Beauty Colorado Hotels Skiing & Snowboarding Spas Telluride The Rockies: Beauty Colorado Hotels Skiing & Snowboarding Spas Telluride The Rockies
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Pick a Spa, Pick a Ski Destination
Outdoor Pool at The Peaks Resort & Spa
You’re missing out on a good chunk of fun and relaxation if you think your whole mountain experience has to be all about hitting the slopes. Sure, there’s nothing like spending day after day in the fresh air, carving perfect turns on buttery snow or picking through exquisite, diamond-shaped moguls. Yet even the most die-hard skiers and boarders need a day off. Or maybe just a half day. Or how about a couple days off? It’s supposed to be a vacation after all. You don’t want to feel like you need a vacation after your vacation, do you? How about après-ski—don’t those moments represent some of the best of your whole ski vacation? Those delicious hours of the day don’t have to be all about drinks at the bar.
Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch
O.K., admit it, time spent at the spa would be much appreciated. And in case you haven’t noticed, spas aren’t just for ladies. Men (and even in some cases, children) enjoy delightful times there, as well, especially in the Rockies where top ski destinations boast some of the finest spas in the country. It seems as though resort and spa experts really “get it” in the mountains. They realize that in a rugged land where you play hard there’s even more of a need for spas that focus on ultimate relaxation and hydration, privileged enclaves where the weary outdoor enthusiast can go to unwind and rejuvenate. Best of all, most of these spas rate high on ambiance. From cozy mountain elegance to alpenglow serene, there’s a spa and a vast menu of treatments from which to choose for everyone’s taste.
There’s still plenty of time to plan a great mid-winter or spring ski trip. Act fast though since with every additional snowfall, the airlines seem to bump up their prices. (Note that as I post this we’re delighting in a major snowstorm that has already dumped about 1 1/2 feet on most of Colorado’s mountain resorts.) As with all travels, there’s much to consider when planning your vacation. I suggest you factor in the spa component more than ever before. You never know when the skiing might go south (even for just a few days) and as we all know, there’s nothing like a spa experience to alleviate a mountain of stress.
I’ve highlighted some of my favorite Colorado mountain spas below. All are contained within places of lodging, however, you don’t necessarily have to stay at that resort to experience the spa. All open their facilities to outside guests for the price of a treatment or in some cases, a day pass.
My Lap Lane of Luxury at The Peaks Resort & Spa
The Spa at The Peaks, Telluride
I’m lucky enough to claim this expansive spa and fitness center as part of my home turf. I come here as often as I can and always leave relaxed and restored. Perhaps the largest and most impressive among my Colorado mountain spas featured in this story, The Spa at The Peaks encompasses thirty-two treatment rooms, a sleek fitness center, private men’s and women’s lounges, a full-service hair and nail salon, numerous saunas, steam rooms, Jacuzzis, Roman tubs and two pools including a lap pool and an indoor/outdoor pool as well as a lovely gift shop. They also offer a variety of classes from yoga to Zumba. From most vantage points at The Peaks, you gaze out at awe-inspiring peaks, a panoramic vista that enhances your spa sensations tenfold every season of the year. This is also a terrific kid-friendly spa (although there are plenty of private areas for adults). I’m always amazed by the amount of energy the kids display romping in the indoor/outdoor pool and zipping down the water slide after big days on the slopes or out hiking. Come early to claim your poolside chaise lounge in the summer since the outdoor pool at The Peaks is a Telluride favorite. Note that I enjoyed a fabulous facial here by Tricia, an excellent esthetician, and that the spa uses Isun, a locally-made line of beauty products, in most of their treatments. For a fun story about my spray tanning experience at the salon, read Spray Tanning: Bronzage in a Bottle.
