Local Getaways

12/19/2025

Not too late for holiday magic in San Francisco🎄✨ Here’s how to make the most of the final festive days:

🎄 Union Square Tree & Ice Skating
Glide under the lights and check out the iconic Christmas tree, a classic for a reason.

🏨 Fairmont Hotel Gingerbread House
Walk through a real-life gingerbread house that feels straight out of a holiday movie.

🦁 Oakland Zoo Christmas Lights
A festive nighttime adventure with dazzling light displays throughout the zoo.

🩰 SF Ballet’s The Nutcracker
Timeless, magical, and peak holiday vibes.

🎩 Great Dickens Christmas Fair (through Dec 21 | Cow Palace)
Step into Victorian London with carolers, costumes, and mulled wine.

🍬 Westin St. Francis Sugar Castle
An edible holiday masterpiece you have to see in person.

🍸 Holiday Cocktails at Top of the Mark
Sip something festive while taking in sweeping city views, the perfect nightcap.

🎥 Sophia Wyllie

12/19/2025

Visit San Francisco's 5 hotspots of 2025 ⬇️

1️⃣ Cityside Park on Treasure Island
Hop on a ferry to Treasure Island and explore the city’s newest grounds, Cityside Park. The area features 6 acres of green space and incredible views of the city.

2️⃣ Frenchie Wine Bar
A few blocks over from the Alamo Draft House, Frenchie Wine Bar hosts an ample wine list and food menu. And with Arias’ French bulldog, Dolcetto, as the inspiration for the bar’s name, it should come as no surprise that this is a pup-friendly space.

3️⃣ Outpost Meadow Picnic Area
At 1.5 acres, Outpost Meadow is the Presidio’s Tunnel Tops newest picnic area, with accessible picnic tables, BBQ grills and close proximity to the Presidio’s Pop Up food trucks.

4️⃣ Counterculture Museum
This museum pays homage to a range of counterculture movements including women’s liberation, the civil rights movement and LGBTQ+ rights, while also hosting community events such as book events and discussions.

5️⃣ San Francisco Ferry Building
Through 2026, Marco Cochrane’s hulking 45-foot tall illuminated sculpture dubbed R-Evolution dominates the Embarcadero Plaza. The inclusion of 16 motors in the statue’s makeup also gives the impression that the figure is breathing.

Want more tips like this? Check out the Winter issue of Local Getaways Express: https://issuu.com/270media/docs/local_getaways_express_-_winter_2025

Physical copies can be found at select hotels in San Francisco, Marin, Napa or Sonoma.

Welcome to Issuu’s blog: home to product news, tips, resources, interviews (and more) related to content marketing and publishing.

12/18/2025

Heading to Tahoe for the Holidays? Check out these new restaurants, revamped resorts and seasonal celebrations ⬇️

Where to Eat 🍕

Sylva Tahoe
📍Tahoe City, CA

Minglewood Coffee & Company
📍Tahoe City, CA

Cascade Kitchens Tahoe
📍South Lake Tahoe, CA

The Edge Restaurant and Lounge, Edgewood Tahoe
📍South Lake Tahoe, NV

Where to Stay 🏨

evo Hotel
📍Tahoe City, CA

Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe Hotel & Casino
📍South Lake Tahoe, NV

What to Do ⛷️

Heavenly Mountain Resort 70th Anniversary Party
🗓️ December 20
📍South Lake Tahoe, CA

Tahoe Live Music Festival
🗓️ December 12-14
📍Palisades Tahoe, CA

Tahoe Knight Monsters Hockey Game
🗓️ Home Games: December 3, 5, 6, 17, 19 and 20
📍Stateline, NV

Read more here: https://localgetaways.com/california/tahoes-hit-list-new-restaurants-revamped-resorts-and-epic-winter-celebrations

All the newest openings in the Tahoe region in winter 2025.

12/17/2025

A quick 1.5-hour drive from San Francisco brings you to Point Reyes, where scenic hikes, wildlife and coastal beauty meet cozy small town charm. Be sure to explore Point Reyes Station for farm-fresh bites and local gems 🌟

Must See Trails & Beaches 🌊
• Drake’s Beach
• Chimney Rock Trail
• Limantour Beach
• South Beach Overlook
• Tomales Point

Historic Landmarks & Local Experiences 🌲
• Point Reyes Lighthouse
• Cypress Tree Tunnel
• Point Reyes Shipwreck
• Hog Island Oyster Co.
• Mead tasting at Heidrun Meadery
• Sample local cheeses straight from the source 🧀
Share some more of your Point Reyes favorites in the comment section 🦌

🎥 Sophia Wyllie

12/11/2025

Still falling in love with this city, over and over 💌

Follow along to explore more local tips + Bay Area hidden treasures✨

Activities to check out 💫:
Adler Museum Cafe,
Legion of Honor Museum, 
Motoring Coffee,
Conservatory of Flowers,
Larkspur SF Ferry,
Warriors Game,
Outsidelands Music Festival, 
North Beach Farmers Market,

Locations shown 🗺️:
Painted Ladies
Sutro Baths
Dutch Windmill in Golden Gate Park
Marin Headlands
Twin Peaks 
China Town
Washington Square Park (St Peter and Paul Church)
Mission Dolores Park 
Baker Beach

🎥 Sophia Wyllie

12/09/2025

Five cozy local coffee shops to keep you warm all winter long ☕❄️
Drop your favorite neighborhood spots below!

