Fodors lists these ten spas as the 10 Top Luxury Resort Spas:

• Amangani Health Center at the Amangani Resort – Jackson, Wyoming
• Spa Gaucin at the St. Regis Monarch – Monarch Beach, California
• Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa – Phoenix, Arizona
• Greenbriar Resort & Spa – While Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
• Hualalai Sports Club and Spa at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai – Kona, Hawaii
• Allegria Spa at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort – Avon, Colorado
• Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa – Asheville, North Carolina
• The Spa at the Post Ranch Inn – Big Sur, California
• The Spa at the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne – Key Biscayne, Florida
• Bellagio Spa Resort (Hotel and Casino) – Las Vegas, Nevada

Well, I think it would be unreasonable to visit all of these spots, but at the very least…I’m calling the Arizona Biltmore right now to make this month’s appointment! Does anyone have any other recommendations in the greater Phoenix area?

• Spas in San Francisco Bay Area, Carmel, Big Sur, Sonoma and Napa Valley, Central California Coast
• Spas in Vail, Aspen, Telluride, Steamboat Springs and the Colorado Rockies
• Spas in Denver, Colorado Springs, Boulder, Cheyenne Wyoming and the Eastern Rockies
• Spas in Greater Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Jackson Hole in Wyoming and Bozeman, Montana
• Spas in Hilo, Kona, Kohala Coast, Waikoloa on the Big Island of Hawaii
• Spas in Las Vegas, Lake Mead and the Nevada desert
• Spas in Roanoke, Asheville, Smoky, Blue Ridge, Shenandoah and Southern Appalachian Mountains
• Spas in Phoenix, Tucson, Scottsdale, Tombstone and Southern Arizona
• Spas in Key West, Ft. Lauderdale, Naples, Palm Beach, Miami Beach, Boca Raton and Southern Florida

Here are my goals for the week: Get work done, golf, eat some good BBQ and Mexican food, and get a few massages. That shouldn’t be too hard. One of my coworkers suggested the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum—does anyone know if that’s worth going to?

• Arts and Entertainment in Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Padre Island and Southeastern Texas
• Cool and Fun Things to Do in Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Padre Island and Southeastern Texas
• Golf Courses in Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Padre Island and Southeastern Texas
• Luxury Vacations for Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Padre Island and Southeastern Texas
• Museums in Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Padre Island and Southeastern Texas
• Places to Visit in Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Padre Island and Southeastern Texas
• Spas in Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Padre Island and Southeastern Texas

My name is Alesandra. I am a professional spiritual healer and masseuse. I am efficient, reliable, responsible, hardworking, trustworthy and dependable, and I have several years of experience. My regular clients say I am punctual, detail-oriented, friendly, and very good at what I do.

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It's time to get back to Chitown. Oh yes it is . . .

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I used to be pretty good about getting massaged but it's been 4 months since my last one.  Please don't tell any of my clients!  I suppose I could offer up an excuse but there just isn't one.  Shame on me for not practicing what I preach.  I'm coming clean because I know I'm not the only one.
What I'm curious about is . . . why?  

Why are we who give so much to others unwilling to do the same for ourselves?  

Barter with other therapists isn't something I ever liked doing.   For one thing I think it's important to pay other MT's for their work.  Especially if you expect clients to reach into their wallets to pay you.   For another it can be time consuming finding an MT who is equally serious, reliable, and skilled.  

MTs can have unreasonable standards when it comes to massage.  Despite the peaceful vibes we advocate, this is not an ego free profession.  Lots of us just can't enjoy a massage without a mental critique.  I don't like massaging other therapists for that reason, and when I go for a massage I try to avoid telling the therapist what I do for a living.

How long since your last session?  If you can't remember that far back, what's your excuse?

Located within the prestigious FHA ~ Florida Health Academy of Naples, our clinical skin care centre is nestled among Complementary Healthcare practitioners offering Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, Chiropractic, Massage Therapy, Yoga and Pilates.

We are committed to providing advanced, non-invasive skin care services in a private and tranquil Alternative Healthcare environment for women, men, and teens who demand quality and results!

In addition to our skin care services, through our convenient on-line store we offer medical-grade skin care products, mineral make-up, and pharmaceutical-grade nutritional supplements. Partnering with the Life Extension Foundation, our philosophy is to effectively improve the skin by addressing its needs both internally and externally.

