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An oasis in the storm

By Elisa Bosley

If you have a teenager, chances are you’ve heard the prevailing wisdom: This is a time to back off, to give your child lots of space, to let her make her own decisions; she doesn’t want your input anyway, and she needs to disassociate from you to form her own identity. Just leave her alone.

I say, hogwash. When my feisty, intelligent daughter entered her teenage years, I recalled what my Costa Rican mom said about my sister and me: “I didn’t buy into what everyone else said; I always expected to enjoy you as teenagers!” It’s my firm belief that, more than ever, my daughter needs to know that I am close, that I am available, while she forms her own views, dreams, and plans in the midst of hormone fluctuations, media pressure, and high expectations. I want to be aware of who she’s becoming, not checked out; I want to be communicating and connecting with her, celebrating and teaching her the language of womanhood as she blossoms into a young adult.

Of course, there are times when she thinks I am the kookiest person on the planet (“Mom, what did you do to your hair?”), and I know she thinks I’m dorky whenever my opinion doesn’t agree with her unassailable conclusion. But she still hugs me goodbye in the morning, snuggles with me in front of the fireplace on cold days, and loves to choose my clothes when we go shopping.

So when we got a chance to take a mother-daughter getaway at the luxurious Camelback Inn in Scottsdale, Arizona, we knew it was not to be missed. She’s a busy girl, and getting away from home was probably the only way she’d relax—I know this because I’m exactly the same. During one of the coldest Colorado winters on record, we escaped for a day of lying in Arizona’s blissfully warm sun, eating fabulous food, and girly pampering.

The Mobil five-star Camelback Inn, 125 acres of gorgeous desert landscape nestled between picturesque Camelback and Mummy Mountains, first opened as a western retreat in 1936. With its subsequent expansions, including championship golf facilities, three family-friendly pools, top-to-bottom renovations, and a world-class spa (opened in 1989 and completely remodeled in 2003), the property—now under the auspices of J.W. Marriott resorts—holds a revered place among the Valley of the Sun’s countless resorts. The spa’s Mother-Daughter Package includes a casita-style room for the night, two one-hour spa treatments, two Starbucks drinks, a $50 food credit, and full access to all spa amenities for the day—lap pool, hot tub, steam and sauna rooms, lounge area, fitness gym and classes, and more.

Bethany and I arrived on a Saturday morning and went straight to the spa for our first treatments of the day. She selected the Aromatherapy Massage, while I enjoyed the Camelback Inn Signature Massage, a unique blend of aromatherapy, hot and cold stone massage, and chakra balancing. My masseuse, Betsy, who helped develop the experience, said that she and her fellow therapists “wanted to do something that combined everything we loved about hot stone massage and other treatments.” She expertly placed hot stones under the small of my back, on which I reclined during the entire session in complete comfort. After placing crystals for centering (abdomen), love (chest), and motivation and insight (forehead), she began massaging my feet—and that’s when I melted into a peaceful puddle. Following massages of my hands, shoulders, and head, using a juniper-sage lotion that smelled like the desert after a hard rain, I think I could have floated right off into space.

But the warm outdoor sun beckoned Bethany and me, so we moved poolside, sipping piña-colada smoothies, chatting, and later enjoying a fabulous lunch at the spa’s restaurant, Sprouts, which serves delicious health-conscious cuisine and more decadent fare. Bethany devoured her caramelized onion and goat cheese pizza with Caesar salad, while I feasted on a shrimp, spinach, and queso fresco quesadilla with heirloom tomato salad—light but without a whiff of deprivation.

After lunch, we both enjoyed an extra luxury: the spa’s Adobe Clay Purification Treatment. Following an energetic exfoliation with a cactus-fiber cloth, our therapist, Mindy, applied a pudding-like clay, drawn from Arizona’s red-rock Sedona hills, to every inch of skin excepting sensitive areas, which are covered by towels. After a not-too-tight wrap, she massaged a sweet-smelling rosemary conditioner all through the hair and into the scalp. Both Bethany and I fell asleep for the next twenty minutes, during which the clay worked to draw out impurities and toxins. A warm shower—still while lying down—washed off the clay, with Mindy’s help. Finally, visits to the steam room and dry sauna rounded out this supremely relaxing yet clarifying ritual.

