Planning my mom's 70th birthday

My mom is turning 70 this year and wants to take my sisters and me on a girlfriends weekend. She wants to see Hearst Castle, Monterey/Carmel, and Napa. (I think there are a few quilt shops in the Monterey area she wants to see.) We have 4 nights in all.

Here%26#39;s what I%26#39;m thinking so far: Fly into SF, drive south to Hearst Castle. First night in San Simeon. Second night in Monterey. Last night in Napa.

My question is about the third night. Should we stay two nights in Monterey or Napa? Is there more to see and do in one area over the other?

Also, we%26#39;d like to treat mom to a nice dinner on the last night--something special for her birthday (but not quite The French Laundry special!) Any recommendations?

Thanks so much for any help you can give me.

Planning my mom's 70th birthday

I would choose Cambria instead of San Simeon for the first night. Cambria has lots of arts and craft shops and given your mom%26#39;s love of quilts, she will enjoy staying here. Its very close to Hearst Castle also. I don%26#39;t know your price range for lodging, but you might want to find a place in the Moonstone Beach area of Cambria since it is so close to the ocean.

visitcambriacalifornia.com/lodging/moonstone鈥?/a>

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Monterey is nice for two nights, however, if your mom loves wine, then Napa is the better place to go for wine and wineries. If your mom likes quilts, she might like to stay in one of the charming inns in Carmel. For example, Cobblestone Inn.

visitcambriacalifornia.com/business/director鈥?/a>

tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g32172-d76389-R鈥?/a>

In Napa, there are many nice restaurants. Bistro Jeanty is a nice restaurant with better prices.

www.yelp.com/biz/bistro-jeanty-yountville

Planning my mom's 70th birthday

ps: Happy Birthday to your Mom!

We always stay at the San Simeon Cavalier Best Western. They have these huge fire pots on the lawn they light up every night, you go and sit by the fire and watch/listen to the ocean roar. My dad likes Moonstone Beach for the tide pools. Either place is nice, San Simeon is more in my budget - and everyone ends up at my place at night! Just north of San Simeon is a roadside park where you can see the Elephant Seals! Free! (past Hearst Castle)

It%26#39;s a tough call about the 2-nights. Logistically, if you want to go to wineries, you%26#39;ll need a good portion of the day. If you did 2 nights in Monterey - you would need to leave there around 8 am - both to miss traffic and to get to at least two wineries. Napa is about 3 hours from Monterey.

Where are you staying? We can recommend a restaurant that is close to your hotel.

Cheers!

Segway Napa

Thanks so much for your help! We%26#39;re still in the planning stages, so I%26#39;ll take your comments into consideration. I especially like the San Simeon hotel suggestion. Thanks to both of you!

If you want oceanfront, the Cavalier is right on the beach. The lodging in Cambria is across the street from the ocean. We prefer the lodging in Cambria. Blue Whale Inn, Fireside Inn and the Pelican Cove Inn are places we have enjoyed staying. You can walk to the Moonstone Beach Bar %26amp; Grill and the Sea Chest from any of the properties on Moonstone Beach Drive.

www.centralcoast.com is a nice website for this area. Have fun! :)

A deep purple duvet cover