Three French Hens: Holiday Travel

My mom and I started a GREAT traveling tradition last year after Christmas. Sometimes all the big family gatherings get me feeling overwhelmed. Also, right after Christmas we have Boyd's birthday, then New Year's eve, then my birthday, then my dad's birthday, all right in a row, which really prolongs the party season. Last year mom and I planned an escape for my birthday (January 3rd) to Big Sur. Big Sur is over 1 hour away from my parent's house so the trip itself wasn't too far but the get-away factor was huge! We stayed in a nice lodge, ate amazing food, chatted, and relaxed. (You can read my post about the trip here.)


This year, we are continuing the tradition with a spa trip up to Calistoga, CA, a place known for it's mineral baths. Since it's right after the holidays there are good deals on massages and mud baths, which I'm so looking forward to experiencing. We are also planning my birthday dinner meal at a fancy farm-to-table restaurant nearby. It's so nice to get away from all the cooking and cleaning for a few days to just indulge ourselves. This year, Boyd and dad are joining us - they heard so many good things about the last trip!