Relaxation is just a stone’s throw away from the city limits. Head past the glistening Golden Gate to Sausalito’s luxe Cavallo Point lodge.

Sample the resort’s new in-room bartender service (think hand-shaken cocktails made bedside by your personal mixologist or served DIY style at your door).

Embrace the astounding bay views at Murray Circle restaurant, where new executive chef Justin Everett (of famed El Dorado Kitchen) dishes fresh, classic-meets-modern food.

Make a pit stop in Santa Cruz at The Penny Ice Creamery, where a former Bar Tartine and Manresa pastry chef scoops the city’s only organic, artisanal ice cream made from scratch.

Try a taste of Monterey at new hotspot Restaurant 1833, a historic mansion where acclaimed chef Levi Mezick (Per Se, Daniel, Cafe Boulud) prepares seasonal craveables like whole truffle butter roasted chicken and roasted lobe of foie gras. Snag one of the fifteen-plus absinthe varieties, delivered to your table on a rolling cart, and down the libation like a Russian (read: fire lit, drink ablaze).

Get your buzz on (sans cocktails) with Carmel Valley Ranch’s new Bee Experience. After suiting up in protective gear, you’ll brave the hives of honeybee colonies and master the sweet art of honey harvesting.

 Browse the perfectly curated beat-lit novels at Big Sur’s Henry Miller Memorial Library or cruise to its outdoor stage for an intimate concert (Patti Smith and Animal Collective are alums).

Head to Esalen Hot Springs, a 119-degree water hole perched 50 feet above the Pacific, where you can expect starlit bathing (1-3 a.m.), naked hippies, and epic sea vistas.