❤️Longway, San Anselmo 
❤️Fire House Coffee, Sausalito 
❤️Equator, Larkspur 
❤️The Depot, Mill Valley
❤️Le Marais, Larkspur Landing 

 

12/04/2025

Step into the living history of the Coast Miwok people, and wander through landscapes that inspired Jedi knights and Ewoks—all in a single trip.

Start your adventure today: https://www.visitmarin.org/blog/marin-arts-and-culture-collection/family-journeys-through-history-and-imagination/

Marin County, California

Discover Marin County with your family—from redwood forests and coastal trails to film history. Start planning your journey in Magical Marin.

12/01/2025

The holiday season is in full swing, and December in San Francisco is packed with festive fun — from gliding across outdoor ice rinks and marveling at a life-sized sugar castle to catching this year’s standout holiday dance and theater performances.

Discover the best things to do in San Francisco this December: https://localgetaways.com/california/best-things-to-do-in-san-francisco-this-december

San Francisco Ballet The Great Dickens Christmas Fair The Westin St. Francis San Francisco on Union Square Union Square, San Francisco Tigers Taproom Ghirardelli Square Jewish Community Center of San Francisco

Film festivals, fireworks, ice skating, theater and many more events await you in San Francisco this December. Happy New Year!

11/24/2025

Holiday chaos? Hit pause✋

Rodeo Beach Trail is just 10 mins over the Golden Gate Bridge with insane coastal views you need to see.

Perfect for pups, families or a reset hike this weekend 🌊🌲

Local Tip💡Be sure to check out the Beach to Battery ranger guided tour, offered every first Sunday of the month from 1-4pm. It’s a great way to learn more about World War Il history while exploring the underground bunker complex along the coastal trail. Space is limited, so don’t forget to register in advance!

🎥 Sophia Wyllie

11/21/2025

These are the best new restaurants in the Bay Area ⬇️ Let's go!

PiddeG
📍Walnut Creek
Don’t Miss 👉 The sucuk (dry, spicy, fermented sausage) pidde.

Khaki San Ramon
📍San Ramon
Don’t Miss 👉 For the vegetarians, the coconut curry roast cauliflower, with a coconut-tomato-onion gravy and a touch of fresh ginger. For non-vegetarians, the champaran handi mutton, with slow-cooked baby goat simmered in a sealed clay handi with mustard oil, whole garlic pods and plentiful earthy spices.

Heritage Pub and Chop House,
📍Los Gatos
Don’t Miss 👉 The heritage burger, with a potato bun, ½ pound patty, aioli, grilled onions, tomato, lettuce and smoked blue cheese.

AMA by Brad Kilgore
📍San Francisco
Don’t Miss 👉 The lumache diavolo, with vodka pomodoro, calabrian kosho and yuzu whipped cream.

Arquet
📍San Francisco
Don’t Miss 👉 For vegetarians, the ricotta dumplings with green garlic, g&s sweet corn and chanterelles. For non-vegetarians, the sakura rack of pork with grilled tory peaches, spigarello and spicy mustard seed jus.

Read more here: https://localgetaways.com/california/where-to-eat-now-in-the-bay-area/

Searching for the best restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area? We've done the research! Sushi, burgers, pizza, fine dining and more.

11/19/2025

Shop small, shop local ✨

As we head into the holiday season, here are a few Marin favorites to keep in mind for Small Business Saturday:

🌊 Proof Lab, Mill Valley
✍️ Shorthand, San Anselmo
🌟 The Goods, Mill Valley
🎁 Fig Garden, San Anselmo
🌁 Karl the Store, Sausalito

🎥 Sophia Wyllie

Did we miss your favorite? Comment below!

11/12/2025

The Sonoma coast is the perfect place for a weekend escape 🥂 Let's plan yours today!

Sonoma Coast Villa📍Bodega
Highlights:
⛳️ On-site 9-hole putting green
🍿 Nightly movie in the Villa’s courtyard

The Lodge at Bodega Bay📍Bodega Bay
Highlights:
🍫 Make some s’mores on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday evenings
🍇 Complimentary wine receptions on Thursday, Friday and Saturday afternoons

Farmhouse Inn📍Forestville
Highlights:
🛁 Complimentary Bath Bar complete with seasonal soaps, scrubs, bubble baths and more
🍷 Complimentary wine tastings, s’mores roastings and movie nights

Timber Cove Resort📍Jenner
Highlights:
🏖️ Easy beach access
🥾 Over two miles of hiking trail on the Timber Cove Resort property

River's End Restaurant & Inn📍Jenner
Highlights:
🌊 All of the vintage cabins have a private deck with ocean views

Read more here: https://localgetaways.com/california/best-sonoma-coast-luxury-hotels/

A place of natural beauty and mystique, a stay along the Sonoma Coast is the perfect opportunity to indulge in a luxurious hotel experience.