Posted by Joe Ballarino of Amerivest Realty, Naples Florida

]]> http://vanessamanchester.wordpress.com/?p=426 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:41:22 +0000 vanessamanchester http://vanessamanchester.wordpress.com/?p=426 Haven't had any time to blog this weekend because of the following reasons:

1. Having no time on Thursday. I don't remember why, just that the past few days at work have been insanely busy with finishing things up and working on stuff that I will not be using next year, like the students' handbook and other documents of that ilk. I'll be back again on Monday and Tuesday, because I am so responsible...! But Tuesday will be my official last day, and then it's just counting down to the 28^th/30^th. I haven't decided on which day to make my first yet. I would like to start on the former, but have no idea where to begin. I'm waiting for an email from someone before making that particular decision.
2. China. We went to Donguan on Friday night by train to Lowu and then another train to Zhangmutou. I was stunned by how clean everything was, and how fast the train was as well. We had dinner when we arrived, and then massages. I bought nothing except one pair of socks. Came back late last night, and I couldn't sleep because I was so keyed up about church this morning, and ended up watching What Happens In Vegas, which was alright, thought-free-fluff. It was funny at times, but the chemistry (or lack thereof) between the various characters was excruciating at times. I had to stay with it though - watching it was not unlike what it must be like for spectators at a train wreck...
3. Church was good this morning, but hearing some relatively bad news put a damper on the lunch for me. Being with a bunch of people and watching The Matrix helped though. Community...
4. Being really angry and bitter about certain arrangements at home. I'm not going into detail, but I really want to, because it's killing my brain right now not being able to talk about it. At the moment, I've talked about it with perhaps two people, and it's busting me wide open at times because it's all boiling there. Help. Again.

I'll post some photos of the weekend up when I have time tomorrow at work. Right now, I just want to shower off some of the resentment and various other kinds of grime off me so I can have a restful night's sleep.

But on Friday, I'll be meeting with someone wise from church to talk through some of these issues. Because it's important to do so before it consumes me. So I'm praying about the day. Coffee in the morning. I have to pray. I have to believe that God is in this situation, and that there's a purpose for all this emotion. I'm struggling a lot, have been for the past month or so, but especially since I signed the new contract, especially since I feel trapped, and exhausted from fighting, and not able to talk about the truth to the very person I need to talk about this with, because she. Just. Refuses. To. Listen. And the tears want to fall right now, right now because I am choking, and can't talk about it. I've tried. And it doesn't do anything with her, because she. Just. Doesn't. Hear. Me. And I'm angry, and upset, and hurting, and trapped.

I can pray all I want about it, but nothing seems to have happened/be happening. The situation is still the same, and whilst I don't want for anything to be permanent, as in someone leaving the equation to allow for the situation to change, I can't handle this anger and don't know how I can deal with it. I feel like the worst person in the world because there's no one else to tell about this, nowhere else to go with this, and it's burning away at me in the inside. It's affecting every day, and I get the same questions every day because they don't see why I have asked those questions before, why I shared that I wanted to do it while I could, and not wait until I didn't have a choice. Why is it so hard to understand this?

Perhaps what I'm thinking about is not going to be the thing to change everything, solve all the problems, but how can I know what it does or doesn't do if I'm not allowed to try it? And why do I even have to phrase it this way, that I need to be "allowed?" I'm 25, and for so many of my peers, even for the cutlural understandings, it's more than old enough for independence. So all I can think of is that it's the cultural differences, once again... only this time, I feel it in a massive, staggering way and every thought, every consideration, is burdened by it. I am helpless right now, and want to bury myself in work so I don't need to think about it.

Why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why

Wow. This has become a surprisingly long and emotional entry.

Mid summer has arrived already and today’s the day for lots of happenings. There are festivals galore in many of our East Bay Communities. Berkeley has an event on the south shore of the Berkeley Marina at the bottom of University. It lasts from noon until 9pm with plenty of international food booths, live music and entertainment on the main stage, face painting and plenty of activities for the kids, free sail boat rides, and even massages (that sounds good to me).  There is free ice cream in the Park in Albany at the Albany Veterans Memorial Park sponsored by the Albany Chamber of Commerce. El Cerrito has its own WorldOneFestival with international food booths, lots of live music, and many fun games and events for kids and adults at the Cerrito Vista Park and Portola Middle School.  For more information go to www.el-cerrito.org/recreation/4th_of_July.html.

Oakland’s fireworks are back in Jack London Square. Last year the mayor cancelled them, I think to punish someone, but don’t quote me on that???  But they are back with a bang so plan on 5 hours of live music, entertainment, and fireworks from 4:30pm to 9:30pm.

I plan to enjoy dinner with friends at their home in the Berkeley hills. In my opinion the Berkeley and El Cerrito hills are the best location to view the fireworks. From some locations you can see the fireworks in Jack London in Oakland, the Berkeley Marina, San Francisco, many fireworks in towns on the Peninsula, Sausalito’s, and many others in Marin County. Some people say Indian Rock is the best place in the Berkeley hills but I prefer my friend’s deck while sipping on a nice glass of white wine.

