And Sometimes You Wing It…

Stripes, red, leopard...a favorite combo

Le Monsieur keeps an eye out for travel deals and sign-up bonuses for various points programs, which help us accumulate frequent flyer miles for our big trips, and occasional hotel upgrades. Earlier in the year he’d signed up for a Hyatt credit card that included two free nights at any Hyatt during the year. We’d originally planned to use those nights in Kyoto, but because our plans firmed up so close to our visit there, it didn’t work out. So we had two nights to “use or lose” by the end of the year, and decided to stay locally (about an hour away) in Newport Beach.

As the weather’s been all over the place this last week (quite hot for November) and we were mostly planning to just kick back a bit, I really didn’t do much planning, just threw a few favorites into my duffel bag. Saturday turned out to be a bit cooler than I’d expected, so I was glad I’d grabbed a lightweight jacket.

Wearing: jacket (mine’s a couple of years old, similar style) | tee | jeans (similar) |
bag | shoes | watch | bracelet | bracelet

About the Hyatt Regency in Newport:

hotel swimming pool

  • Our building had a very mid-century feel. Above, a view of the pool area from our front door. I almost expected to see Don, Betty, Sally and Bobby down there by the pool.
  • The grounds are lovely and well-maintained.
  • It’s a family- and dog-friendly place.
  • The staff is super friendly and helpful…two thumbs up.
  • There’s a small on site golf course.
  • Our room itself was a largish standard room, generic but well-maintained. The bed was comfortable, and we’d upgraded to get a bay-view balcony. Below, the view at sunset.

weekend staycation near Newport dunes

(This is an independent review, BTW. I did not receive any consideration or compensation from Hyatt or anyone else.)

We also had a very nice seafood dinner at The Cannery in Newport Beach. It’s a local institution, but the menu is contemporary, and updated seasonally. I enjoyed sea bass served over butternut squash with a Thai basil and curry sauce.

Do you ever take a “staycation” near home?

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30 Comments

  1. I love it when my husband and I make last-minute decisions to hop a plane, or get into the car and take off for a day or two. A nice thing about being “older” (63) is that I KNOW myself well enough to go right to my “go-to” pieces and pack a bag in 15 minutes. Looks like you had a nice little trip and packed perfectly. You look great, as usual.

    1. Thanks, Linda! For short trips I usually don’t sweat it too much. I brought a few things I didn’t wear, but that was OK too.

    2. Actually, when I was in my 30s I had a bag permanently packed and would head for the airport on the weekends to see what last-minute deals were on offer. I never knew where I would land. I ended up getting together a pretty good set of clothes that would work almost anywhere in Europe.
      We did a staycation this weekend, going to our newly renovated apartments in town to make sure everything works. There’s even a sauna! Had to try it out. Sometimes we like the apartments better than home.

  2. Absolutely delightful. You looked sharp and so relaxed. I love “stay vacations”, I need to do this more often. Booked a concert and two night mother daughter trip only about an hour from my home for January. I’m stealing your outfit idea, thank you very much! As always, love your ideas/blog.

  3. You look great! I love your shoes.

    He-Man and I have done “mini staycations” in Santa Cruz, and San Luis Obispo a few times. They’ve been fun and we always feel more energized and ready to tackle the week once home.
    It’s amazing how much a little get-away can do for your mind and health isn’t it.

    How did your nail polish hold up? I’ve been wondering.

    1. Thanks! The polish holds up well. I changed the color after a week, but even so it had not chipped and had barely begun to show any wear. I’ve had the current color for 5 days and it still looks like new.

  4. We staycation almost every weekend at our East Texas farm which is 85 miles from our house in Dallas. Our house at the farm is in the midst of a forest and has a large front porch and a screened porch. Most weekends, we can’t imagine a better place to be.

  5. So crazy. I’m a long time follower from Atlanta but was in Wesr Coast (laguna/Newport) this weekend and at the Cannery Saturday night!

  6. I often find myself winging it lately…it’s best to just go with the flow and see what life brings our way. You look really cute.

  7. Are you letting your hair grow out a bit? It looks GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As far as winging it and taking a staycation. Bonaparte and I love to get away every now and then to DC. It’s just a couple of hours away and we always have a great time. Our other regular place is NYC. I LOVE the Wythe hotel in Brooklyn. It has the best view of Manhattan! Plus–it’s always great to see the boys. We’ll be planning a trip soon to visit Cincinnati since Oona was transferred there. Cincy is a cool place!!

  8. We’ve become big fans of small “weekends out” where we can get a nice meal and just spend a night somewhere besides here. My husband and I have the luggage thing down to a science, and can have an overnight bag packed in a flash — we each keep a small toiletry bag ready to go. What fun!

  9. Yor ability to just put a few things in a bag for the weekend illustrates you have a wardrobe that work well for you. You look fabulous

  10. We love staycations. One of our best was a Thanksgiving weekend a few years ago that we spent in a gorgeous suite at the St. Louis Four Seasons (we live in the Central Midwest). I used a client’s freakishly good hotel discount rate, so it was a steal. Best of all, we skipped the charming extended family “discussions” at Thanksgiving dinner that try one’s soul. 🙂