Can anyone recommend craft malls in the New England area?

Short getaway options 2-3 hours (driving only) from the South Bay Area?

• My partner and I (30s, no kids, both geeky/arty introverts) have a couple vacation days coming up. We'd like to take a short, low-hassle overnight trip somewhere, but we've done the Monterey thing multiple times, we don't want to go to San Francisco, and we aren't really into wine tasting. What else can we do that doesn't require a ton of advance planning or more than around 3 hours sitting in the car? OK, so...the Mr. and I have both been wrapped up in a ton of exhausting work stuff recently and are in dire need of a relaxing (but creatively stimulating) break. Unfortunately, it seems our options for things that meet our criteria within reasonable driving distance are limited, so I'm hoping maybe someone reading this will think of something we haven't. Note that we don't want to go to Monterey, Carmel, San Luis Obispo/Central Coast area, Santa Cruz, or San Francisco (we've eliminated those from consideration, as we've "been there, done that" in the case of most of those, and my partner really just dislikes SF). We have zero interest in wine/wine tasting, so Napa/vineyard stuff is right out. Here are some things we like (though other than "cooler weather", none are absolute deal-breakers): - On the cooler side, weather-wise - Beach hikes - Woodsy areas - Walkable downtown areas that actually have stuff (other than noisy bars) open past 9 PM - Art and crafting exhibits, fairs, galleries - Museums of any kind - Weird old buildings / historical landmarks - Factory tours - Coffee shops with random books/puzzles/musical instruments lying around - Craft beer - Atmosphere that is neither too "old rich white people" nor too "yelling WOOOOO and bong hits". We're not party animals but we're not "apply foot cream and go to bed at 8 PM" types either. Honestly, so far the most appealing destination we've come up with is Mendocino County, where we've never been, but which looks to have exactly the mix of outdoorsy and arsty stuff we're after. But the estimated drive time from here (San Jose area) to there is 4 hours, which is sort of on the outside edge of how long I want to sit in a car. (I have a small bladder and a tendency toward claustrophobic rage, so, yeah.) So: - Can anyone reassure me the drive isn't actually that bad, and that it's possible to leave in the early morning and avoid any nasty traffic, etc.?, or - Can anyone recommend something similar to Mendocino (assuming my ideas about it are accurate), but close enough to get there in 3 hours or less? Partner and I would be very grateful if you can! Thank you.

• Answer:

  To me, Mendocino is a long ways away coming from the East Bay, so I think if you're hoping that the Mendocino drive doesn't feel like 4 hours coming from the South Bay, I would rethink that (though perhaps a stop for lunch in Healdsburg would suit for breaking it up - plus I really love the 128 route through Philo/Navarro/Boonville, just for the scenery and the dramatic weather change). Otherwise, it probably does fit your criteria. We did a weekend there last August and it was (pleasantly) blustery and foggy - we stayed outside of Mendo Town at the http://cobblerswalkmendocino.com/, did a great beach/cliff walk right outside our door, visited Mendocino and Fort Bragg, and had a fantastic dinner at http://www.wild-fish.com/.