A gentle nudge at 5:30am on Valentine’s Day.

Does that mean what I think it means?

No, it was a legitimate wake up call. Valentine’s Day had dawned and we needed to mobilize.

Departure time was 7:30. I was handed a hysterically funny Valentine’s Day card which coincidentally rivaled mine with the same hilarious sarcasm.

Inserted was a schedule of events and then my husband took off into the darkness just before dawn to acquire a semi-dry capp from Starbucks and a little something to accompany the warm beverage in order to hold me over for our drive to Santa Barbara.

Up and out we cruised the Pacific Coast Highway until we could go no further. The road was completely shut down a few miles past Zuma Beach.

We tapped into the Waze app and headed back to Kanan Road. I had never traversed that particular canyon nor had I driven through the Malibu tunnel.

It was stunning. We jumped on the 101 North and arrived in Goleta, 15 minutes north of downtown Santa Barbara with time to spare.

The Bacara Resort and Spa is a luxury Spanish style getaway built in 2000 whose dazzling location and views overlook the Pacifc Ocean.

We found a great spot to read and watch the waves crash to shore and then forged the paths that only head uphill to the lovely Spa. My husband checked me in and reconfirmed my 90 minute deep tissue massage…all was right in my world.

The locker room and waiting area were empty and I found a spot by the fire even though it was already over 70 degrees outside. I sipped on water marinated with basil and cucumber, scanned the latest Elle magazine and waited to be beckoned to paradise.

The massage was all that. Feeling limber and relaxed I was more than ready to meet the demands of an afternoon of hangin’ at the pool, reading a good book while simultaneously listening to the waves crash onto the shore.

A lovely sidebar to the day was engaging with a charming couple who live in Santa Inez in the heart of Santa Barbara wine country. He is an integral part of the handcrafted winemaking process, creating profound wines for Westerly.  His very cool wife is a speech therapist.

The dynamic duo not only produce fine wine, but they also produce quality offspring. They have 4 children ranging from twin three-year-old daughters to sons 5 and 7. I was reluctant to engage in conversation because if anyone was in need of adult alone time it was them.

I must admit to loving being pampered and catered to. Reality was in need of a timeout until we were homeward bound and forced to deal with grown up responsibilities such as walking the dog, doing a wash and composing Monday’s post.

I know that Valentine’s Day is commercial, cheesy and forced, but my husband of 30 years sure knows how to make me happy and successfully create Valentine magic year after year after year…I must admit to loving that man of mine.