Escape the Ordinary for the Extraordinary - at least for a few days. Part 1: Destination and Accommodations

You’re retired.  Your job is in the rearview mirror and ahead of you are time, energy and a travel budget.  According to an AARP 2017 Survey, travel is at the top of 83% of Baby Boomers’ bucket lists.  You’ve looked forward to this after 30+ years and now it’s time to start planning some trips.  

Selecting accommodations, restaurants, activities, and above all, destination for this year’s Spa Warrior Getaway was not an easy task.  We require a combination of vacation recreation, unique (but not touristy) restaurants, a little shopping, an extra special spa experience, and something other than your garden-variety hotel.  To top it all off, beautiful landscape is essential!  Our destination needed to be friendly to all of those requirements.  

So great to wake up to this every morning!

To choose the destination, we researched places that would include beautiful landscape, great spa, and recreation.  Where could we go where we could do something we could never do at home - where we could see beautiful mountains, beach, or other landscape -and also has an amazing spa?  Shopping, eateries, and hotel would fall into place later.  From a short list of 4 options, we made our final pick and Sedona was our favorite.  With it’s breathtaking landscape, choice of several unique spas, and many hiking trails, it had the trifecta - aesthetic appeal, exceptional spa, and amazing recreation.       

We mixed botanicals and herbs to make body scrub in the L'Apothecary 

The great thing about booking accommodations at a spa resort (as opposed to hotel and spa separate) is that many spa resorts allow their guests unlimited use of the spa amenities throughout the stay.  So in selecting our accommodations, we narrowed our search to spa resorts.  With so many beautiful spas in Sedona, it was tough to choose one.  We looked for one that stood out above the others.  An extraordinary spa experience is more than just beautiful treatment rooms.  It needs to have something unique that we can’t get at home.  We decided on L’Auberge de Sedona Resort and Spa because of it’s location on the artistic, babbling Oak Creek (so relaxing), it’s gorgeous view of the beautiful Red Rock of Sedona, and the added treat of creekside massages.  

We chose one of the Vista Cottages, and so happy we did - we had the best seat in the house.  If you ever stay in a cottage at L’Auberge, I would suggest the Vista Cottage.  We had a 180-degree, panoramic view of Snoopy Rock, Giants Thumb, and Elephant Rock.  What a great wake-up we had every morning sitting on the balcony admiring the Sedona red rock.  Other great features of the resort were morning Yoga classes, creekside breakfast, and the exceptional spa.  

Besides having an indulgent spa menu at the L’Auberge Spa, Oak Creek is integrated into many of their treatments.  Our creekside massages were a real treat - it was so relaxing listening to the soothing sounds of Oak Creek during our treatments.  In between massages and facials, we spent a couple hours at the L’Apothecary Blending Station mixing up botanicals, herbs and flowers for take-home body scrubs.  

Sedona’s majestic red rock scenery and unique energy certainly was a great escape from the ordinary to the extraordinary.  Even if you only go for a few days, Sedona is definitely a bucket list getaway! 

Part II Next Week - Incredible Activities in Sedona

Never Too Old for Adventure

We made it to the top! 

It all started with a conversation we had with a man hiking with his dog.  “Do you think we can climb this rock?” we asked.  “Yes I do.  It’s not too bad,”  he replied.  Hmmm… I don’t think he thought we meant all the way to the top.  

We all have different friend groups that are unique from one another.  My “Spa Warrior” friend group annually takes a spa getaway that in no way resembles the 5 days of indulgence that one might envision.  Healing body treatments are preceded by days of fun and physically challenging activities that force the body to beg for a much needed pampering by the end of our stay.  This year, the Spa Warriors traveled to Sedona, AZ to climb mountains and spa.  

It's almost as difficult coming down as it is going up! 

Sedona is a beautiful destination for anyone who loves nature, isn’t opposed to hiking and climbing, appreciates unique food and enjoys any vacation which will induce physical and mental benefits.  Sedona has plenty of serene spa resorts as well.  It was the perfect venue for our getaway.  

As we created our agenda, we knew we wanted to do some hiking, we just didn't know how much or where.  The plan was to make those decisions once we landed in Sedona, so we immediately received some hiking suggestions from our resort concierge after filling him in on our abilities - we’re basically beginners but would be able to hike up to 3 hours, and wouldn’t mind a small challenge.  His suggestion was the Courthouse Butte Loop, a scenic, moderate 4 mile hike around Courthouse Butte, one of the many gorgeous rock formations in Sedona.  The next morning, we left for our hike around 7:30 AM, with good shoes and plenty of water.  