Himmel Spa, Fairmont Franz Klammer Lodge, Telluride
Outdoor Pool at The Fairmont Franz Klammer
Easily considered one of the best-kept secrets of Telluride, most people don’t realize that this boutique spa may be enjoyed even if you’re not staying at The Klammer. I love the intimate, low-key feel of the spa which includes indoor and outdoor hot tubs, steam rooms and saunas and a cozy welcome area and treatment rooms which exude a heartwarming chalet-like feel. Come early to experience the rooftop adult-only hot tub before your treatment and dare to go naked (I did!) if you slip quickly into the bubbling water. A massage with Darren is a must, especially if you’re in need of good muscle work and great healing therapy.
Read Telluride’s Ultra Luxe Mountain Spas for other luxury mountain spas in Telluride. Note Capella changed ownership this year and is now called Hotel Madeline. For more boutique-y spa experiences in T-ride, read Telluride’s Beauty Boutiques.
The St. Regis Aspen
Remède Spa, St. Regis Resort, Aspen
The Cold Pool at Remède
For me, Remède is the spa to go to in Aspen. It exudes all the luxury and discretion of this high-end property. If you’re lucky enough to be staying at the St. Re gis, you can pad down to the spa in your robe, otherwise plan to spend a good chunk of time here, the way so many of the Aspenites do for a variety of treatments from a Purifying Wrap to a Rejuvenating Pedicure. A great address for couples or even a spa day with the girls, each spa experience begins with a delightful spread of sweet and savory snacks and ends with a glass of champagne. Arrive well in advance of your treatment to enjoy Remède’s many amenities including a comforting oxygen lounge and a Confluence hot tub with waterfall, both leisurely features shared best à deux. It’s all so transformative and relaxing that you just might need to book a stay here after all.
Allegria Spa, Park Hyatt, Beaver Creek
Mountain View Suite Treatment Room at Allegria
Whether you’re a visitor or a resident of Colorado, it seems that you can never get enough hydration in this arid climate. We all try to drink gallons of water and slather ourselves with triple-moisturizing oils and creams. Yet it’s never enough. For the supreme gift of moisture, experience aqua sanitas, or healing waters, at Allegria Spa at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek. Inspired from the ancient tradition of Roman baths, here you may take to the waters in a variety of forms before your treatment (such as a facial or massage) even begins. Start at the Thermae Pool, a hot, co-ed pool, evocative of a natural spring. The rest of your hydrotherapy is enjoyed in separate male and female areas where you’’ll want to sample their Cascata Rainshower, their Caldarium Steam Room and Mineral Pools and their Tepidarium, a room bathed in light where you laze upon heated, tile loungers. My visit at Allegria culminated with an ultra-hydrating facial, expertly provided by Jennifer. I left so relaxed that I couldn’t muster the energy to shop in Allegria’s boutique, a fabulous-looking emporium of potions and lotions that begged to be discovered. Men take note: this might be one more reason to send your ladies to the spa more often.
Vichy Shower at Allegria
Bachelor Gulch Spa at The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch
The Stone Grotto at Bachelor Gulch Spa
I love the Rocky Mountain feel of this whole resort, a look that’s largely conveyed through the use of lots of natural materials such as wood and stone. The Bachelor Gulch Spa also embodies this back-to-nature approach, especially within its Stone Grotto, a relaxation area distinguished by stone walls and a wood ceiling where men and women lounge about within a tranquil and private setting. To me, it felt like a luxurious womb, especially after a dip in the Grotto’s warm, saline pool. It’s easy to curl up poolside for a nap. Fortunately this restful moment might only be interrupted by your therapist gently awakening you for your treatment. I had a massage with Adam, a session marked by his skillful hands and heating pads applied to my back and shoulders, an added feature never before experienced with a massage. Afterward, my hunny and I sat outside of the Great Room around the fire pits to take in the sunset before finally moving inside for drinks. We sunk deeply into their huge, leather couches, expressing gratitude that we had cut our ski day short to spend such a long, languorous moment at The Bachelor Gulch Spa, most definitely one of the most intimate and romantic spas we had ever encountered together.
