Spin Cycle: Dream Date. Please.

Jimmy and I haven't had a date night in so long, that I honestly can't remember the last one. It's bound to have involved food. Maybe a movie? Cocktails for sure. Jimmy may have worn an ascot. But then he always wears an ascot. It's a bit of a blur.

This is a sad state of affairs.

My friends Lizzy and Luis, the parents of one of Jude's best friends, go out on dates ALL the time. I may be wrong, but it feels like they're out a couple of times a week. And they seem like an extremely happy couple. Now, is it the chicken or the egg? Are they a happy couple because they have all those Date Nights? Or do they have all those Date Nights because they're such a happy couple?

So why don't we ever do anything to remedy this pathetic situation? Two reasons...

1. We are poor. Back when our careers were swinging, we had lots of discretionary income to spend on fun. Now? Not so much.
2. We actually enjoy having Jude with us. We keep thinking "Let's go out for dinner!" then we think "Jude will love it!" I think in some ways it's an only child thing. If you have a big brood, taking them to restaurants with you is grueling, unless you're going to...Chili's or McDonalds. With just one, we can let him sit there and eat the entire bread basket and a nice plate of pasta, and if he gets bored, he can play on my phone.

But the Spin Cycle topic this week is "Dream Date". So I'm going to factor the kid out of the equation, and remember back, back, WAAAAAY back to one of our favorite places to go back in the day.

Our favorite destination date.

Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort. San Luis Obispo, California. Sigh...

 

 

A three-hour drive north of Los Angeles. Just far enough to feel like you've gone somewhere, but not so far that Jimmy, the poor and impatient car-tripper, starts to twitch like Keith Richards going cold turkey.

Jimmy and I used to go about once a year. We'd cruise up on a Friday afternoon, making a quick stop on the way at our favorite little vineyard,  Sanford Winery, where we'd pick up a couple of bottles, then we'd head on up the 101 for a weekend of hottubbing fun. If we'd had a convertible, we'd have covered all the Southern California cliches.

This would actually be the perfect time of year to make this drive - gorgeous cool weather, fields of pumpkins ripening, California Central Coast scenery. Ah.

Sycamore Mineral Springs was first built in the late 19th Century, when prospectors drilling for oil hit sulphur mineral springs instead. In the 1920s it became the place where all the movie stars stopped for a healing soak on their way up the coast to the Hearst Castle.

Now it's a lovely small hotel with large suites, each with it's own private outdoor hot tub.

 

Aaahhhhh. A nice Sanford Sauvignon Blanc. A plate of cheeses and fruit. Maybe a little spa water. A rubber ducky.

They also have a very nice restaurant, a spa where you can get a massage, and extra little mineral springs tubs nestled up the hill behind the place.

 

Are you all just melting with desire? I want to be there NOW. Boohoo.

A couple of times we got one of their Package Deals - where you get the room, dinner, massages and a rubber ducky for a pretty good price. I just noticed that now they are offering a "Nifty 50's" package for us old folks. Not a bad deal, really. I'd consider going for it if in the ad for the package they hadn't pictured an energetic gray-haired couple who aren't a day under 80!

Maybe we could make this happen. It's just a weekend. We could just eat and drink and soak and enjoy the quiet. Sleep in.

But Jude so loves a good hot tub...

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While you're wiping up the drool you have produced thinking about this spa getaway, head over to Sprite's Keeper for more Dream Dates.

And...what the hell, in honor of Pseudo's trip to Los Angeles, I'm going to link this into Travel Tips Thursday. Since it's a Thursday, and it's certainly a travel tip. So head over there too!

Comments

[Michele]

We could never afford to get away either and our kids were good travelers. So we decided early on to get away as a couple once a year. No excuses! And, we usually did.

When I come in June can we go up there? Hanging out with librarians all day is rough. I'll need a hot tub.

[mommylisa]

That looks awesome. Seriously I think the last real date hubby and I had we rode the Harley to a movie. Star Trek.

[Sprite's Keeper]

Oh, that looks amazing. And yes, as much as I adore Jude, ditch the kid for the weekend and do it!
You're linked!

[VandyJ]

That looks like an amazing place for a dream date. I hear you on the getting away thing. It's tough to find a sitter, even with family in town, I hate to impose since they watch them when I work. So they go with us.

[Sarah at 32Flavors]

I have been out to dinner twice. Since January. TWICE. I have not spent a whole night without children since. Well. Long before Zoey was born.

MUST. FIND. BABYSITTER.

And these mineral springs and wine? Good gracious. I don't know what you're waiting for - I'd laugh "suckers!" in the face of the 80 year olds in the ad and get there as fast as possible.

[Kendra]

It is hard to go somewhere without the kid and spend the money on yourself but that looks like it would be worth it!

[MamaBadger]

That's a problem I'm sure many parents wish they had... The kids just too much fun to be without. We're the same way, though. We went out to dinner for our anniversary and missed the boys. Meh, there will be more than enough time when Jude goes to college, right?

[CaJoh]

Oh, if it has a rubber ducky I'm there...

Love the hot tub. I must agree that my wife and I have not had too many fancy dates in quite a while. I'd better start making my reservations now for Valentines Day.

[Peg]

I was always sort of the same way. As much as I may have needed to "get away" I couldn't stand to be away from my kids!