Page 51 - 2018 Travel Guide to California

SPAS & WELLNESS
BY LAVINIA SPALDING
Check In, Bliss Out
California’s diverse wellness centers offer a full menu of rest and replenishment
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—such as Solage in
Calistoga (above), Osmosis Day
Spa Sanctuary in Freestone or
Meadowood in Saint Helena—
dine at some of California’s (and
the USA’s) best restaurants, shop
at trendy boutiques or live a
little rougher and explore wild
state parks.
In San Francisco’s vibrant Japantown
district—the oldest and largest in the U.S.—
is a hot spot for shopping and dining. Buses
and bikes whiz by on the streets, teens con-
gregate on corners, and tourists snap selfies
in front of the Peace Pagoda. But inside
Kabuki Springs & Spa, the city vanishes. All
you’ll hear in the dimly lit, Japanese-style
communal baths is the gentle splashing of
water paired with soft, soothing music.
Recline in the dry sauna with chilled
cucumber slices for your eyes, then con-
tinue to the steam room and exfoliate with
a lemon-sea salt scrub. Follow with a long,
lazy soak in the hot tub and—if you’re
brave—a cold plunge. When you’re fin-
ished, start all over again. In fact, linger all
day: the communal baths costs only $25 (or
$15 with a treatment, such as the 80-minute
Javanese Lulur: a jasmine-scented massage
followed by a turmeric and rice skin exfoli-
ation, a yogurt application and an exotic
flower bath).
For people around the globe, the name
“California” evokes 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, puri-
fying 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 temperate
weather, spectacular geography and mineral
springs. The 1950s brought yoga to the state,
2018 T R AV E L G U I D E TO C A L I F O R N I A 49