Whatever you do today, do it safe. Stick with the fireworks provided by local cities. Doing your own could result in visiting my friend who works as an x-ray technician at Kaiser. He will be working until 1am tonight just in case you blow a limb off or two. Seriously, he sees a lot of that on the 4th.  You could also be responsible for creating more air quality problems like we had last week by burning down all our beautiful natural resources. I will be mad at you if you do that. So PLEASE, no personal fireworks!! It scares the animals.  Happy 4th of July!!!!

I took a few minutes to preview various fireworks injury sites. As I don't want my readers to puke or anything, I've chosen these 2 in order to make my point. Please enjoy the youtube movie of fireworks gone bad.   and a fireworks factory explosion - see what 1 little mistake can turn into. [googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6126121898177679789]

Written and Edited by Dan Joy

ko samet

this is one of the loveliest and fun holiday i ever had this year.

wonderful (understatement actually) service apartment at natural ville. 2 days worth of crazy shopping. tired feet. lack of sleep. clubbing at bedsupperclub. very cute ang mos. divine massages. yummy korean pork BBQ. a whole week of intense coughing.  tonnes of donuts. pain in the ass car journey to rayong's ban phe pier. puke worthy speedboat ride. pristine beach at ko samet. 4 pretty sarongs. 8 yummy local pancakes with cheese, nutella, banana and chocolate. lovely gorgeous tan. dinner by the beach with live band and fire boys' entertainment. drinking silly by the bar on the beach. dancing on the sand under the stars. lovely brazilian mates. delectable french cuisine and desserts. lovely girls. perfect manicure in a pretty salon.

i have never felt so pampered and happy in a long long while. and i'm truly happy. :)

Our company that offers an eco-friendly alternative to the traditional ski chalet experience. A funky winter retreat offering snow sports, massages, clean green living and local cuisine, the Whitepod resort is only accessible by skis or snowshoes. At the heart of the Whitepod experience is the Whitepod Camp consisting of nine dome shaped pod-like tents pitched on wooden platforms at an altitude of 1400m at the foot of the Dents du Midi, a range with peaks over 3000 meters tall.

There are three types of pod to cater for different group sizes and tastes. The expedition pod is a 25 square meter canvas abode which sleeps up to 2 guests in a double bed. A wood burning stove combined with the latest in insulation technology keeps the living space nice and cosy, and clear glass windows allow views of the night sky whilst you're snuggled up in the organic bedding. There is even a terrace with lounge chairs for you to take in the stunning views.

The Whitepod resort is situated in the heart of the Swiss Alps and was created to provide a completely different winter holiday whilst minimising negative impact on the local environment and utilising local resources where possible. Not for the night owls - you'll find no noisy bars, no busy streets and no crowds. Instead, visitors can just enjoy the solitude of the camp and the incredible setting.

However, just because the Whitepod is far from the bustle indicative of ski resort towns, it doesn't mean you won't eat well. Traditional food is prepared by resident chefs, who use local produce to whip up fantastic dishes. And you can forget queuing for busy pistes because the Whitepod Camp has its own ski private ski resort, serviced by two ski lifts which offer 600m of descent - night and day.

However it's not as easy as people think. I know I always wanted lipo done to my belly ever since i was only 18 years old...I hated my belly, and thought they could fixed that way with lipo.

And they can, perfectly! But........... it's very painfull and very invasive to the body. I've had it done almost a year ago and recuperation was long. The results are very satisfying and now I have the body of my dreams....

But first I had to endure 3 months of pain and discomfort. You see when lipo is performed they use a canula to suck out all the fat. When they insert the canula they have to move it a lot to pass by all the places where the fat is deposited. Leaving you somewhat bruised and sore post-op. Then you have to wear a special girdle for 3 months to presure your skin back to your body,since everything is loose now. In the meantime you swell up like a balloon because of all the aguasangre= bodyfluid that your body builds up. By having lymphedrainatic massages they will help the body to get rid of those fluids,leaving you with a smooth skin. Instead of the bubbles you see sometimes with lipo.

These massages are extremely painfull! At least to me they where,but oh so worth it! Immediately you feel releaved and less puffed up. My feet looked like I was pregnant,they where huge! But slowly the body get's rid of this excessive fluid and starts to heal. In Colombia a massage therapist is esencial for recovery.

Your massages usually start on the 3rd day after surgery. First she will use an ultrasound device to loosen everything up,on the places where you've had lipo. Then she will take some Arnica and Calendula cream and gently massage you always to the direction of your lymph nodes.

