After the parties, it’s all about the R&R.
As much as the residents of San Francisco have earned a just reputation as people who like to frequent happy hours during the week and skip off to wine country on the weekends, they are also creatures of balance, repenting with hatha yoga, organic eating, and habitually testing out the latest wellness innovations. If you need another reason to celebrate this New Year’s in San Francisco, it’s not for the yacht parties (though there’s that, too), it’s for the endless cleansing and R&R options that follow.
It doesn’t take long to realize San Franciscans are about as obsessed with juicing as they are with their iPhones. Although there are plenty of New Age juiceries throughout the city, Juice Shop has earned rank as one of the most adored, and now has six outposts throughout the city. Opt for a cleanse, elixir, or cold-pressed juices that use purifying ingredients sourced from Northern California farms, like blue-green algae, coconut water, and tumeric. If it was a particularly long night, consider the Liver Aid Potent.
One of the best ways to kick a hangover isn’t with some “hair of the dog,” it’s by sweating it out, ideally not inside a stuffy studio. Basic Training uses the city itself as a gym, leading sweat-inducing workouts across California’s scenic terrain. Bust out some tricep dips on a bench in Golden Gate Park, bear-crawl through the Presidio’s eucalyptus groves, or mingle during partner workouts along the Marina’s epic shoreline.
Start the New Year with a blank mental slate, as you float into a dreamy void in one of Float Matrix’s sensory deprivation tanks. Lie in a chamber of saltwater heated to the same temperature as your body, creating the timeless sensation of floating, or what’s known as “floatation therapy.” The process is said to induce a state of deep relaxation and has detoxifying benefits.
The holidays are officially over—and sadly so are excuses for downing sugar cookies and eggnog. Luckily, San Francisco has plenty of ingenious healthy restaurants to choose from that don’t skimp on flavor. Gracias Madre is a local favorite, dishing out vegan Mexican food in a contemporary cantina (Missionites swear by the enchiladas con mole). In Hayes Valley, sleek new restaurant Little Gem pulls off healthy foods like quinoa-almond pancakes or Tuscan-style pork shoulder wraps with the help of Thomas Keller Group veterans.
If all else fails, escape to Sonoma’s charming wine country town Healdsburg, where the chic Hotel Healdsburg is offering an abundance of rejuvenating treatments and activities. Reap the benefits of their winter wellness program as a guest (or shell out $15 to $20 for dropping in), with a workout class amid the vines at Quivira Winery or a guided hike around Lake Sonoma. Or, upgrade your detoxification with the Winter Bliss package, which includes massages and seasonal treatments like the winter spice wrap.
