WINTER 2008

 

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At Play
Pg 59 - MOVE IT
Adventure, Wellness & Healthy Getaways
By Nicole Dorsey-Straff

View Wine Country from a Hot-Air Balloon
The Louise offers a true adventurer's hideaway surrounded by hundreds of acres of vines in the Barossa Valley, undisputed wine capital of Australia and home to 600 vintners. After a day of high-wattage tippling and a trip to the acclaimed Barossa Valley Farmer's Market, energetic diversions await: ballooning, heritage site tours, mountain biking, and the much-needed in-room massage. Just one hour from Adelaide, The Louise (which has 15 suites) offers a welcome gift of tawny port, house-made cookies, and fresh fruit. Already tired of snow boots and gray skies? You'll be happy to know that Australia's torrid summer spans our winter months, so be sure to pack the sunscreen, mate. Log on to www.thelouise.com.au.

Spa and Sail On Catalina
Hotel Villa Portofino offers an indulgent girls' get-away with its "Portofino Pamper" package available midweek, starting at $199 per person, per night (based on double occupancy), for a two-night minimum. The package offers a "mini-cruise" aboard the sleek Catalina Express boat and, upon arrival, guests are transported to the hotel and welcomed with a bottle of premium California champagne. Each guest has a choice of 50-minute Swedish, Thai, or Aromatherapy massage at the Spa. For reservations, call the Hotel Villa Portofino toll-free 888-510-0555, or log on to www.HotelVillaPortofino.com.

Sail Like A Bird In St. Lucia
Boost your balance and make over your muscles by learning how to kiteboard at Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa in St. Lucia, Caribbean. Guests at this all-inclusive resort are offered one free kiteboarding lesson during their stay and have the option of booking a package via neighboring International Kiteboarding Organization (IKO). Guests spend two hours each morning and another two every afternoon learning how to pilot the board, body drag and surf on top of the water. To mellow tired muscles between sessions, hit the Kai Mer Spa for a 30-minute Vanilla Coco Massage ($50) made with local fruits. Better yet, book the Organic Rainforest Facial (55 minutes, $95) made with all-natural herbs, indigenous fruits, hand-mixed vegetables, and pure hot-spring waters to regenerate your sun-drenched face. www.coconutbayresortandspa.com.

Doctor's Orders: Take A Vacation...Really
Next time you visit the doc you might walk away with this prescription: "Take a two-week vacation twice a year, no excuses." A recent study in the British Medical Journal reveals strong evidence that extended vacations are good medicine. Some data:

  • Chronic work-related stress can nearly double the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
  • Long-term exposure to stress at work appears to have a direct adverse effect on the autonomic nervous system.
  • An annual vacation of at least two weeks can cut the risk of heart attack in men by 32 percent and in women by 50 percent.

    • "We're beginning to view travel like a gym membership-as an investment in overall health. When you consider the long-term costs associated with stress-related illnesses, travel is inexpensive by comparison," says Marilyn Downing Staff, founder of Asia Transpacific Journeys, a travel company based in Boulder, Colorado. Research also shows that longer getaways increase on-the-job performance when vacations are over. Hmmm, how soon can you pack your bags?

    Get Your Kids Off The Couch
    As rates of childhood obesity rise, it's evermore important to build activity into your children's lives - and into their vacations, too. On the Big Island of Hawaii, the lush Mauna Lani retreat offers ways to propel kids off the computer and into the wild:
  • Get down with hotel-based hula and ukulele lessons.
  • Treat young golfers to a round on Mauna Lani's nine-hole Keiki Course, specifically designed for junior golfers.
  • Help the Mauna Lani raise juvenile honu (threatened green sea turtles) in saltwater ponds across the property.
  • Take advantage of complimentary snorkel gear for the whole family.
  • Catch a fish with long bamboo poles (like the locals do) or try scoop-net fishing from the safety of tide pools.

