Everyone needs a vacation, and I'm always looking for places that are reasonably easy to get to from Austin (bonus points for short direct flights) and won't break the bank. My most recent escape was last week where I snuck away to Cabo for a few days. Before I lose your attention, let me just say that this was not the Cabo you normally think of. There was no all inclusive resort and no fish bowl sized slushy margaritas, just clean rustic modern architecture, empty beaches, and lots of delicious food thanks to Stu at the Drift San Jose Hotel.

I first found out about Drift earlier in the year when we were planning a trip to Merida. At the time there was no direct flight to Cabo, but recently Airtran started flying direct. Its a quick flight into Los Cabos International the airport that serves the cities of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. Cabo San Lucas is the Cabo everyone thinks of with large resorts stacked one after another along the beaches. San Jose del Cabo, while still a little touristy is a much sleepier little town. It's got some history too, it was started in 1730 with the building of the Mission San Jose del Cabo and still has a rich cultural and architectural history from the 1800's. Drift is located about a block from the town square, which also happens to be the art district of the town. The central location makes for a perfect jumping off point to explore Baja. Our adventures took us an hour up the coast hunting for hot springs and waterfalls, to local beaches to play in the waves and enjoy the sun, and of course to brilliant local under the radar restaurants like El Marinero Borracho to watch the World Cup, enjoy a perfectly prepared margarita (on the rocks, not too sweet) and eat fresh fish tacos.

Of course if you aren't up for adventures, Drift itself is a perfect escape. Stu has done a truly brilliant job of designing a boutique hotel that manages to be thoroughly modern and at the same time captures perfectly the local architectural vernacular. The details are endless, from cleverly cantilevered concrete chairs around the fire pit to the Acapulco chairs that are made by Benito the gardener. Stu has big plans for the future too, with plans for a pool going into motion soon, and tentative plans for a neighborhood bar in the future. Do yourself a favor and book a room now while the price is still ridiculously affordable. Or, grab a couple of friends, the entire 8 room hotel can be rented for $700 a night.