Girls Just Gotta Go
April 30, 2009
Six girlfriend-getaway spots perfect for decompression, relaxation, chatting, and good food & wine.
For more information and to book , visit:AAA.com/Travel
Sometimes, as much as I love my family, it’s great to leave the husband and kids at home and get away with just the girls. And what better way to spend quality time with my friends than to spend a vacation together. You don’t need a lot of time. In many cases, a long weekend goes a long way to recharging the batteries.
What makes a destination a perfect girlfriend getaway usually entails a deluxe spa (a definite must!), great restaurants and a relaxing environment, but our two B&B inclusions adequately show that the choice for a relaxing weekend or long weekend excursion does not need to feature a megaresort.
The Water Club—A Signature Hotel by Borgata (www.thewaterclubatborgata.com) is the place to go for spa aficionados, as it boasts one of the most luxurious spas on the East Coast. The weekend I visited, I spent most of my time at the lap pool, ordering spa food service, getting treatments and talking to my girlfriends.
The Immersion Spa, on the 32nd floor, is a 32,000-square-foot sanctuary boasting 16 treatment rooms, floor-to-ceiling windows and amazing views of Atlantic City and the ocean beyond. A 25-yard infinity-edge lap pool, with plush chaises longues, is the centerpiece. Treatments range from massages and facials to cutting-edge water and wrap therapies, and what’s really nice is that they are 30 minutes longer than the standard 50-minute treatments provided at most spas.
When I wasn’t in the spa, my girlfriends and I were enjoying the fabulous restaurants at the resort, especially the Bobby Flay Steakhouse (who says steakhousesare just for men?). The resort attracts top talent from around the world, and we were torn between seeing John Mayer or Chris Rock.
Mohegan Sun (www.mohegansun.com) also boasts a spa that attracts many women. When I visited, the relaxation lounges (separate ones for men and women) were packed with girlfriends. Its 23,000-square-foot Elemis Spa is much quieter, as are its large Jacuzzi, sauna and steam room. The 13 treatment rooms are named for the moons that mark the Mohegan Indian tribe’s seasonal change.
The restaurants at Mohegan Sun offer diverse as well as delicious fare. Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, the resort’s newest restaurant, is the perfect place for women to catch up over margaritas and cheeseburgersin-paradise. The atmosphere is fun and festive. The two celebrity restaurants—Todd English’s Tuscany and Michael Jordan’s—are great for upscale dinners.
Dancer Farm B&B (www.dancerfarm.com) proves that size is not everything. What better way to celebrate spring’s renewal than with a trip to New Egypt, in Central New Jersey, where the charming Dancer Farm shares 250 rolling acres with a network of horseback and hiking trails, an equestrian center and a winery? Massages can be arranged, and with only 10 guest rooms, peace and quiet is high on the agenda. The state’s famous Jersey Shore is a short drive away.
Want the whole place for you and your friends? Then look no further than The High Pointe Inn (www.thehighpointeinn.com), in West Barnstable on Cape Cod. Four of you can rent out the entire place and enjoy—in the package rate—a pizza party, full breakfast every morning, a three-course dinner at a nearby fine-dining restaurant, evening cocktails, views of the ocean and the dunes of Sandy Neck beach from each room and the freedom to relax in solitude. Its lounge has a healthy selection of DVDs. In the off-season, Cape Cod is a relatively uncrowded jewel, and the B&B is beside one of the most scenic roads in the United States.
Want to escape to foreign climes? The St. Kitts Marriott Resort & The Royal Beach Casino (www.stkittsmarriott.com) offers the largest Vegas-style casino in the Caribbean, eight restaurants, a world-class spa and one of the most beautiful beaches on the island, North Frigate Bay Beach. The sand is golden and soft, and both nonmotorized and motorized water sports are available.
Its Emerald Mist Spa features eight treatment rooms, hot and cold plunge pools, hot tubs, Vichy showers and a Roman bath. For girlfriends traveling together, the salon can host groups of 12 for manicures, pedicures and hair services, and there are plenty of places for the girls to sit around and gab.
Lastly, for women who want a Caribbean island vacation without technically leaving the United States, then Puerto Rico is the place to go. The San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino (www.marriott.com) recently underwent a $35 million renovation, and the new look is chic and stylish. The bedrooms now feature 300-thread-count sheets, down comforters, sheeted duvet covers, thick mattresses, plush toppers and superfluffy pillows. All bathrooms have rainforest showerheads and deep tubs, and its interconnecting ground-floor cabana rooms are ideal for groups who want to be close to the pool and resort amenities.
