When is the last time you went away without your family just for pleasure? My eldest is 8, and on my own I have been to funerals, baby showers, and a few other family events but rarely a trip just for me. So when I saw that flights to San Fransisco were $107.00 round trip on Virgin America, I rallied a couple of mommy pals, one of whom was celebrating a birthday, and we were off. Here’s what we did a few weeks ago. If you can swing it, you should too. When I returned my children seemed ten times more adorable to me, and my husband did too. Amazing what 48 hours away from your routine will do!
My first tip is that we left on a Sunday, that way our significant others would have the kids in school Monday and Tuesday so it was less work for them. We flew up and took the Bart into Union Square. We wanted to stay in a central location so that we could walk everywhere. Not driving for 48 hours felt like one of the biggest luxuries for us LACityMoms, who spend a good deal of our days as chauffeurs. There were three of us, and we had booked two rooms at the Westin St Francis. The St Francis is a gorgeous old world hotel that although it has been remodeled with all the modern amenities still has retained an other worldly charm. (We booked the whole trip through Expedia.com and their rates were far better than the hotel website.) Vicki, longtime friend and mother of 4 year old twins requested her own room. She said that she had been fantasizing about her own hotel room for years. Don’t you love how our fantasies change when we become mothers? As exhausted moms, we dream about a hotel room to ourselves – forget the imagined lover, husband or desire for romance. We long to sleep, one long luxurious uninterrupted sleep, to sleep late, with no alarm clock, no wake up calls, no “Mommy, I’m hungry,” just our own natural rythem.
When I thought about it, I realized that between the three of us we have 9 children, 4 dogs, and 2 fish, and 3 husbands. When I e-mailed my mommy pals about what we should arrange to do ahead of time, the response was a resounding, “Nothing.” We constantly juggle so many schedules in our busy lives. This trip, except for a dinner & spa reservation, we would be completely spontaneous. Imagine!
After a quick flight, we settled into the hotel the first stop for me Sunday was the Kabuki Spa in Japan Town. If you haven’t been there, it is really a wonderous retreat. The atmosphere is calming, quiet and the way it is laid out with a series of hallways that lead to the baths and treatment rooms, you feel you are in a secret tranquil world. The baths are so relaxing, set in an earthy, dimly lit room, with both hot and cold pools. You can take a steam or a sauna before or after you soak. I had a terrific shiatsu massage which I highly recommend, and always renews one’s energy. After that I soaked in the baths and reveled in the fact that I was not in a rush to return home to the kids or a sitter.
For dinner we walked over to RN74 the trendy Michael Mina restaurant in the financial district. The food was delicious and the restaurant had an urban chic atmosphere. They boast an impressive wine list and the waiters are incredibly knowledgeable on the menu items and the selection of wines. The scallops and the angolotti were a highlight at our table.
Monday we slept late and then decided to walk over to the SF Moma. Being at a museum without small children, and one that is not specifically a children’s museum, felt so strange and luxurious. The museum is having a 75th anniversary show, and displaying a wide range of work, and artists. The exhibition included some interesting historic letters and documents about the museum’s history. One amusing letter came from a bewildered San Fransisco resident to the museum’s curator saying they did not get the “gist,” of all the museum’s modern art and could she please explain. I, too, sometimes don’t get the complete “gist” of modern art but I always find it thought provoking.
I particularly loved Nicholas Nixon’s collection of photographs of the Brown Sisters at the end of the show. The photos chronicle four sisters, one of whom is his wife, who stands with her sisters for a group photograph, and has done so, every year since 1975. Looking at the Brown Sisters series on the wall was very powerful. I was reminded me of my own sister, and all the sister-like girlfriends in my life, and of the richness of female friendship experienced over the passage of time.
After the museum we had Vietnamese food at Out the Door in the Westfield Galleria. (The Slanted Door is the more famous and upscale version of this eatery by the Phen family.) The lettuce wrapped spring rolls and tofu salad hit the spot and were such a welcomed change from usual salad or sandwich lunch fare. As the restaurant was in the shopping center we felt we had to stop at Bloomingdales, which had a nice selection of separates on sale on the contemporary floor. Again, shopping without a small child tugging at your sweater asking, “Where is the toy part Mommy?” was sheer bliss.
Another highlight of the trip was when I met my brother in-law, and foodie, DeWolf Emery (who knows how I love coffee) took me to Philz Coffee in the mission where they hand press each cup and serve the coffee with mint leaves. I wish Phil would bring some of that coffee down to LA.
After more wandering around window shopping then, back at the Westin to meet up with an old pal at The Clock Bar at the Westin before we headed to Aziza, for Moroccan food. Aziza has a wonderful cozy atmosphere and we reveled in the exotic flavors of each savory dish.
The next morning, we slept late and lamented over the fact that our getaway was coming to and end. We also lamented the fact that our families seemed to be doing just fine without us. Before the airport we stopped for a final ladies’ lunch at Neiman Marcus’ Rotunda Restaurant especially enjoying the fresh hot popovers. The setting is so elegant underneath the intricate historic stained glass dome, it is really a special dining spot, and one we felt our daughters would someday enjoy, perhaps on a future mother/ daughter trip…but not for a while.
We’re thinking a longer mommy getaway next time: again, no agenda, no schedules, no set wake up time. A few days away really can do wonders for your psyche. You will appreciate your family more upon your return, and they will appreciate you. So grab some girlfriends, and make a plan. Make it an early Mother’s Day gift to yourself. San Fransisco is only a couple of hours away, and could change your whole perspective.
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