Grab a suitcase and your best friend and take a road trip to one of these amazing getaways.
Rancho La Puerta, Mexico
Lay of the land
Three pools, three health center buildings (one male, two female), five hot tubs, three saunas, four lighted tennis courts, eleven gyms, a track, two volleyball courts (one sand), a basketball court, and a labyrinth.
The food
The heart of the ranch, the two-level dinning room welcomes guests to eat in the glory of high ceilings with exposed wooden beams, spiral staircases, colorful Mexican rugs, and chandeliers, plus there's a veranda for outside dining. Breakfast and lunch are buffet style, while dinner is served. The ranch's low-fat diet is mostly vegetarian and the Mexican influence really livens up the menu. Favorites include their signature guacamole and chile rellenos, plus there's typically the choice of fish. (The seafood comes from a nearby open-air market where local fishermen sell their catch of the day.)
Zen out
Finding your way through the labyrinth, a meditative path modeled after the one at Chartes Cathedral in France, is like a walking meditation. At night, it's lit by luminaries for strolls under the moon. The morning Woodlands Meditation Hike is a silent guided walk in the foothills of sacred Mount Kuchmaa. Seated meditation classes are also held daily. And sometimes Meditative Dinners are arranged: meals without conversation often accompanied by inspirational music.
Best spa treatments
The first treatment to be offered at the ranch was an herbal wrap meant to ease the muscles of guests worn out from exercise. Today the Aromatherapy Wrap, one of four wraps offered, rolls you up in a snug fragrant bundle of hot lines with special oils and herbs (30 minutes for $40). The Hot Riverstone Massage is a top pick for those looking for heat and massage to dissolve knots ($65 for 50 minutes).
Special packages
Dozens of Special Weeks are offered throughout the year. In August, the resort sets aside its facilities, staff, and rooms exclusively for the use of ladies over two Women's Weeks. There are also weeks in which experts are invited to teach various disciplines of yoga, dance, or Pilates, as well as writing and art. Check the ranch's calendar for these themed weeks. (Prices are the same as weekly rates.)
What's included
Accommodations, three meals a day, unlimited classes and lectures, and transfers to and from San Diego on Saturdays. Weekly rates start at $2,690 per person. Prices drop slightly in the off-season (June through December 30).
One click and you're off
Rancho La Puerta (800-443-7565, www.rancholapuerta.com.
Take a trip to the Berkshires on the next page ...
Reprinted with permission of the National Geographic Society from the book
50 Best Girlfriends Getaways in North America by Marybeth Bond. Copyright ©2007 Marybeth Bond. All rights reserved.
