My best friend and I are considering meeting for a spa weekend (or possibly a long weekend). She lives in Chicago and I live in Washington DC. If money were not an issue and pampering and total relaxation were your goal, where would you go? Since we can only go for 2-3 days, let's limit it to anywhere in the continental U.S. This would probably be in the summer or fall.

You should definitely look into Green Valley Spa in Utah. It is absolutly wonderful. I've gone twice now for 4 days each time. The area is beautiful, and the pamering is wonderful. Check out greenvalleyspa.com for more details.

The Green Valley is a nice spa.
I'd also recommend The Greenbriar in West Va - this would be a good middle ground for you and your friend.
Also, Ten Thousand Waves in Santa Fe.
Santa Fe would afford you a lot more to do IF you wanted to leave the spa.

Aloha Lisa,
Although Mrs Kal and I have never been there, her sis and bro-in-law rave about The Phoenician in Scottsdale, AZ.

They go every year, off season (they love the sun & "different kind of heat")and really enjoy it.

I imagine it would be really nice in the fall.

Good luck,
Kal

ps...If you hear a low rumbling sound accompanied by large gasps of humid air on 7-2-01, it will be me, Mrs Kal and
family finishing our ride down the C&O Canal towpath from Harper's Ferry.

Then the giant draining sound you hear will be me at the Cap City Brew Co!
Mahalo!

Sounds like a great girls getaway! Have you looked into Canyon Ranch in Arizona or their other location in the Berkshires of Massachusetts? They are supposed to be great - haven't made it there yet myself.
Another nice spot is Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa in California.
My favorite spa so far was the Four Seasons on the Big Island of Hawaii but that is to far for a weekend.Hope you find the perfect spa and Have fun!

I visited the Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa for a few days a few years ago and enjoyed it immensely.
The location is wonderful for dining, shopping, and scenery. The services were fantastic-- I tried everything from the scalp treatment to a tennis lesson. The restaurants at the hotel were also excellent, but there are many wonderful restaurants in that area if you're willing to take a bit of a drive.
The Snoqualmie Inn at the top of Snoqualmie Falls in Washington might also be fun. I've never stayed there but the location is certainly striking. But there isn't much to do there except visit the town where they shot Twin Peaks.
Good luck!
Mila

I'd suggest going to Mexico. Check the websites for Rancho LaPuerto and Rio Caliente.

Thanks for all the great suggestions -- keep them coming!

P.S. Kal -- Hope you hit the Folklife Festival on the Mall while you're here -- it's a lot of fun & runs June 27-July 1 & July 4-8. This year they are focusing on Bermuda and New York City & bringing in lots of musical groups, dance troupes, food, etc. (You are brave souls to ride bikes in the kind of heat we have at this time of year...)