Excessive fluid,blood and tiny pieces of fat will be massaged out of the tiny incisions made by the surgeon's canula. This is very painfull,but also very relieving.

If this would be left inside of the body, it can get hard producing uneveness and wavy structure of the skin.

After 3 months you will be healed and can wear clothing without the girdle. You will continue to loose weight, fluids and fat through all this time. Especially while urinating.

After 6 months you can see the final results of everything that was surgery.............

My Favorite Game

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Sally's back and ready to take the spa world by storm! Indulge yourself with hours of fast fun in ten original spa locations around the world. Refresh your customers with facials, manicures, massages, and more. Melt away the stress from a wide variety of customers including blushing brides, demanding fashionistas, and relaxing couples. Join Sally on her adventure in the business of fun!

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PACIFIC PALMS RESORT & SPA | Set against the majestic San Gabriel Mountains, Pacific Palms Resort is Los Angeles’ only full-service destination golf, spa and conference resort appealing to both leisure and business travelers. The recently renovated resort features 292 beautifully appointed, oversized guest rooms, each with balcony, a variety of food and beverage options including fabulous fireside dining and cocktail seating on the patio overlooking Celebration Lake.

Celebrating more than 25 years of tradition, the resort also boasts LA’s only 4.5 star-rated golf experience with 36 holes of completely refurbished championship golf on the renowned ‘Ike’ and ‘Babe’ courses. Centrally Pacific Palms Resort is located at One Industry Hills Parkway, Industry Hills, Calif. 91744. For more information please call (626) 810-4455 or visit www.pacificpalmsresort.com.

I’ve had only one previous Swedish massage, and I have to tell you, I was sore for days afterwards. Word to the wise? If your therapist is using too much pressure, TELL THEM! Trust me, your precious massage will go to waste as you’ll feel achy and sore for days afterwards because they went too deep/hard. A good therapist will occasionally ask you if the pressure is okay, but I really do urge you to speak up if you’re uncomfortable or it hurts at any time.

Locker room area

The Spa offers an 11,000 state-of-the-art facility with a steam room, hot tub, stylish lavatories, locker room, full-service salon (hair, manicures, pedicures, etc.). There are separate men and women facilities, but they do have a couple room for those who want to enjoy their spa services together. Each gender has their own relaxation room, but I have to tell you, I think the men win this one. In their lavatory area, the mirrors have plasma TVs in them, and in their relaxation room? Oh yes, more plasma screens. Women’s relaxation room? Magazines. Pfft! I suppose I don’t see my grandma opting for television over enjoying some soothing music and an easy read.

Sinks…

Close up of the sink - isn’t this a unique looking set-up?

Hot tub with local artists’ paintings

Upon my arrival, I did a thorough tour of the property and learned about their beginnings as a conference resort (still a very popular place to hold conferences, though), as well as their famous Babe and Ike golf courses. The golf courses looked amazing in rolling greens and with the weather of SoCal to frame it all–amazing. My boyfriend would have love to play a round or two on these!

My half of the room… laptop at the ready!

View from our room!

View from our room!

At the time I stayed, I dined at Cima, which is a seafood-oriented restaurant with some Asian fusion cuisine. On Fridays and Saturdays, they offer one of the best buffets I have ever had the pleasure to stuff my face with. It is a lavish seafood buffet that may be pricey, but you really do get what you pay for. We dined on lobster (ginger and scallion style)–yes, lobster, at a buffet–as well as Alaskan King Crab legs (yum!). They also had oysters, clams, calamari, and more of the seafood variety. There is a smoothie station outdoors where they have at least six different types of smoothies to serve you (the pina colada is delicious!), as well as young coconuts that you can drink the milk out straight from the fruit (very refreshing at the end). I’m a buffet girl (it’s the reason I love Vegas, ha!), but a lot of times you’ll find that the food is just okay, because the buffet will skimp on quality/taste in lieu of offering so many choices. This is NOT the case at this buffet, the flavor is not lacking nor is the quality of food. If you like Asian food with a twist, then you’ll enjoy this one and their stations for sushi, dim sum, seafood, and barbecue.

Pool/lounge area

Lake

As someone who loves to eat and has to sample everything, I’m so very tempted to say that I enjoyed the buffet more than anything else! The trip really was about the spa day, though, and it was a thoroughly relaxing weekend stay at the Pacific Palms. My boyfriend was green with envy when I came home, so I just may have to return with him soon!

Gazebo (lots of weddings here!)

Original stained glass window

View from our room

I can’t get over the view, can you tell?

Work that buffet off!

A little treat before supper…

It’s so prettily arranged!