• Article
• Nov 26, 2015

Each week, travel writer Katie Morell will detail how to spend 50 hours in a different San Francisco Bay Area city for the Super Bowl 50 Host Committee’s #Perfect50 Hour Series.

Drive 20 miles straight east from San Francisco and you will soon find yourself in the idyllic town of Lafayette. Housing 25,000 residents and spanning 15 square miles, Lafayette is a desirable place to live (and visit) in the Bay Area with friendly locals, cute shops, tasty restaurants and plenty of hiking trails through rolling hills.

Here, we detail the perfect way to spend a 50-hour getaway in Lafayette.

Day 1

9:00 a.m. – Wake up inside your well-appointed room at the Lafayette Park Hotel & Spa, AAA Four Diamond, chalet-like property built with French Norman architecture in mind. Enjoy a cup of coffee in your room and then throw on some comfortable clothes suitable for working out. Remember to pack your hat, a bottle of water and some sunscreen.

10:00 a.m. – Jump in the car and drive a few blocks west. Park your car at 3400 Mt. Diablo Blvd and then follow the crowd doing the same to The Hideout Kitchen & Café. This place is so popular it often has a wait on the weekends, but it is best to stay put—the wait is worth it. Once seated, order a helping of eggs benedict, chili cheese omelet and/or biscuits and gravy (Rocky’s Omelet is also to die for—honey ham, bell pepper, onion and cheese). Wash it down with some iced tea or an Arnold Palmer.

11:00 a.m. – Time for some exercise. Drive three miles west to the Lafayette Reservoir and park your car. The Reservoir is one of Lafayette’s top places to experience nature; it offers a 2.7-mile Lakeside Nature Trail, perfect for a morning stroll (bathrooms are along the route and you can bring your dog). If your kids are into fishing, go to the visitor center (during the fall, winter and spring) and pick up some bait and tackle. Note: a fishing permit is required.

Boat rental (rowboats, paddleboats and kayaks) is also available at the visitor center.

1:00 p.m. – Hungry after a few hours outside, head back the way you came and stop at La Fiesta Square, Lafayette’s high-end shopping district. Grab a seat at Roam Artisan Burgers, a San Francisco-based restaurant (there are two in the city and one in Lafayette) and get ready to experience the best burger of your life. Roam’s menu can be a little daunting, so it is a good idea to order a few varietals and taste them all. Some of the tastiest menu options include the Sunny Side burger (egg, white cheddar, caramelized onions, greens, tomatoes and sweet chili sauce) and the Pacific Blue burger (blue cheese, watercress, tomato, caramelized onions and steak sauce). Wash your meal down with a house-made, Meyer lemon soda.

Hopefully not too full, walk a few doors down to Smitten Ice Cream for desert. Smitten is another San Francisco original selling to-order ice cream made out of a one-of-a-kind ice cream maker with liquid nitrogen. Flavors change every day, but if you can snag a salted caramel, go for it.

Spend the next few hours exploring La Fiesta Square, bopping into shops like Nitro Dog,Specialtees Outlet and Sugi Fine Bedding & Gifts.

4:00 p.m. – Head back to the Lafayette Park Hotel and walk over to The Spa at the Park for a little rest and relaxation. Settle in for a massage, facial or body treatment (the herbal body wrap and blossom exfoliation are both divine). Afterwards, take a dip and catch up on your vacation novel poolside, next to the fireplace.

6:00 p.m. – No need to get in the car tonight; you will be staying on property for dinner. The Park Bistro & Bar is one of Lafayette’s finest restaurants (reservations are recommended). You can choose from a prix fixe menu or a la carte. If you go with the latter, start with the onion soup gratinee, move on to the crab cake (might want two helpings of those) and then dig into scallops or filet mignon. Don’t leave without a taste of the butterscotch pot de crème for desert—you will want to lick your plate.

Day 2

9:00 a.m. – Wake up, put on another casual outfit that you will be comfortable moving in (a light jacket is advisable) and then set your GPS to 1018 Oak Hill Road. Walk into the bustling Millie’s Kitchen. Note: this place isn’t much to look at from the street, but the food is absolutely worth a visit (just ask a local). Biting into a hunk of coffee cake is a great place to start. From there, order a helping of Belgian waffles and the beef hash benedict. Delicious.

10:30 a.m. – Next up is a visit to the Lafayette Library and Learning Center, just two blocks from Millie’s. This is a fun place to spend a morning; check online before you go for a schedule of events (everything from arts and crafts workshops to lectures from world-renown chefs). There is a bookstore here that sells gently used books as well as public art on display and inviting outdoor areas perfect for reading.

12:30 p.m. – After a few hours of learning and reading, its time to enjoy a hearty meal at Rustic Tavern at 3576 Mt. Diablo Blvd. This family-owned restaurant (run by the Rust family, hence the name) is a local favorite and known for its salads, burgers and seafood (the mussels are fantastic). Start your meal by ordering the organic beet salad and PEI mussels and then try a roasted veggie sandwich and Rustic Tavern burger. Mouth watering.

2:00 p.m. – Drive to the corner of Olympic Blvd. and Pleasant Hill Road and get ready for a lengthy hike. Make sure you are wearing a hat, sunscreen and have a full bottle of water with you, then head out on the Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail. The trail extends a little more than seven miles, so walk or jog for as long as you’d like, then turn around. The foliage here is beautiful and the trail is paved and easy to use. Spend the afternoon enjoying the California sunshine.

5:00 p.m. – Once back to your car, head to the hotel, shower and change into some nice dinner clothing. After resting for a bit, drive to Postino Restaurant, a gorgeous restaurant housed in a brick building with fireplaces and an intimate atmosphere. The menu here changes depending on what’s in season, so ask your server for dish recommendations (with wine parings). Some of the best options on Postino’s winter menu include the tangerine spinach salad, risotto and short ribs.

Day 3

10:00 a.m. – Sleep in this morning, check out of the Lafayette Park Hotel and drive to The Rising Loafer Café & Bakery. This place serves some of the tastiest French toast in the East Bay, so be sure to order yourself a helping. The southwestern omelet is also delicious, as is the Loafer’s scramble. This is the perfect way to end a 50-hour getaway in Lafayette.

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Katie Morell is an independent journalist based in San Francisco who writes about travel, business and social justice issues. Her work has appeared in Hemispheres, Fast Company, USA Today, Diversity Woman, BBC Travel and others. Read more of her work at www.katiemorell.com