Page 64 - 2014 Travel Guide to California

CA.SPAS & WELLNESS
BY LAVINIA SPALDING
The New R&R
Retreat and reinvigorate in California’s spa culture
NAPA VALLEY
This celebrated region and
neighboring Sonoma Valley are
known primarily for their wine,
but their appeal runs deeper
than that. You can pamper
yourself at luxury spas, dine at
some of California’s (and the
PRE-SPA MEDITATION in Sonoma.
USA’s) best restaurants, shop at
trendy boutiques or live a little
rougher and explore wild state
parks. For more on these areas,
see San Francisco Bay Area,
pages 72-82 or CA.Wine Country,
pages 34-37.
In San Francisco’s vibrant Japantown dis-
trict, buses and bikes whiz by, teens
congregate and people text as fast as they
walk. But inside the Kabuki Hot Springs,
the city vanishes. The only sounds in the
dimly lit, Japanese-style communal baths
are the gentle splashing of water and occa-
sional strains of soothing music. In the
sauna, you can lie back and detoxify as you
treat your eyes to chilled cucumber slices.
Then hit the steam room and exfoliate
with lemon and sea salt. Follow with a
long, lazy soak in the hot tub, and if you’re
brave, a cold plunge. When you’re finished,
start all over again. In fact, linger all day: it
only costs $25.
For people around the world, the name
“California” means escape and conjures
images of sunny beaches. But in today’s
demanding, perpetually wired world, a
true vacation requires more than just a
break from the office; it takes unplugging,
purifying and restoring. Luckily, this is
practically the state motto.
California has been a resort destination
since the early 20th century, beckoning trav-
elers with its year-round warm weather,
spectacular geography and mineral springs.
The 1950s brought yoga to the state, and the
1960s ushered in a wave of young hippies
passionate about all-natural food and
intentional living. Today, California is the
JAY BERGESEN/CREATIVE COMMONS. OPPOSITE: ROBCOCQUYT/SHUTTERSTOCK; JUSTASC/SHUTTERSTOCK
62 2014 T R AV E L G U I D E TO C A L I F O R N I A