Vail, Colorado

Day 3

Today I got to sleep even longer before my New York time clock kicked in at 7:30. I enjoyed the complimentary breakfast at the Vail Mountain Lodge and Spa. My last day in Vail is an exciting one, with spa treatments provided by my hotel. Like all spas, I was given the standard uniform of a white plush robe and blue slip on sandals, giving me flashbacks to the Stepford Wive's movie, as we all shuffled along like clones.

I relaxed (again) in the warm jacuzzi and sauna and then I was ushered into yet another Relaxation Room. This room overlooked the trees, had warm lighting, and Yanni type music playing, all of which enticed you to clear your mind and relax. This was now my third day without reading email (except for 20 minutes yesterday at the library), answering phones, rushing to appointments, and crossing jobs off my To Do list. So it was getting a little easier to relax.

I was soon called for my first scheduled spa treatment, a sugar body scrub. It was explained to me that my body would be gently ex-foliated, by rubbing with a sugar solution and then rinsed in a milk bath. I was not used to food products on my body, but I was game to try. When it was time for the milk bath, I obviously needed to be rinsed off, and had gone too far to turn back now. My massage therapist was very discrete, as I tried in vein to be modest.

The bath was actually quite relaxing once I made it into the tub, while trying to hold up as many towels as I could.. After I positioned myself, the spa therapist carefully placed a small towel over me, turned off the lights, and opened the blinds to reveal a view that forced you to surrender to the experience. The time went by surprisingly quickly.

Part three of the treatment was another food product- a lemon massage. The entire treatment was almost two hours long, and it felt totally heavenly and self-indulgent.

Back to the Stepford Wives robe and slippers, and I shuffled again to the Relaxation Room. I love the word shuffled. Other women were there, but no one spoke, since we were all in varying degrees of catatonic states. Next, was my refresher pedicure where my feet were soaked in a warm sage foot bath, scrubbed and moisturized, for almost an hour. By this point, I was so relaxed I could barely speak. Once more, back to that old Relaxation Room, as if I need any more relaxation. I was now mush.

I changed and headed over, or should I say floated over, to the center of Vail Village, which was hosting a farmer's market on this Sunday. There was a multitude of stands carrying fresh fruit, flowers, crates and local foods, so I grabbed a snack along the way. Like most summer days in Vail, the weather was perfect, so I walked to the Betty Ford gardens which was established in honor of our former first lady and her involvement in the community. It includes over 1,500 varieties of plants and flowers from all over the world, a waterfall, picnic area, and playground, and like the rest of this community, it was beautiful and serene.

That night, I met a few other colleagues at the Ford Amphitheater for another evening of the New York Philharmonic. This time the weather was perfect as opposed to yesterday's rain, and you could watch the sun set over the mountains. The stadium hall amphitheater at the concert was filled to capacity, with every seat and every blade of grass being used. The audience was extremely quiet during the performance, and you could hear a pin drop but clearly people were not dropping pins. I was impressed not only with the wonderful music, but also by the silence of the crowd, and the appreciation shown by their standing ovations.

Though I had eaten their before, my companions wanted to go to the Larkspur, since it's in close proximity to the theater. I had loved my meal so much on my previous visit, that I actually was tempted to order it again, but tonight I opted for the Angus beef sirloin with grilled shrimp and garlic whipped potatoes, and this mini surf and turf was no less outstanding then my first meal.
My time in Vail was relatively short but certainly gave me a taste for the area.

Three misconceptions were revealed as untrue. First, I had associated Vail as almost exclusively a winter destination, but I met one visitor after another, who actually preferred the relaxed summer atmosphere. Also, I associated Vail with only Robin Leach's Rich and Famous and certainly a destination out of the reach of many. But once again, I met families who discovered lots of inexpensive activities to do, like the hiking trails, the hotel pools, and the free cultural events in the parks. Thirdly, I discovered that, I not only could travel alone, but it's fun to see and learn new things with anticipation of coming home and sharing them. Finally, it's empowering to handle all of the ins and outs and details of traveling. For the first time, I used the computer at the airport to get my ticket, read a map without getting lost, and took my own photographs. Though past 50 years of age, I felt grown up in a different kind of way.


Part 1
Part 2
Part 3