I just returned from a quick getaway to the Skyview motel in Los Alamos. To be honest, this was not the original plan. I was supposed to have gone to Cabo this past week with Steve. But 48 hours in advance, I got a notice from American Airlines that there is a tropical storm heading for Cabo; would I like to change my flights? I called the hotel, and they suggested I move it out a week just in case. I couldn’t take the next week off from work. So I canceled for now; we will give it another try in May 2022!
Lesson to learn here- August is not a good time to go to Cabo due to tropical storms and hurricanes!
Pondering options for a quick getaway
So I was sad and had to get away and really was set on sitting by a pool. In this crazy time of COVID, wildfires, hurricanes – it really limits your possibilities.
I thought about Calistoga – pools, heat and wine! Alas – there are wildfires in Northern California right now, so sitting by the pool with horrible air quality didn’t sound fun. I decided I would only consider places I could drive. I thought about Palm Springs. It is a couple hours away from here, it will be warm and lots of options. Problem – it is 115 degrees! Not pleasant!
I then decided Ojai Valley Inn would be perfect for me. 45 minutes away, warm and a beautiful hotel and pool. Alas – no availability for a couple weeks.
Skyview motel in Los Alamos
For our avid readers, you know we go up to Santa Ynez wine country quite a bit and had seen a motel called the Skyview in Los Alamos. It is an old motel on a hill that has been fixed up and is quite trendy.
I decided to take 2 days off of work and spend the night at the Skyview. We got a dog sitter to stay with the girls, and we made a vacation out of it.
Los Alamos is a small country town in the Santa Ynez Valley about an hour away from Santa Barbara. There are a few wine tasting places and a couple well known restaurants, but none of this mattered much because they have a pool, availability, and the price was right!
Such a cute room!
I got the Superior room which is the 2nd most expensive out of 4 types. The two less expensive ones are quite a bit smaller and didn’t have an outdoor private patio. The price difference between all of them is not much so I decided to splurge. It is substantially cheaper than my hotel in Cabo! I was going to get the highest priced room because they have an outdoor shower and I love an outdoor shower. However, there was a note on the website that the outdoor showers are currently not working!
The room was really cute. It was not large but fine since I would be spending my time at the pool. I chose the room overlooking the vineyard, but it really overlooked a few vines and the highway. I would definitely ask for a room on the other side of the property next time.
The most important part: the pool!
I dropped my bag and headed right to the pool. I was there on a Wednesday and Thursday so there was no problem getting a seat at the pool, but I can imagine on a weekend when they are sold out. You need to get to the pool early!
I set myself up in my lounge chair and opened my book. The weather was mid 70s which ended up being perfect. I don’t think I could have handled hotter weather. The pool was slightly heated which was nice but still very refreshing.
I enjoyed lunch and a glass of wine at the pool including French Fries. There is something about eating fries by the pool that screams vacation to me!
I knew they allowed dogs but was still very excited to see dogs hanging at the pool! We would never do this with our girls because they would get too hot and they would bark every time another dog moved or barked! There is something about a dog relaxing on a lounge chair that just makes me happy.
Steve came up later in the day on Wednesday and lounged for a bit. We enjoyed a cocktail at the pool and then went out to dinner that evening at SY Kitchen. You know we love that place. We came back to the hotel for a nightcap. I went with a Mezcal cocktail which I really enjoyed.
The next day, Steve headed back to Santa Barbara and I hit the pool for a few more hours after lunch.
I look forward to my next trip to Skyview Motel. I highly recommend it! It might not have been Cabo, but it was a lovely break.
Skyview Motel, 9150 US-101, Los Alamos, CA 93440