In search of snow and surf

Everyone has a happy place. For some, it is a cabin in the country. For others, it is a beach or a mountain trail or a tranquil lake. For all, it is a venue that lends itself to relaxation, reflection, and enjoyment.

I have two happy places: Chico Hot Springs, Montana, and Coronado, California. By coincidence, I visited both during the holiday break.

I went to Chico first. Five months after visiting the Montana retreat on a nine-state vacation last summer, I made good on a vow to spend my 64th birthday at the alpine getaway. I got the notion after hearing "When I'm Sixty-Four" by the Beatles play on a radio. When my wife, Cheryl, agreed to the idea, we immediately booked a return trip.

For those who don't know, Chico is a full-service resort built around a historic 125-year-old lodge in the Paradise Valley, the one of Yellowstone fame. I've been smitten with the place since I attended library conferences there every October in the early 2000s.

Last week, I visited Chico for the first time in winter. And though I missed the fall foliage, the crisp autumn air, and working with peers, I didn't miss out on much else. Chico, unlike much of the rapidly changing state of Montana, has retained its Old West charm. It is as appealing as ever.

Some come for the scenic setting, 30 miles north of Yellowstone National Park. Others come for the locally sourced cuisine, the walkable grounds, or the lively saloon. Most, if not all, come for the thermal pools, which sit exactly a mile above sea level. I came for all of them.

Coronado was just as enjoyable. Though it was night-and-day different with sea breezes, palm trees, and long, sandy beaches, it was still a perfect place to relax and recharge. It was also a last chance to see my Marine officer son, daughter-in-law, and one-year-old granddaughter before they shipped out to Hawaii for a three-year assignment.

As visitors to San Diego know, Coronado is a Navy town. It is home to Naval Air Station North Island and five thousand active duty military personnel. It is also home to art galleries, quirky shops, parks, and the Hotel del Coronado, a gabled, turreted colossus built in 1888.

For those reasons and more, I used Coronado as the primary setting in Crown City and a secondary setting in The Memory Tree and Caitlin's Song. It is a venue that lends itself to endless possibilities.

Chico and Coronado gave me the opportunity to see things I rarely see anymore — snow and surf. Both places offered a pleasant change of pace for someone who lives in the middle of the Mojave Desert.

I don't know when I will return to either escape. Chico is nearly 900 miles from Las Vegas, Coronado more than 300. Other destinations are higher on my travel priority list. But I will inevitably return to both. That's the thing about happy places. They keep calling you back.