As I look back upon my time at many of the above resorts, I realize that these spa experiences flood my mind as much as my memories on the hill. It’s my bet that they’ll have the same effect on you as well.
Art & Culture Beauty Fashion & Style Food & Wine Paris Writing & Books: Art & Culture Beauty Fashion & Style Food & Wine Paris Writing & Books
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Drooling Over Pastry Paris
"Pastry Paris: In Paris, Everything Looks Like Dessert"
“The fine arts are five in number, namely: painting, sculpture, poetry, music, and architecture, the principal branch of the latter being pastry.”
—Antonin Carême (1783-1833)
The above quote surely served as inspiration for Susan Hochbaum in the creation of her darling book, “Pastry Paris: In Paris, Everything Looks Like Dessert” (The Little Bookroom). A luscious treat, enticing enough to devour in one sitting, “Pastry Paris” takes my vote for the best gift-y book of the season. Lovers of Paris, pastry, history and beauty will savor it like a best-loved dessert.
“It’s hard not to love a city with a pâtisserie on nearly every block, where pastries are sold all day long to People who never get fat.”
This is how Ms. Hochbaum begins “Pastry Paris,” a clever little delight that pleases by its words, photography and design. Who has not been mesmerized by the candy-colored allure and sheer artistry of French pastries? Did you know that most of these masterpieces boast very particular names such as Religieuse, St. Honoré, Paris-Brest and the well-known Eclair? These names—with only occasional variations—are the same throughout all of France, names that have been used in most cases for centuries for the same scrumptious little cakes featured in bakeries like jewels in a showcase.
In “Pastry Paris,” you’ll learn that each pastry possesses its own story, its own special place in la culture générale of France. From Brioche to Madeleine, Ms. Hochbaum tells a tale about all of France’s beloved gâteaux as she takes you along to many of Paris’s most famous pâtisseries and landmark sites along the way. This is one visual stroll through Paris that cannot easily be forgotten.
To be extra special, I suggest you offer “Pastry Paris” with a selection of fine, French pastries.
For now, indulge in this glorious celebration of Paris pastries from Ms. Hochbaum and me by clicking here.
Marking a Milestone with Good Wishes and a Great Face Cream
My Super Salve
I breathe deeply and nearly sigh as I write this. I began preparing for this monumental birthday last March. Before that I felt more dread than hope. Then I decided to change my attitude around it. I wrote a list of clear and concise affirmations of what I wanted to manifest most in my life, began saying them out loud on a daily basis and then after a couple of months, procured a luxurious face cream. Yes, I contacted my friend Cassandra at Clarins and she furnished me with a shopping bag full of potions, lotions and sprays. They have been my saving grace these past couple of months as I’ve barreled toward this day.
Am I sounding shallow? I hope not. I think we all need sensory experiences that ground us in our daily lives. Consider the feelings triggered by the smell of freshly-brewed coffee in the morning, the sound of a loved one approaching the door, the feel of your pet nuzzling up for attention, the taste of buttered toast with jam, the sight of the sky easing into darkness at the end of the day. We are comforted and nurtured by these sensations more than we realize and I’ve found that the more I tap into these feelings, the more they serve as an emotional compass in my daily life.
HydraQuench Rich Cream by Clarins has been this sort of balm for me every day and night these past couple of months. It has been the constant that—along with many deep breaths—has calmed me in good times and in bad, through sickness and in health and through richer and poorer (mostly!) in this wacky marriage with myself that is now blankety-blank years strong. Its enveloping texture and fresh clean scent has soothed me amidst my early morning and late night thoughts of where I should be in my life, what I should be doing now. With each creamy application, I’ve been reassured that I’m right where I’m supposed to be, so enjoy it. The fact that this beautiful product offers superlative skin care for very dry skin and cold climates has been a bonus. Most times when I apply it, I swear that HydraQuench Rich Cream must have been created with the Rocky Mountains in mind.
