December 2017/January 2018 65
FROM TOP: NICO THERIN/PRINCESS CRUISES; COURTESY OF THE CLEMENT PALO ALTO. OPPOSITE FROM TOP: COURTESY OF BIKRAM YOGA SAN JOSE; PAUL GIAMOU
MELT CARES AWAY
SAIL INTO THE SUN
Bask on a beach without going too far
from home. The San Francisco Cruise
terminal at Pier 27 hosts more than
80 cruise ship stops each year. This
season, pack your bags and bring
your Spanish-English dictionary. Catch
some rays on a voyage to Mexico. The
Princess Cruise going south of the
border costs $699 for a week aboard
the Grand Princess. A 10-night Mexico
cruise, starting at $799, includes
Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo, Mazatlán
and Cabo San Lucas.
HOT PROPERTIES
HOTEL HOT SPOTS
Surrender to views and the vibe when you
warm your tootsies by a cozy fire pit—a
primo amenity served up at certain luxury
hotels like the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon
Bay. Go to the back of the property and
snag an Adirondack chair by the flickering
flames. Order some wine to warm up
even more. And then let the notes of the
Ritz’s Scottish bagpiper lull you to sleep.
(ritzcarlton.com/halfmoonbay)
Or, in an urban setting, gather around
the gas flames on the rooftop of The
Clement (theclement.com) in Palo Alto.
Very hip, and you get a glimpse of El
Camino Real and Stanford University. Allinclusive
hotel packages are an option. For
a festive vibe, the elegant fire pits in the
inner courtyard at Hotel Valencia attract
shoppers, hotel guests and restaurant
patrons. Based in the successful mixeduse
residential and shopping enclave of
Santana Row, the hotel is an ideal spot for
a shopping staycation, with the fire pit as
a delightful extra. (hotelvalencia.com) n
PRINCESS CRUISES
THE CLEMENT