TRAVEL WELL

by Lisa Davis

Midwestern “Staycation” That Can Provide Major Relaxation With the economy in flux, saving money these days is not only a priority but a necessity. This even extends to travel, which like most pleasurable expenditures, tends to be put on hold during a tough economy. But if traveling provides enjoyment and stress relief, much like exercise or dining out do for people, then why give up something that can actually help you weather a recession?

Thankfully, if you are clever, traveling does not have to break the bank, especially if you do a “staycation” – finding a hotel in your area and spending a night or two. You can even indulge and order room service or a spa treatment (or both!) and after two days you will feel like you have been on a mini vacation.

Save money on a plane ticket and instead drive to one of my favorite spa getaways - the Aspira Spa in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin where you will find serious urban (and kid) relief and some surprising new twists on spa therapies.

Award-winning Spa Uses Native American Healing Traditions

Nestled on the banks of southeastern Wisconsin’s Elkhart Lake, considered sacred by Native Americans, the Aspira Spa’s feng shui designs and custom-built, circular meditation room take calm to a new level. The 20,000-square-foot spa, inside the AAA Four Diamond Osthoff Resort, uses organic products and specializes in treatments derived from the healing techniques of indigenous peoples.

Ways to Pamper

Signature services include the Sacred Waters Massage ($145 for 60 minutes), where heated deerskin pouches filled with fresh water from Elkhart Lake are placed on the body’s chakras while you experience a Swedish massage.

The Aspira Chroma Facial ($175 for 90 minutes) incorporates color therapy with lymphatic drainage and pressure-point stimulation, and the Balneotherapy Bath in Chromatub ($75 for 30 minutes) detoxifies the body by using marine minerals, nutrients, essential oils and healing lights while a therapist performs underwater body exfoliation, deep tissue massage and lymphatic drainage.

The spa's newest addition: The  Cedars Massage ($145 for 65 minutes) that uses fresh cedar to cleanse and purify the body by placing a bowl of cedar chips under the face and infusing them with oil and hot water, igniting an earthy scent, and wrapping the body with an aromatic cedar blanket.

Be sure to also indulge in the Aspira Spa’s indoor and outdoor whirlpools; Finnish sauna; or take a cooking class in the Osthoff Resort’s new cooking school, L’ecole de la Maison. If you are traveling with a significant other, book the spa's SpaSuite for a side-by-side couple's massage. Suite amenities include a whirlpool bath, rainfall shower, fireplace, and in-room treats such as champagne and chocolates.

Dining

After your day of pampering, enjoy a sunset cocktail by the lake in the resort’s new outdoor bar and then make a reservation for dinner at Lola’s on the Lake, also at the resort. Seasonal dishes include:

Chesapeake Bay Striped Bass* with scallion jasmine rice, baby bok choy and citrus ginger beurre blanc;

Grilled Wild Alaskan Salmon with fresh English pea risotto, tomato confit, baby basil and truffle oil;

Caramelized Five Onion Soup with house-made herbed crouton and melted Gruyere cheese.

Lola’s on the Lake’s wine list is extensive so you want have trouble pairing wines with your dishes.

As for breakfast, many of the resort’s guestrooms have balconies, so if the weather is right, order room service on the terrace. The view of the lake and surrounding woods is hypnotic. You may never leave….

For more information: Aspira Spa (877-772-2070, aspiraspa.com) at the Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake.

*As noted on the menu, some of Lola’s on the Lake dishes are spa-healthy.

Lisa Davis is the former editor of Frequent Flyer magazine and editor/publisher of Mileage Pro: The Insider's Guide to Frequent Flyer Programs. As a writer, Lisa covers business and luxury travel, including spas, golf resorts, hotels, cuisine and destinations, as well as health and wellness on and off the road. In her monthly column, "Travel Well," for Justsaygo.com, Lisa reviews luxury spas worldwide, including tips for how to stay healthy while traveling and at home. Lisa's travel discoveries appear in major newspapers and magazines and on national radio and TV shows.