Good Enough to Eat
The few times I have bronzed in the sun this summer, I’ve been coated with this French company’s Multi-Cellular Protection SPF 50+ Sunscreen. It’s touted as being “smart sun for younger looking skin” since it protects against harmful UVA and UVB rays while nourishing your skin with a five-plant formula of extracts made from senna, pea, plane tree, olive and baobab. It’s in its marvelous combination of plant extracts that Clarins truly excels. They’ve been making holistic concoctions, many of which are characterized by a distinctive scent, way before it became fashionable to do so.
Oh, How I love this Eau
So here I am. Me and my face cream and an armful of various other soothing products. We’ve made it to this big day together and I know that with their help I’ll be more fabulous than ever in the years to come. As my Mom wrote in her birthday card to me, “It gets really fun from now on.” Wow, that was a surprise, but I sense it must be true. She’s aged gracefully, surely with the help of some fine face creams as well as a terrific sense of humor.
I count my blessings. I’m grateful for my Italian genes that belie my age, a mostly sunny personality and the ability to look on the bright side of a situation, no matter how dire. Most of all though I’m grateful for good health and all the wonderful people, places, things and experiences that have shaped my life thus far. My life continues to resist going exactly where I want it to go. The big book deal has yet to occur, true love still seems elusive, bill paying challenges me more than ever and hanging on to certain old behaviors and beliefs that impede my growth can still be a problem.
Hélas, life is not perfect. And neither am I. But there’s always hope. The first step is acceptance; the next is a long, languorous application of a gorgeous face cream. I look into the mirror, smile and think of my Mom saying “Oh cripes.” Yeah, that’s it, oh cripes. Now it’s time to get on with it.
One way or another, I think I’ll punctuate this birthday with an exclamation point. At the half century mark, a period just doesn’t seem to cut it!
Know that Clarins is committed to the environment and many of their products and their packaging reflect this concern. I was especially impressed with their Gentle Beauty Soap, made of shea butter and hazelnut oil, that provides a green alternative to most facial cleansers that come in plastic. It’s great for airplane security as well.
Read Clarins, Cassandra and Me for more about my love for this great French company.
Hunny and Me at Gateway in June Before My Clarins Self Tanning
Approach every birthday—and every day for that matter—like a gift to be unwrapped with much wonder and excitement.
Now I’m off to the pool to fan myself.
Beauty Mountain Living Shopping: Beauty Mountain Living Shopping
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Hair Help
Moroccanoil: My Secret Weapon
Spring. It’s a great season for cleaning, organizing and freshening up all that you own. I’ve been doing a lot of that lately and have been careful not to neglect something that I wear everyday whether I stay home or go out. Yes, as the title of this story indicates, I’m talking about my hair.
Hair—how it looks and feels—is important to all of us. So I thought I’d share a few of my secrets with you. I consider myself an expert of sorts since I live and play in a climate that can render the most silky locks into a nest of untamable frizz. Plus I’m at a time in my life where age only makes the situation worse (Oh dear!), and both my hair and skin seem to constantly be crying out with a Sahara-like thirst the likes of which I’ve never known. My bad coif situation reaches hair-splitting proportions by the end of ski season. (Although I’m careful to always wear a hat on the slopes, the little tufts that frame my face still become fried and discolored by our intense high-alpine sunshine. I bet you didn’t know that the sun on the ski slopes of Colorado beams far stronger than on most beaches.)
So what’s the answer? Oil. I can’t get enough of it. I don’t go anywhere without my Moroccanoil Oil Treatment for All Hair or Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment. (Good news, too: most of their lines of products come in environmentally-friendly glass bottles.) I work a small amount of either oil into my hair after shampooing and conditioning while still wet. After a quick blow dry, I smooth in L’Anza Silk Serum for added softness. Try the Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream instead of the oil for more controlled styling. I also love the Moroccanoil shampoo and conditioner.