Off-the Beaten Path: The Backroads and Breadmakers of Cape Cod
November 10, 2008
For a real taste of Cape Cod the average visitor will need some Innsider Innformation. It’s not just all sand dunes and salty air on this remote sand spit that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean. Cape Codders are hardy stock, hardscrabble folks who have learned how to eek out a paycheck using all sorts of local resources and creative enterprise. Cape Cod is populated with artists, writers, and entrepreneurs of all ilks. You’ll find organic farmers, natural soap makers, herbalists, brewers, wine makers, bread bakers, chocolatiers, jewelry makers, and folks who do all sorts of things with cranberries. Many of these creative and enterprising people have achieved success locally and regionally with their products, and in some cases, nationally. If you want to sample the real Cape Cod, seek out products that are made here. Some of our favorites include:
Cape Cod Potato Chips: Made in Hyannis, but known world wide, and deservedly so; they are Rich’s favorite chips. Offering free tours of the Cape Cod Potato Chip factory on Breed’s Hill Road between 9 AM and 5 PM daily, Monday through Friday. You may also call them at (508) 775-3358 or look them up on the web at www.capecodchips.com
Barnstable Bat Company: Makers of the bat used by the Cape Cod Baseball League as well as some major league teams. Made of white northern ash, the bats bear the Cape Cod logo and start at around $40 for an adult bat and $30 for a youth bat. For $5 more you can get it personalized. The company opened in 1992 and is located at 40 Pleasant Pines Avenue in Centerville. The showroom is open Monday through Friday and some weekends in summer. Telephone (508) 362-8046 to request a brochure. You can also visit their website at www.barnstablebat.com.
Cape Cod Metal Polishing Cloths: Famous the world over, these cleaning clothes were developed by an antique brass restorer living in Dennis, MA. The clothes are packaged in a distinctive tin and sold nationwide, and in Canada and Europe. For more information and store locations, call (508) 385-5099 or check them out at www.capecodpolish.com. Most hardware stores the Cape carry them.
Cape Cod Lavender Farm: Follow the signs from 124 in Harwich to a little oasis down a long windy dirt drive for an olfactory adventure you won’t soon forget. Here on this family-run lavender farm, are handmade soaps, oils, lotions and candles, all scented with lavender grown on the premises. If you can’t get there, call (508) 432-8397 for a brochure; or order online at www.capecodlavenderfarm.com.
Arts & Artisans Trails
In 2006, the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Economic Development Council, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and several others, released the first printing of the Arts & Artisans Trails, a guidebook featuring over 200 of the region’s finest artists located along seven defined itineraries that crisscross the byways and backroads of Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket.
The seven itineraries contained in the guide feature drives and walks to almost 200 stops.
Rough maps guide you around each trail, with starting points and a route that seemed logical to the editors. The first five trails are on Cape Cod, and a good map of Cape Cod is a handy thing to have with you, as are maps for both islands. The seven trails are identified by location and include:
Shining Sea Trail – Upper Cape
Old King‘s Highway Trail – Mid Cape
String of Ports Trail -Lower Cape
Sea Captain‘s Trail – Lower Cape
Great Dunes Trail – Outer Cape
Grey Lady Trail -Nantucket
Moshup‘s Trail – Martha’s Vineyard
Some of the artists can be accessed from bike trails and via shuttles in the summer. Walks to galleries in the harbor towns make a nice day trip. In the quiet seasons (November to April) it’s easy to drive the routes. Most stops are on or near major roads, and many of the artists open their studios year-round. Artists with regular hours all year are noted in the book. Others are open by appointment, which is also noted. If you visit in the winter, be aware that some sole proprietors take vacation in the slow season, and it would be wise to call ahead to check their hours.
We keep a copy of the Arts & Artisans Trails Guidebook in each guest room for your use while you are here. Or, you can purchase the guidebook from our Inn’s gift shop, at local bookstores on the Cape and Islands; at the Cape Cod Chamber Visitor Center, located at the junction of Routes 6 and 132 in Hyannis; or online at http://www.capecodchamber.org/store/Product.asp?pid=26.