I'm looking for a spa for a grandmother, mother, and baby within an hour or two of San Francisco...

What kind of spa are you looking for? and are you looking for one where you spend the night, or just go for a day trip? I have one that I would highly recommend but it depends how “northern california” you are…i.e., would you be comfortable at a hotspring that is bathing-suit-optional (and co-ed)? The place is absolutely amazing, and even though it is “bathingsuit optional” there is no sketchy vibe at all. I would be comfortable bringing my mother there. But then again, my mother was a hippie in the 60s.

The place I am thinking of is called Wilbur Hot Springs, two and half hours north of SF, near Williams, CA. It is a beautiful old victorian stage-coach inn from the 1800s, completely remote, off the grid, and in a silent setting with no cellphone reception—complete escape from the outside world. There are incredible hot springs….they’ve created wooden flumes with water of varying temperatures, all next to a rushing creek. There’s also a sauna. You can get massages there but no other typical spa treatments like facials.

Oh and there’s a big communal kitchen so you bring your own food and cook it. The last time I was there , a couple had brought their baby…the one thing is you can’t bring your baby into the hotsprings, so you or your mother would have to take turns. Note: I remember they only allow families with babies in certain rooms, so be sure to call and tell the you are bringing a baby so that they can reserve the “baby” room for you.

Hope this helps. There are lots of other conventional spas in Napa and Sonoma.

the Claremont hotel in Berkeley

Also, for a day spa treatment, I have heard good things about a place called Osmosis up near Calistoga but I am not sure if they are child-friendly…