For more concentrated hydration, do a Macadamia Deep Repair Masque once or twice a week. My Italian boyfriend told me that his grandfather used to occasionally walk around with olive oil in his hair, a home remedy that I’m sure made him chuckle. And even I reported in my book, “The Riches of Paris,” that one of Paris’s top salons recommended adding olive, palm or other types of oil to your hair once a week a few minutes before shampooing to keep your locks healthy and silky smooth. These are both great options but I still like to create a separation between bathroom and kitchen products—I prefer using something that makes me feel like I’m at a spa rather than a trattoria.
Even with all these hydrating treatments that I implemented throughout winter, I found my hair pathetically brittle and brassy come early April. I felt overwhelmed by a I-can’t-stand-it-one-more-day feeling just as I was heading off for some travels. There was no time for professional coloring, so I took a chance and bought a box of Clairol Natural Instincts at our local pharmacy. I nervously followed the instructions and applications to the letter since it was only the third time in my life that I turned to box color. Fabuleux! I ended up being thrilled by the color and texture of my hair. And it cost me less than $10. The hue and softness have held up nicely these past five weeks—especially with the assistance of my various oils and conditioners. Now I’m ready to give it another try.
Wish me luck since pricey colors and cuts might best be reserved for only quarterly trips to the salon during these challenging times.
Beauty Hotels Pot Pourri Restaurants Spas Telluride The Rockies Travel: Beauty Hotels Pot Pourri Restaurants Spas Telluride The Rockies Travel
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Great Deals for Public Radio: Summer 2010
Capella's Mountain Elegance
There are lots of travel deals out there these days but you won’t find any as enticing as the ones I’m presenting to you below. And best of all, by making a pledge for them you’re supporting KOTO community radio in Telluride, one of the few entirely community-sponsored radio stations in the country. More and more people tune in on the Internet as well during T-ride’s famed Bluegrass Festival (when KOTO broadcasts live) or just any ‘ole day of the year. It’s a great way to get the flavor of a happening mountain town along with some fine music and talk.
If you don’t know about my Travel Fun radio show, please tune in live one of these Tuesdays. Or you may listen to some of my past interviews that I’ve posted as podcasts.
Now for the good stuff. Here’s what you can snatch up in exchange for a pledge, just e-mail me through my Contacts Page to lock in your travel premium. (You can also go there to sign up for my RSS feed and/or to receive bi-monthly Travel Fun announcements. Be sure to provide all your contact information including phone and address (e-mail as well as snail mail, please) and your desired prize. Know that I’m accepting pledges on a first come, first serve basis, so act fast!
TELLURIDE TEMPTATIONS
First-Rate Dinner and Lodging at Capella
$150. pledge: a two-night stay in a standard room (pictured above—wow!) in this stunning hotel, valued between $200. and $500.
$75. pledge: dinner for two at Onyx, Capella’s signature restaurant, valued at $100. not including tax and gratuity.
Feeling sophisticated? It sounds like you need to spend some time at Capella, the newest bright star of Telluride’s hospitality offerings.
The Himmel Spa Relaxation Room at The Klammer
Gorgeous Health and Beauty Treatments from the Fairmont Heritage Place, Franz Klammer Lodge
$75. pledge: One-hour facial, valued at $130.
$75. pledge: One-hour massage, valued at $120. Note that both include access to the pool, fitness center and spa facilities for the day. How delightful, how de-lovely! Read what I have to say about The Himmel Spa at The Klammer in my story, Telluride’s Ultra Luxe Mountain Spas.
OUTSIDE OF TELLURIDE
Almost Like Home: Box Canyon Lodge
Great Getaway to America’s Little Switzerland
$50. pledge: Enjoy an overnight, valued at $100., at Box Canyon Lodge & Hot Springs, in Ouray. Read my Ouray story as a primer.