    • The Mauna Lani's solar energy innovations have very recently earned the distinction of generating the most solar electric power of any luxury resort in the world. Log on to www.maunalani.com.

    YOGA DAY USA 2009
    Mark your calendar for Saturday, January 29th. This annual celebration increases the public's awareness of yoga's benefits, makes yoga more accessible to every age and ethnicity, and upholds the diversity and integrity of the ancient arts. Many Yoga Day USA events are fundraisers for charitable organizations, giving participants the opportunity to experience karma yoga, the act of selfless giving. "Yoga Day USA is a way for the yoga community to come together to embrace those who want to learn more about yoga and the transformative effects it can have on your life," says Yoga Alliance Board Chair Terri Kennedy, Ph.D. According to a recent study, 15.8 million Americans practice yoga and 14 million say that a doctor or therapist has recommended yoga to improve their health. Mind-body benefits include boosting heart health, reducing cholesterol, and improving circulation and signs of aging. Log on to www.yogadayusa.org for info in your area.

    First Holistic Spa In Cape Town
    One of the world's most beautiful cities, Cape Town is set against the dramatic backdrops of Table Mountain and spectacular beaches with world-class hiking and water sports. The thing that's been missing from the area-you guessed it-an organic spa! The Mount Nelson Hotel, adjacent to Museum Mile and The Houses of Parliament, now offers the first holistic spa experience in South Africa. Named after a fragrant local flower, the Librisa Spa just finished a $2.5 million nature-inspired renovation with botanical themes running from products to decor. "All treatments are based on the therapeutic healing power of touch rather than machines, and we embrace the use of natural products rich in marine essences," says Spa Manager Samantha Reynolds. Reynolds says traditional herbs, flowers, and indigenous plants have been used for centuries for medicinal purposes here. The new 6,100-square-foot spa features a unique menu ranging from the Green Clay and Wild Mint Body Wrap (about $50 U.S.) to an African Goddess Facial ($75) that uses local oils, jasmine, and the South African Geranium. Another first for South Africa: The spa also caters to children and teens. Visit www.mountnelson.co.za.

    Deck The Halls At A Dude Ranch
    High spirits are officially kicked into gear on December 1st at the Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort, a 10,000 acre working cattle ranch in Solvang, California. In addition to dynamic pursuits such as fly-fishing, golf, and horseback riding across 50 scenic miles of trails, there are extraordinary holiday festivities, too. Build gingerbread houses, listen to storytellers, paint tree ornaments, decorate holiday cookies, and join baking demonstrations with the pastry chef. Every public space has a 12-foot-tall, uniquely themed Christmas tree with decorations ranging from spurs, saddles and hats to a golf-themed tree bedecked with customary Scottish plaids. Santa makes periodic appearances on his "reindeer horse" and dance instructors teach the art of the old-fashioned cowboy waltz. Plus, Alisal just launched a 6,000 square foot spa and fitness center, and their Trail Blazer body treatment (75 minutes, $165) makes a noble gift.

    FIND THE OM IN WINTER
    Maine's longest-running ski area, Shawnee Peak, has radical cross-country skiing and more night skiing than anywhere else in New England. Just one hour from Portland and two-and-a-half hours from Boston, Shawnee Peak has more than 40 trails, five lifts, and two terrain parks that'll keep snowboarders happy all winter long. After more exuberant mountain activities-such as dog sledding and ice climbing-head on over to the Peace-With-Inn Bed and Breakfast in Fryeburg, Maine, and get a muscle-thumping massage or sit in the sauna in solitude. Originally called Hardy Farms, circa 1750, this quaint Inn offers a real New England breakfast each morning (French Toast with Maine maple syrup and maple-cured bacon) and you can burn off the carbs in minutes since New Hampshire's ski-worthy White Mountains are down the street. Brrr, bring a scarf. Log on to www.peacewithinn.com or www.shawneepeak.com.