Eight Travel Spots for Opposites

by Amy Braunschweiger

San Francisco Bay Area, California
The Casa Madrona Hotel, a converted historic mansion overlooking the water and surrounded by flowers, embodies the rugged allure of Sausalito. The hotel also hosts one of the area’s best restaurants, Mikayla. Head to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art—only a short drive away—and take in works by Henri Matisse and Gerhard Richter. Afterward, perk up with a cup of free-trade coffee and indulge in a scrumptious taco at the Mission district’s La Taqueria.

Explore the hip neighborhood, checking out a few music shops and boutiques, and make sure to end the evening at Elbo Room, a club with dancing and a live band upstairs. On another day, take a relatively solitary hike at nearby Point Reyes National Park,where few tourists venture. Not to forget: Yosemite is only a four-hour drive away.

Barcelona, Spain
This Spanish city has the vitality of New York, coupled with the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest.

Check into the Hotel Claris, a postmodern place about a ten-minute walk from Barcelona’s main drag, La Rambla. Stroll through the architecturally rich city, exploring Antoni Gaudí’s bizarre designs in Park Güell. The Spanish take a siesta during the day, and start their evenings long after sunset, so make late dinner plans at Quatre Gats, a restaurant known as much for being a haven for local artists and writers as for its Catalan food and beer. After midnight, break it down at one of Barcelona’s hottest dance clubs, Otto Zutz. Later in the week, take a side trip to breathtaking Montserrat, a village where pilgrims pay homage to its statue of the Virgin Mary. (Montserrat is also a destination for climbers seeking a dramatic rock face). Venture a few hours north, and you’ll hit the rugged Pyrenees bordering France.