Great Escape: Stay in Town With a Girlfriends' Getaway

Sometimes getting away from the stresses of your daily life takes distance - miles of desert, water or highway between you and your usual worries.

But other times, it doesn't matter how many miles you travel as long as you bring the right people.

Which brings us to "Girlfriends Getaway Month," an event organized by the , to help dedicate time to the often underserved people in a woman's life - her best female friends. 

For the entire month of March, Sonoma Valley Businesses will offer special deals catered towards quality female-bonding time, no men allowed.

You'll find special drinks and dishes at Sonoma bars and restaurants, and discounts on local favorites. If you bring your girlfriends, you can snap up some of 's house-specialty margaritas for $5, or get 30 percent-off Mayo Family Winery Reserve Room's food and wine pairing. If you'd prefer to dine as you galavant, grab one of the Epicurean Connection's themed lunch boxes - with Sonoma Valley cheeses, olive oil crostinis and some of their favorite Raspberry Rose Petal Jam ($19.95).

And where there's women, there must be shopping. Keep your shopping energy up with free mimosas or wine at , an upscale consignment boutique (they're also offering 10 - 50 percent discounts on the entire store). Run 'round the corner to - the whole store is 20 percent off to women and their female friends.

However you enjoy spending your down-time, there's a whole roster of entertainment deals, whether you and your lady-friends would rather spend the day hiking in a nature preserve, or chilling out at a spEa.

Whatever you pick, make sure to take some down-time to honor the women that mean the most to you in your life.

If spa-pedicures are part of the deal, then so be it.