Having recognized that city life and work chaos were depleting almost all of my energy, last week I planned a road trip with my boyfriend that was intended to give us simple R&R. Our escape to The Carneros Inn (part of the chic PlumpJack Resort company) placed us within a colorful cluster of cottages set among rolling hills, barns, grape vines, apple orchards, and wildlife. This four year-old inn has an intimate atmosphere even though the property includes dozens of individual cottages spanning twenty-seven acres on the beautiful border of Sonoma and Napa. At first glance, I thought the simple, “ranch” style architecture was rather bland, but it grew on me over time and seemed to showcase well the distinctive setting and stylish interiors.

The thoughtfulness of each cottage’s comforting functionality was truly impressive—an entire private back patio with lounge chairs, tables, a gas-fired heater, and garden. My favorite aspect—the bathroom—featured a heated slate floor, Jacuzzi tub, and a shower that opened up into an outdoor shower so that I could look up and enjoy the birds chirping while I washed off suntan lotion.

Most of our time was spent lounging beside the Hilltop infinity pool and hot tub while we read books and watched horses grazing the fields, but we did get to enjoy dinner at FARM, the hotel’s elegant restaurant with outdoor dining.