to check weather conditions and have water shoes to cross the river easily, refilling water along the way.

Backpacking

✅ Before you go
• Make sure to check the weather
• Download the AllTrails map before starting the hike to stay on trail

💪 Pro tips
• Bring some water shoes to cross the river
• There are a ton of places to stop by the river to refill water so no need to carry a ton, just make sure to bring something to purify the water. 

Helpful tips 

This is your sign to go backpacking at Sykes Hot Springs in Big Sur,

this trail weaves around the mountain ridges,

crosses through a couple of streams and ends

You know, you're close. When you start smelling sulfur.

After dipping in the hot springs, we made some dinner

and woke up to the most beautiful morning light

after breakfast, we hiked back out and enjoyed some much needed sun.

Hope you enjoy this trail and happy hiking.

Unwind with a cedar enzyme bath and a Michelin star seafood dinner near Bodega Bay

Here's your plan for relaxing in a cedar enzyme bath and enjoying fresh seafood at a Michelin star dinner

Japanese Spa Escape and Michelin Star Dinner

Relax in a private garden and experience a cedar enzyme bath at Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary, known for its unique, rejuvenating Japanese wellness treatments near Bodega Bay.

Spa & Enzyme Bath

✅ Before you go
• Book your cedar enzyme bath in advance as they sell out quick
• Take a bathing suit or you can bathe bare

💪 Pro tips
• Pop out of the bath for air if you get too hot but you’ll also be offered cold towels periodically
• Massages, sound healing and other therapies are available too! 

Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary

Dine at Michelin-starred Terrapin Creek Cafe in Bodega Bay, famous for fresh local seafood and an inviting, relaxed atmosphere—try the phenomenal crab cakes and fish.

Fine Seafood Dining

💪 Pro tips
• If you order a main to be shared, they’re happy to split it into 2 portions
• Crab Cakes and Fish were phenomenal!

Terrapin Creek Cafe 

Looking for the ultimate night of relaxation,

we found it while celebrating a birthday.

Start your evening at Osmosis Day Spa in Freestone.

They give you comfy robes to change into before starting you

off with a digestive tea in your own private relaxation garden.

The tea helps maximize the health benefits

The natural fermentation of the mixture is self-heating and aromatic.

Just 20 minutes of being covered is said to improve circulation,

and leave your skin feeling incredibly soft.

To explore the surrounding tranquil gardens under the night sky.

While this place is beautiful during the day,

And because you'll be completely blissed out,

dinner is just minutes away at Terrapin Creek Cafe.

This Michelin star gem is perfect for a relaxed,

delicious meal known for its amazing fresh local seafood.

For a one of a kind night unwinding with delicious food,

Who said weeknights can’t be fun? Here’s your plan for a night out at the De Young Museum where you’ll stroll through their coolest exhibits and hit up the dance floor as DJs light it up. 

Here's your plan for exploring art exhibits, enjoying drinks, and dancing at De Young Museum's night event

Art, Beats, and a Weeknight Glow-Up 🎨🪩

Score your tickets for the De Young Museum's Late Night Editions and prep for an unforgettable evening of art, dancing, and immersive exhibits.

Ticket Purchase

✅ Before you go
• Late Night Editions at the De Young are offered periodically throughout the year: https://ticketing.famsf.org/events/0191818b-e64c-6b6a-7ab6-00280806cda1

💪 Pro tips
•  Tickets fly fast so make sure you plan ahead don’t miss out!

Purchase Your Tickets

Experience art exhibits, sip drinks from the outdoor bar, enjoy Off the Grid food trucks, and dance as DJs spin at the de Young Museum's Late Night Edition.

Art exhibits & dancing

✅ Before you go
• The event is from 6pm - 9:30pm with in and out access
• Food trucks from Off the Grid stationed outside so you can grab a bite while you’re there and eat in the museum’s cafeteria

💪 Pro tips
• Aim to get there at 6pm so that you have more time to stroll through 1-2 exhibits before joining the dance party 🕺
• Grab a drink from the outside bar. The line will be shorter than the inside bar.

Enjoy Your Night Out

here's your sign to hit up the De Young Museum's Late

Night Editions for a dash of art and lots of dancing.

we grabbed a drink and wandered into Isaac Julian's, “I Dream a World.”

Then came Paul McCartney's photo exhibit.

This is like a VIP pass to the Beatles' early days,

And as if the music wasn't already vibing,

save this Nudge for your next weeknight out.

Experience a sound bath—a soothing, immersive journey that helps you release, reconnect, and leave feeling deeply relaxed and grounded.

