By Holly Shafran, Vacation Expert at James TravelPOINTS
Another trip to Europe? Bored with the beach? Sound familiar? Are you ready for a change?Consider a spa vacation. Spas come in all shapes and sizes, from day spas to amenity spas at hotels and resorts to the complete experience of a destination spa. The general goal of a destination spa is to encourage an improved lifestyle and health enhancement through physical fitness, educational programming, professional administered spa services and exceptional low fat cuisine. All of this in an atmosphere of support and fun, which guarantees an enjoyable vacation and will provide the motivation to take your new habits home. We celebrated New Years at Rancho La Puerta. Located in Tecate Mexico, 35 miles from San Diego, Ranch La Puerta is where the fitness revolution began in 1940. The “Ranch” combines a luxury resort, first class service and outstanding spa cuisine with a focus on exercise, spirituality and mind body awareness. It was one of the busiest- fitness wise-and at the same time most relaxing trips we have taken. The program is a design your own plan and there are over 60 classes each day to choose from. My typical day began with a 6am hike up Mt. Kuchama, approximately 3.5 miles, 800 ft elevation gain and 1 hour 15 minutes in length. Followed by breakfast, then cardio-boxing at 9am, African dance at 10am and circuit training at 11am. Lunch at noon, and I was ready for refueling and rest. Nutrition lecture at 1pm, pool time at 2pm, stretch and relax at 4pm and massage at 5pm. dinner at 7pm, a good time to review the day with new friends at a group table and visit about other classes, maybe to try something new the next day. Did I mention yoga, or spinning, or tennis! On the on the things that makes Rancho La Puerta unique is the organic garden that provides a large portion of the dining rooms super fresh fruits and vegetables. A visit to the garden is an absolute necessity, for a wonderful breakfast and a tour with “Farmer Bill, a man who really loves dirt. A cookbook is a great way to “bring the ranch home”. We bought 4 to share with friends.
All in all, we had a great week. We stretched ourselves physically, and it felt good. We were pampered, and it felt good. We reflected and meditated, and it felt good. We had a week long time-out from the real world and we still feel good. That is the most incredible part! Try it, you can feel good too! 1-800-538-7461/303 442-2340, www.travelpoints.com
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