How do I recapture the relaxation of my cruise at home?
April 30, 2016 9:52 AM   Subscribe

A friend and I recently went on a cruise and it was the most relaxing and restful experience of my life. I've been trying to figure out how to recapture that experience at home.

We bought a pass to the ship's spa and spent most of our time hanging out on these heated tile lounge chair things, reading and looking out at the ocean. This is what it looked like: here. I loved that it was silent and warm. I loved that I got to look out at nature and that I was being taken care of by the employees there. There was tea and cold water with fruit in it. There were hot tubs, saunas, and steam rooms. I've been looking at websites for spas basically all over Southern California, but many of them are all indoors, with no windows or way to enjoy nature. Or the nature/outdoor portion of the spa involves painting friends with mud or being more social/drinking/partying. Is there a place anywhere in Southern California where I can be taken care of, relax, enjoy nature, and remain quiet?
posted by shesbookish to Health & Fitness (3 answers total) 10 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: It sounds like you might enjoy the Scandinavian/Nordic spa model. I've only been to ones in Canada (this company operates Scandinavian spas in British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec; this company runs Scandinavian spas in Manitoba and Quebec), but it sounds like they might meet your requirements.

They tend to be very quiet (many have a whispering-only or no-talking policy); usually have hot tubs, saunas, pools, and/or steam rooms; some have outdoor components; and they usually have light refreshments available.

I don't have any personal experience of this spa, but Refuge Spa in Carmel, California sounds like it might be similar to the Canadian ones I've linked to above. The Yelp reviews might help you figure out if that's the sort of spa you'd enjoy.
posted by misspettigrew at 12:39 PM on April 30, 2016 [2 favorites]


Best answer: Glen Ivy hot springs (probably the mud-painting one you mentioned) has all kinds of different spaces, many of which are quiet and almost all of which are surrounded by beautiful nature! Don't worry, even the mud bath is pretty tranquil.
posted by exceptinsects at 6:33 PM on April 30, 2016 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: I knew this was a goldilocks question. I'm being so picky it makes it difficult. Thanks to misspettigrew and exceptinsects for the input!
posted by shesbookish at 7:42 PM on April 30, 2016


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