When we arrived at the trailhead for the Courthouse Butte Loop, we noticed hikers (or should I say climbers) on Bell Rock.  Bell Rock stands about 500 ft. tall at an elevation of 5,000 ft.  Our friend Patti immediately said, “I want to climb THAT rock!” and we now had a new plan - hike (climb) Bell Rock. 

Yes! We climbed this gorgeous Rock!

After we made our decision to climb Bell Rock, we spotted a man hiking with his dog at the base.  In a short conversation with him, we told him of our plans and he assured us that the hike wouldn't be too difficult.  (We later agreed that he had no idea we would be venturing to the top.)  We started our way up and successfully made it to the Upper Bell until we hit an area right before the Slide that was incredibly difficult to scale (unless of course you are Spiderman).  After several minutes of problem solving and almost accepting defeat, two experienced hikers (climbers) crossed our path and convinced us that not only could we clamber our way past the big rock staring at us but we could also make it all the way to an apex near the top.  We looked up at The Ascent - the final and most strenuous and hazardous climb of Bell Rock - and we all had the same thought, "you have got to be kidding!"  Our new unofficial guides, Michael and Anthony, encouraged us and led the way as we climbed all the way to one of the spires on the top of the rock.  No lie - it was rough, but well worth the struggle.      

Here we are with our unofficial guides.

Making it to the top was an experience we will never forget.  Bell Rock is considered to be very powerful and full of vortex energy.  Patti, Tracey, Kathy and I were certainly receiving energy from the earth the day we climbed Bell Rock.  It was a mind over matter experience for these Spa Warriors.  We were so happy that Anthony and Michael crossed our path that day, and so grateful for their help getting us to the top! 

For me, the X Factor of this accomplishment was that it was real and raw - just 4 friends who wanted to climb a mountain one step at a time, encouraging each other, helping each other all the way up.  With pure determination, we made our bodies do things we didn't think we were capable of.  And the next day, we conquered another.  That's another story.  

Having Anxiety About Retirement?

An impending retirement, while sounding pretty exciting, can be a major stressor for many people.  Making the decision to retire 4 years in advance gave me plenty of time to ponder my decision before the big “last day.”  Colleagues would say, “You’re so lucky!  I can’t wait to retire!”  Talk to anyone who has made the decision and you will find that most have some reservations about their decision, a few have significant stress, and for others it’s a no-brainer.  While some people stress over financial concerns (Do I have enough money?) and others have professional concerns (Will I miss my job too much?), a preponderance of soon-to-be-retired fear the loss of work friendships they have acquired over many years.  For me, pre-retirement anxiety was connected to both fear of boredom and the impending loss of close relationships with people I had worked with, laughed with, and sometimes cried with for decades - people I had known since my kids were little, some even before my kids were born.  In other words, it wasn’t about the job - it was about the people.  

Many of us have rewarding careers that give us joy - maybe not every day, but for the most part, we stay in our careers for some type of reward, be it financial or emotional.  But no matter how much we love our careers, the rat race eventually gets to be too much for too long and we desperately need to change gears.  So when we make the decision to retire, where do we get our reward?  Financially speaking, it’s imperative to crunch the numbers to get an accurate sense of where you are financially.  I consulted with a financial advisor - there’s so much to consider, leave that to the experts.  But after you have addressed financial concerns, what about the emotional ones?  Although I loved my career and it was very fulfilling, I knew that it wasn’t the work, but the people - the relationships - that I would miss.  

Finding ways to stay connected to ex-colleagues is a great way to continue relationships as well as remain up-to-date on happenings at your past employer.  I continue to meet several ex-coworkers for breakfast once a week (sometimes twice) just like we have been doing for many years - why stop just because I’m retired and they're not?  My mother did the same after she retired, until she was in her 80s and became ill.  Although we will no longer have that daily interaction with our work friends, there’s no reason to break work relationships just because we no longer have work.  Another way to keep friendships going is by taking trips.  Our annual Girls Getaways are something we look forward to and will cherish for as long as we are healthy enough to enjoy them!  

My fear of boredom?  Friends that retired before me always said, “If you're bored in retirement, it’s your fault.”  So true - it’s been a year now and I haven’t been bored one day!