Here's your plan for a calming sound bath with meditation, soothing instruments, and deep relaxation at Bituin Studio

An Immersive Sound Bath Journey 

Experience deep relaxation with a soothing sound bath at Bituin Studio in SoMa. Release stress and reconnect with yourself through immersive vibrations and guided meditation.

Sound Bath Meditation

✅ Before you go
• What to bring: comfortable loose clothes, layers, socks, eye mask/scarf, blanket/shawl, yoga mat 
• Book Class: https://www.soundhealingproject.org

💪 Pro tips
• Arrive with enough time to get comfortable and grounded. 
• Come with an open mind – Let go of expectations and allow the experience to unfold naturally.

Sound Bath Experience 

that'll leave you feeling refreshed and recentered.

and community space with a warm and welcoming energy.

which is a sound bath session that's all about letting go

We arrived 20 minutes early to settle in and

sip on some warm tea before everything began.

offered us sage and invited us to write down our intention for the class.

and Erica led us through a calming guided meditation.

softening tension and creating a space to just be.

If you're looking for a class that will leave you feeling lighter,

more grounded and totally in tune with yourself,

A peaceful 2-night escape at Mar Vista Farm + Cottages means cozying up in a vintage cottage, picking fresh veggies from the garden, feeding chickens, and exploring a private beach just across the road. It’s slow living at its best—complete with farm-fresh eggs, ocean views, and starry night soaks in a redwood tub.

Here's your plan for cozy cottage stays, garden harvesting, feeding chickens, tide pooling, and relaxing in a redwood tub

2 Night Farm + Cottage Stay in Gualala

Enjoy a peaceful farm stay at Mar Vista Farm + Cottages in Gualala—harvest fresh veggies, feed animals, explore a private beach, and relax in a redwood tub.

Farm stay & beach retreat

✅ Before you go
• Reserve your cottage: https://marvistafarmandcottages.com/
• Mar Vista – Farm and Cottages guide to what to bring: https://marvistafarmandcottages.com/what-to-bring/
•Bring Dog food, bowls, and bed (if you are bringing a furry friend)
• Pack a cooler with ice if you plan to bring meats or snacks—each cottage has a full kitchen.
Bring paper towels
• Pack layers: coastal weather can shift quickly—mornings and nights can be chilly.
• Rain boots or sturdy shoes for exploring the farm or garden, especially in damp seasons.
• A good book, flashlight, and any board games or puzzles for cozy nights in.

💪 Pro tips
• Bring a laptop to watch movies at night
• Be ready to join in: egg collection, Goat Gab, and garden harvests are part of the fun.
• Stop at a grocery store in Gualala (surf market is our fav) before arrival for essentials.
• Bring your favorite wine or cocktail ingredients—sunset drinks are a must.
• Don’t overpack food—fresh veggies and herbs from the garden are plentiful.
• Dogs love the beach trail but may need supervision around farm animals.
• Use the communal BBQ for a sunset cookout.
• Cottage 7 is a favorite for couples—great views, close to the garden, and private.
• There’s no TV and limited Wi-Fi—bring a book, download music/podcasts ahead, and unplug.
• The redwood soaking tub is first come, first served—go late at night for a quiet soak under the stars.
• Goat Gab and Chicken Chat happen daily—check the chalkboard near the main house for times.
• Ask about picking eggs—guests can help collect them.

Spend the weekend in Gualala

and explore a stretch of private beach access.

Marvista Farm and Cottages is where you go to slow down and truly unplug.

a cozy yellow one bedroom with a kitchen,

filling the fridge and heading out to pick veggies and

flowers from the garden to make space feel like home.

The Harvest garden is a vibrant organic space

It's a hands-on seasonal experience that makes every meal feel fresh,

The flower garden of Marvista is a dreamy self.

Surf patch bursting with seasonal blooms,

guests are encouraged to pick their own and decorate their cottage,

joyful way to bring color and life indoors.

Their free roaming cats are super social and left new guests.

every morning began with fresh eggs that we picked the day before,

along with Sonoma County bacon and a potato pick from the garden.

then off to see the hens to help gather the eggs and give the chickens a snack.

Deanna was very knowledgeable about the chickens and answered all our questions.

I enjoyed brewing some homemade mint tea steeped from the garden.

Dinner was grilled steaks and just picked salad greens,

a farm to table meal made in our very own cottage.

We happened to stay during the strawberry mood.

starting with grounding time at the Creek trail where we

found banana slugs and breathe in the cool forest air.

Then we wandered down to their private beach,

saw a few seals coasting along and catching.

The waterfall from the creek spilling into the ocean.

Another highlight on the property is the redwood soaking tub.

tucked into our private corner of the property with the salty breeze drifting in.

Plan your visit to Marvista Farming cottages when you're

ready to ground yourself and reconnect with the land.