California Summer Guide

Trek and Treat

By Bill Fink

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California has an abundance of soft adventure available. Here’s where to test your mettle and then get pampered—all in the same day.

BLAME IT ON MY GIRLFRIEND. My vacations used to include hard-core backpacking trips with cliffhanging gonzo exploits. Now we do organized tours, sleep in comfy beds and engage in more-sensible activities called “soft adventures.”

The soft adventure market is a hybrid of tailored travel designed to satisfy the high-end demands of luxury tourists as well as the thrill-seeking needs of adrenaline junkies. These trips combine expert-led activities, all gear included, with upscale food and lodging, all amenities available. “Trek and treat” packages, if you will.

Truth be told, it’s nice to wake up without a sore back, to have a warm shower and a freshly prepared meal to start a vacation day’s journey. And don’t be fooled by the “soft” label. While the beds are cushy, the activities still bear some level of risk. On my trips I passed the crumpled, moaning bodies of ATV riders and mountain bikers who had decided to ignore their guides’ safety advice.

I traveled throughout California (and Nevada) looking for the best in soft adventure. Here are my choices.

PEDAL & PAMPER IN NAPA VALLEY

One of the best ways to see the wine country is to book a Pedal and Pamper package with Napa Valley Bike Tours. The pedal portion of the trip includes a 15-mile bike ride to four wineries. A primary benefit of this tour is having NVBT provide the bikes, choose the wineries and schedule the visits. There’s a support van that can pick up tired bikers (rarely needed; the pace is slow) or carry bottles purchased along the way.

The “pamper” part of the trip can combine several different hotel, dining and spa treatments. I stayed at the pleasant Yountville Inn, a short walk from several top restaurants. Nearby, Hurley’s Restaurant offers a seasonal menu featuring game favorites like boar and venison. After a bike ride, go to Veranda Spa, a local boutique favored by the Coppollas and the Mondavis.

THE DETAILS

Activity: Napa Valley Bike Tours, 6488 Washington Street, Yountville, 800-707-BIKE; napavalleybiketours.com. Veranda Spa, 6795 Washington Street, Yountville, 707-944-1906; verandaclubspa.com.

Hotels: Yountville Inn, 6462 Washington Street, Yountville, 707-944-5600; yountvilleinn.com. Offers coupons for free wine tastings at some of the top area spots. Villagio Hotel & Spa, 6481 Washington Street, Yountville, 707-944-8877; villagio.com. Calistoga Spa & Hotspring, 1006 Washington Street, Calistoga, 866-822-5772; calistogaspa.com. If your tour takes you to Calistoga, this hotel has reasonable prices and its own spa treatments.

Food: Hurley’s Restaurant, 6518 Washington Street, Yountville, 707-944-2345; hurleysrestaurant.com. Seasonal game (try the boar), late-night bar menu and good scene. Ad Hoc Restaurant, 6476 Washington Street, Yountville, 707-944- 2487. This latest creation by the proprietor of the worldfamous French Laundry offers prix fixe four-course meals and “comfort food.”

PISMO BEACH MOTO-ADVENTURE

The scene is something out of a Mad Max movie. Tricked-out RVs flying pirate flags park in protective circles around campsites. Every manner of vehicle emerges from them: motorcycles, dune buggies, ATVs—even souped-up golf carts with monster truck tires. Some drivers ride with full protective gear and decorative spikes, others simply in T-shirts and shorts with helmets. The motors roar together like a mechanized army division as the machines disappear over sand dunes into a swirling yellow wasteland.

It’s simply another Saturday at Pismo Beach. I try some motorized adventure at the Oceano Dunes just south of Pismo. To get a lay of the land, I join Pacific Adventure Tours, signing up to ride shotgun on Larry Haas’ military-grade Hummer. “It’s the longest and best roller-coaster ride in the world,” he says as we whip up the sides of 40-foot dunes, catching air off one steep embankment during our 45-minute journey around Oceano’s 1,500 acres of ever-shifting terrain.

I then rent an ATV to try it on my own. After a oneminute training session, I’m released to the dunes on a 250cc four-wheeler. My machine sticks on steep inclines a couple of times, but after 30 minutes I feel like a pro.

THE DETAILS

Activity: oceanodunes.org and classiccalifornia.com. ATV rental: BJ’s, 888-481-5411; bjsatvrentals.com. Angello’s, 805- 481-0355; pismooceanoatvrentals.com. Hummer Tours, 805- 481-9330; pacificadventuretours.com. Steve’s, stevesatv.com; 805-474-6431.

Lodging: Dolphin Bay Hotel & Residences, 2727 Shell Beach Road, 805-773-4300; thedolphinbay.com. The highest-end option in town, offering swanky rooms with an ocean view. Cottage Inn by the Sea, 2352 Price Street, 800-914-6662 or 805-773-4617; cottage-inn.com. Good location.

Food: Cracked Crab, 805-773-CRAB; crackedcrab.com. You buy a bucket of crabs, they dump them on your table, you pound with mallets. Tasty fun. Splash Café, 197 Pomeroy, Pismo, 805-773-4653. A local institution famous for its clam chowder. Lunchtime lines can reach around the block.