Inspired by the living green of plants and trees everywhere and the wild blossoming of intensely-colored flowers, wellness travelers—let’s call them rejuvenators—seek summer breaks to flee and flourish too. Summer is a time to slough off winter’s dormancy and dryness and boost bodies into action, which happily for some, requires inaction.
California has always led the nation in embracing trends in health and wellness, with iconic experiences both inspired and inspiring. Detox retreats, innovative bran baths, and relaxation techniques will float stress away, sometimes literally. Tired toiling travelers will experience rebirth, and come alive, rejuvenated and rested. See how Terranea in Rancho Palos Verdes incorporates circadian rhythms below.
Experiences also include everything from infrared sleeping pads and ionic foot baths to a 600-year-old mineral spring in Desert Hot Springs.
Profundity found in Union Square (San Francisco) From the penthouse floor of the iconic Westin St. Francis Hotel, Rejuvé Wellness Center & Spa revolutionizes health and beauty through custom packages. The spa, an unexpected oasis in San Francisco’s Union Square, provides comprehensive services including specialized massages and facials, yoga classes, nutrition plans, and innovative serum-infused HydraFacials. Rejuvé’s Sea La Vie Signature Spa Experience includes an aromavedic massage, marine mud facial and California’s only SolTec Lounge – a neurologist-designed tool for profound relaxation.
Five Japanese creek-side gardens in Santa Rosa In need of a little Zen? Osmosis Day Spa, just 20 minutes outside of Santa Rosa, is a Japanese-style spa with one of the most unique treatments in the country, the Cedar Enzyme Bath. After you enjoy a cup of tea, your personal bath attendant will help you get settled in a tub filled with a hot, aromatic blend of finely ground cedar and rice bran. The mixture helps improve circulation and skin tone, while reducing muscle and joint aches. After a soak, enjoy the gorgeous Japanese gardens or another complimentary spa service.
Follow serious outdoors with ionic foot soak in and around Tuolumne Sometimes all you need to de-stress is to unplug and get into nature. Hiking the Dragoon Gulch Trail, saddling up for a backcountry horseback ride or camping under the stars in Stanislaus National Forest is like pressing your reset button. Yogis can practice Standing Tree Pose in the Sierra Nevada Mountains with Mountain Om Yoga. In historic downtown Sonora, the Amala Detox and Tea Lounge’sionic foot soak is a perfect après-exercise indulgence.
Tap into one top spa in Monterey After a day exploring all Cannery Row has to offer, indulge at its Vista Blue Spa on the penthouse level of the Monterey Plaza Hotel. The spa has been named one of Travel + Leisure’s TOP 25 Spas and one of Conde Nast’s TOP 75 Hotel Spas in North America. The Stress Dissolving Mineral Salt Soak enables guests to lounge in a bath perfumed with a blend of lemon, violet, mint and sandalwood, letting the aromatherapy and view take you away.
This pad time is positive in San Luis Obispo Is there a better town to chill in than one that is known as ‘SLO’? Located downtown, SLOCO is an eco-friendly day spa, with a nighttime sleepover package designed to promote deep sleep. The overnight experience begins by sipping an herbal elixir in the relaxation lounge before heading to your private SPApartment and crawling into a bed fitted with a special pad that relaxes body and mind using infrared waves and negative ion therapy.
Drift into dreamland with Pacific Gray Whales just offshore at Rancho Palos Verdes Surrounded by the Pacific Ocean on three sides, guests of Terranea can let the soothing waves carry them to sleep, or let the professionals at the 50,000-square-foot indoor/outdoor spa send them to dreamland with the Sound Sleep service. The experience includes a light massage done in concert with the soothing music playing in the background. Essential oils and surrounding scents further encourage deep relaxation designed to promote sleep and jet lag recovery. All of the services at the spa are organized according to time of day to work with the body’s natural circadian rhythms.
Desert Hot Springs Choice Escape for artists, actors and musicians For a total immersive wellness experience, Two Bunch Palms offers body, mind and spirit programming. A centerpiece of the first carbon neutral resort in America is the 600-year-old mineral spring that flows into its pools. The composition of the waters is said to have therapeutic and mood enhancing properties. The spa offers services ranging from chakra balancing massages and Watsu water treatments to unique mud baths. Daily programming includes classes for fitness as well as for the self, such as mindful eating or the power of forgiveness. The Essence restaurant features a menu built from local, organic and seasonal food that is made from hormone-, GMO- and pesticide-free ingredients.