Coasting with Robyn Roehm Cannon: Spa weekend
Summer, while reputed to be the most relaxing time of year, can also be exhausting. Out-of-state guests arrive to be looked after; kids are off schedule with activities requiring nonstop parental orchestration. Though lots of fun, it’s sometimes a bit too hectic.
Once everyone returns to their normal routine, September is a perfect month to escape with best friends, adult siblings or the love of your life. Doesn’t a night or two on freshly ironed sheets, a bottle of cold bubbly, a scrumptious meal prepared by someone other than you and a luxurious spa treatment sound perfect? When you carve out some “toes up” time, consider visiting one of these favorite places of mine to relax and recharge.
Well worth a six-mile detour off Interstate 90, this desert oasis is smack dab between Spokane and Seattle on the Columbia Gorge. Here, food-savvy winemaker Alfredo “Freddy” Arredondo grows his own grapes and turns out more than two dozen wines. Private Cliffehouses and Desert Yurts are linked through vineyard paths to an architecturally impressive main lodge, where meals are served in the airy dining room. Snag a table with a view on the terrace and before you visit the tasting room for glass of wine at sunset, journey down a lavender-lined path to enjoy a signature “Treatment from the Cave,” such as the Shiraz Firming Glow. ( www.cavebinn.com/spa.php)
The mist rising above the mighty Snoqualmie Falls is said to have mystical qualities and there’s nothing more relaxing than morning yoga or a couples massage staged in the fresh air above this natural wonder. Design your own 50-minute Herb and Honey Body Scrub with the “spa mixologist,” who combines garden fresh organic chamomile, lavender, basil, lemon verbena, mint and rosemary with Salish honey from the lodge’s bee hives. This Northwest lodge trademarked the name Honey from Heaven for their legendary brunch in the early 1900s, and everything about a spa and stay here is that: a little slice of heaven. ( www.salishlodge.com/spa. php)
Interior design buffs will love this chic urban boutique hotel featuring Northwest art, dramatic lighting and personalized service. Guests of the Relaxation Sanctuary Spaahh receive complimentary valet parking, so pull in for a Hotel 1000 Signature Red Flower “Japan” Pedicure. You’ll be greeted with a warm herbal neck pillow, glass of champagne and chocolate dipped strawberries, then pampered for the next 75 minutes during an ancient seven-step Japanese foot and leg bathing ritual with fragrant organic products. Afterward, check out BOKA, the hotel’s off lobby restaurant and bar, where craft cocktails are concocted with herbal infusions like celery bitters. And dMarie Timeless Elegance, a new vintage clothing, jewelry and accessories shop next door, is worth a visit. Owner Dana Marie Craig will intrigue you with stories of her estate finds and it will be hard to select just one exceptional thing to take home. ( www.hotel1000seattle.com)
This serene space draped in soft white linen and dimly lit crystal chandeliers feels like a fairy tale world. Treatments include the French Sudatonic Slimming and Detoxifying Body Wrap, said to improve skin texture and burn up to 3,000 calories. Lucky thing, because it’s easier to justify splurging afterward at afternoon high tea in the historic Georgian Room of this grande dame of Seattle hotels. Opt for a Kir Royale to start, or summon the tea sommelier to help you select the perfect loose-leaf tea blend. Though a delightful way to share some mother-daughter or girlfriend time, don’t count men out: mine pronounced his deep tissue massage “the best” he’d ever had and savored the beautiful egg salad sammies on rye toast and flaky sour cherry scones. It’s a guy thing, too. Georgian guests receive spa discounts. ( www.penelopeandthebeauty bar.com, www.fairmont.com/sea ttle/dining/thegeorgiantea/)
University Village, essentially a park with pretty shops, is a fun way to while away the afternoon. When you need a break, check into Skin Spirit, where the therapists are trained estheticians using scientific technology as the basis for all treatments. Stop by Margaret O’Leary, the San Francisco knitwear designer who stocks luxurious cashmere wraps and sweaters that will last a lifetime. (If you’re a husband or boyfriend reading this, think holiday or birthday gift. Your stock will rise dramatically.) ( www.skinspirit.com/contact -us/university-village/, www.margaretoleary.com)
“Take a moment and be still,” invites a sign at the door of this freshly redesigned hotel spa. The Still Spa Signature Massage is 80 minutes, incorporating scented seaweed-based lotions and oils. Warm towels are applied while every muscle and tendon is manipulated. After, enjoy lunch at the Beach Cafe, just feet from the lapping waters of Lake Washington. It’s like being a guest in a Cape Cod summerhouse, where fresh air, beautiful flowers, comfy interiors and delicious food mingle. Say hello to Woody Meg, the friendly black lab “director of barketing” who celebrates the arrival of hotel guests’ dogs with special “yappy hours,” pet-friendly beach parties on the rolling lawn. This season’s final event is planned for Sept. 15. ( www.woodmarkstillspa.com/ spa-services/, www.thewoodmark.com/ beachcafe/)