By Margie Goldsmith
These days more and more spa-goers are looking for a physical challenge to transport themselves out of their normal day-to-day routines. They want to dare unknown adventures such as white-water rafting, climbing, hiking, or surfing – and then return to the spa for a hot tub, relaxing stretch class, or body treatment. Here are some adventure spas guaranteed to soothe the spirit while boosting energy and confidence on both land and water.
Multi-Adventure Spas
Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires Lenox, Massachusetts
Lodging: Nestled in the midst of 120 wooded acres in Lenox, Massachusetts, this 126-room New England inn also boasts a restored mansion housing the original library and brand new dining room.
The Adventure: This full-service destination spa offers one of the largest assortments of activities, programs, and services in the country. Guests of all fitness levels hike the beautiful Berkshires and Appalachian Trail, bike through the woods, and canoe, kayak, or scull on nearby lakes and ponds. Want to learn an Eskimo roll? They’ll teach you in the heated indoor pool. There’s a ropes challenge course, tennis, basketball, racquetball, squash, and swimming. In winter, you can snowshoe, pole hike, and cross-country or downhill ski. There are also tai chi, yoga, stretch, and meditation classes.
Soothing Spa: Enter the 100,000-square-foot spa complex and choose from a huge assortment of healing body treatments. Try the 75-minute Canyon Stone Massage, in which heated basalt stones lubricated with essential oil are applied to the body as an extension of the therapist’s hands.
Fueling Up: Canyon Ranch’s menu provides guests with each entrée’s calorie count, including fat and fiber content. The gourmet cuisine includes lobster, lamb chops, chowders, pizza, vegetarian specialties, and even hot fudge sundaes and cheesecake. Try the mustard-crusted frenched chicken with demi-glace, smashed red bliss potatoes, and braised greens (340 calories) and follow it with the tiramisu (145 calories).
Contact (800) 742-9000 or visit www.canyonranch.com
Red Mountain Spa St. Ivins, Utah
Lodging: This red-tiled-roof inn, set at the base of Snow Canyon State Park, features 104 rooms with sweeping views of Utah’s famous red rock formations and high desert cliffs.
The Adventure: Red Mountain, known as “the adventure spa,” offers kayaking, mountain biking, rock climbing, and more than thirty daily guided hikes on trails of varying terrain. The advanced hikes traverse six to eight killer miles with elevation gains up to 1,500 feet. There are also private guided hikes to the Grand Canyon or Zion National Parks.
Soothing Spa: Try the Slickrock Survival Fango treatment, a leg mud wrap followed by a detoxifying, deep-penetrating massage. It is especially good for sore muscles and joints. An essential oil blend of birch, juniper, thyme, rosemary, and vetiver hydrates the skin.
Fueling Up: Healthy spa cuisine is featured at every meal, with breakfast and lunch served buffet style and dinner served plated. All food options, including the buffet, indicate nutritional information. And, surprise! Wine and beer are available at dinner. Don’t miss the pan-seared elk tenderloin with cherry rhubarb, or the Mexican chocolate cake with orange anglaise sauce.
Contact (800) 407-3002 or visit www.redmountainspa.com
Hiking Spas
Spafari Arizona, Colorado, California, Utah
Lodging: Spafari is a “traveling” spa that reinvents itself in each location with modest but comfortable accommodations in a hotel or lodge.
The Adventure: Spafari offers one-week packages; choose between such destinations as Aspen, Santa Barbara, Sedona, or foreign destinations such as Bali, Kenya, and Costa Rica. While primarily a hiking spa, depending on the destination there might also be horseback riding, biking, or white water rafting. Each day begins with yoga, continues with a long hike, and ends with meditation and a massage.
Soothing Spa: One daily massage is included in the weekly package, a necessity after a long day hiking.
Fueling Up: The private traveling chef prepares fresh, healthy spa cuisine daily, including steamed vegetables and grilled fish.
Contact (970) 927-2882 or visit www.spafari.com
Mountain Trek Fitness Retreat & Health Spa Ainsworth Hot Springs, British Columbia, Canada
Lodging: Two thousand feet above sea level sits a timber-framed mountain lodge and studio featuring twelve bedrooms that can accommodate fourteen guests. Mountain Trek caters to thrill-seekers who want their scenery as jaw dropping as their adventure.
The Adventure: While biking and kayaking are part of a weeklong package, the main game here is hiking on unspoiled, incredibly scenic trails, often to peaks 7,500-feet high. FitPlan Weight Loss is a popular package combining hiking (or snowshoeing in winter), indoor training, and a balanced diet.
Soothing Spa: While there is no spa facility, there is an outdoor Jacuzzi and sauna, and the Ainsworth Hot Springs are only a five-minute-walk away. In the lodge are four treatment rooms. The seven-night programs include three hour-long Swedish massages. Guests can also book additional Thai, aromatherapy, reflexology, or lymphatic massages.
Fueling Up: Choose between regular, “detox” (raw food), or weight-loss menus. A typical weight-loss meal is an organic green salad with no-oil dressing, followed by curried chicken and shrimp, then a pear-filled strudel (total: 368 calories).
Contact (800) 661-5161 or visit www.hiking.com
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