If we could have, we would have wished that the sun would never set—but it did, and beautifully, brushing the horizon pink and burnt orange. With stars beginning to twinkle overhead, we entered Chaparral, the Inn’s fine dining restaurant. The ambiance is elegant but not stuffy, combining sophisticated charm with Southwestern design elements. As a Tony Bennett sound-alike serenaded the room with classic tunes, we recalled favorite memories, including the story of Bethany’s birth—a tale neither of us ever tires of. I don’t think I’ll ever forget looking across the table that night at my beautiful, glowing daughter, both of us happy and relaxed, conversing easily as partners in a larger journey, one that she is just beginning and in which I am honored to guide her. For more information about Camelback Inn, call (800) 772-5809 or visit www.camelbackinn.com

Cycles of Growth

By Debra Bokur

My gracious and sensible East Coast mother has always maintained that relationships need to be lovingly tended and cultivated to keep them healthy and fruitful. With that life-long advice in mind, it seemed the ideal place to take her was the lush, fertile landscape of Napa Valley.

We chose the elegant, Tuscan-inspired setting of the Villagio Inn & Spa in Yountville for the luxury accommodations and selection of spa treatments, as well as its proximity to a collection of world-class restaurants. Yountville is perfect for walking, with nothing too far away from anything else. After arriving late in the day, we set out for dinner at nearby Brix, where executive chef Ryan Jackson prepared roast chicken with Yukon potato puree for my mother, and delicate Hawaiian escolar with roast shallots for me.

Content and sleepy from our long flights, we were pleased to find the weather had turned a little damp, providing an excuse to retire early and enjoy the fireplace in our spacious room. In the morning, after a champagne buffet breakfast at the inn, we set off for a tour and wine tasting at Domaine Chandon, owned by the same company as legendary champagne makers Moet et Chandon in France. We enjoyed the tour of the winery and extensive grounds, and during our private wine tasting, were amused to find we’d both chosen the same sparking wine as our favorite.

Later, we set out on foot along a pathway lined with fountains leading from the inn to the nearby Vintage 1870 Specialty Shops. Contained in an historic winery complex. We left with a selection of champagne vinegars, hand-pressed fruit oils, and deliciously scented soaps. Back at the Villagio, we wandered into the cozy, tiled lobby where tea was laid out. Fortified with cucumber sandwiches, cinnamon scones, and multiple cups of English Breakfast tea, we sat and reminisced about the past, when my sisters and I came home from school each afternoon to sit down with our mother for tea (and usually, apple cake or strudel) and a chat about the day’s events.

After a leisurely afternoon, we headed to Bouchon for dinner. Styled as a French bistro, Bouchon is under the direction of Executive Chef Jeffrey Cerciello and owner/chef Thomas Keller of the nearby French Laundry. My gnocchi with a ragout of winter vegetables was heavenly, but a taste of my mother’s pan-roasted day boat scallops with glazed chestnuts left me wondering if I’d made the best choice.

Our last day in Yountville began with another champagne breakfast, after which we made a beeline for the spa for a day of total indulgence. While I enjoyed a steambath, my mother set off for a 50-minute Elemental Body Polish, an exfoliation with organic oatmeal, raw sugar, and crushed Carneros grape seeds. My steam was followed by a Green Coffee Wrap that included a vigorous massage.

The weather was sunny, perfect for our outdoor spa lunch by the pool. Later, my mother had a 100-minute Napa Valley River Stone Massage to restore balance and harmony—a treatment she said was one of the best she’s ever had. I opted for a Wellness Massage, during which my therapist used a combination of steamy compresses, local essential oils, and European massage techniques to completely relax me.

Dinner was both delicious and early, in order to accommodate a visit to the local theater. We dined across from the Villagio at Chef Richard Reddington’s glass and wood haven, Redd.  Like our other restaurant choices, Redd showcases local, sustainably produced foods presented in highly imaginative ways. My butternut squash ravioli was served with winter root vegetables in a sage emulsion, while my mother’s veal and ricotta meatballs included linguine with a prosciutto cream sauce. Next, we headed to the town’s beautiful Lincoln Theater for the evening’s performance of “In the Mood,” a retrospective of 1940’s swing music, a favorite of my mother’s. The theater, for us, is another very special bond—when I was earning my BA in theater years ago, my mother never missed a single one of my performances.

In the morning, we walked to Bouchon Bakery for breakfast. Sitting in the early sunlight, surrounded by slopes and hillsides covered with vineyards, we agreed that Yountville was one of the best ideas we’ve ever had. A timeless sort of place, it’s marked by constant cycles of growth and renewal, just like our relationship. By the time we headed for the airport, we’d remembered how deeply we cherish one another—and how much we both adore a really great massage. For more information on the Villagio Inn & Spa and Yountville, California, visit www.villagio.com and www.yountville.com