by guest blogger, Michael Antonucci, author of www.RunningIsFunny.com

Because of my amazing celebrity connections, I got an opportunity this week to try out the peak performance package at the Canyon Ranch health resort in Tucson, Arizona.

I will be spending four days being tested, poked, prodded, analyzed and examined like an alien abductee while expert exercise physiologists, sports physicians and nutritionists try to figure out why I’m so damned slow. Oh, and a behavioral specialist will determine if it’s because I am a generally warped human being.

I’m not the first person to go through this program. Kathryn Bertine tried it out for ESPN.com last year. This is especially daunting for me, because not only is Kathryn a former ice skater and professional triathlete, but she’s a helluva lot better writer than I am.

But while many elite athletes have completed this kind of program and gone on to do great things in the wide world of sports, I will be the first middle-aged, middle-of-the-pack distance runner to undergo the trials and tribulations of body scans and a VO2 max test in order to discover that I’m a middle-aged, middle-of-the-pack distance runner.

In the weeks to come, I’ll provide all the gory details, so stay tuned to this space to find out what happens when an average Joe gets the elite athlete treatment… if I live.

The Peak Performance Program is also available for cycling, golf, swimming, tennis and triathalon training. This specialized health and fitness package can be added onto any group date.

For a complete list of upcoming 2010 retreats, go to
http://www.IslandGetawaysTravel.com/Wellness%20Retreats.htm

Serenity Meditation Pond

A retreat is an opportunity to withdraw from your regular routine and responsibilities. It can be used as a time for quiet contemplation and personal development. Canyon Ranch provides a nurturing, supportive environment where your daily needs are catered to while you pursue your individual interests.

For several years, I have partnered with experts in other fields to offer themed, special interest retreats. Theses are flexible groups that you can join as an individual or with a companion. You are welcome to attend group activities but not required to. The benefits go well beyond the group rates and amenities. Traveling and sharing experiences with like-minded people is just plain FUN.

Artist's Retreat Workshop

For example, you can start a healthy new year with Rose Zahnn, President of the Healthy Habits Fitness Studios on her annual Spa and Fitness Getaway each January. Decompress with her Gentle Yoga class in the Yoga Dome the first evening and then join her at other fitness activities throughout your stay. Or release your creative spirit in private daily painting workshops with award-winning artist Brenda Boles on her Artist’s Retreat. Join Ann DaPrato, owner of the Rise Yoga Studio, on her annual summer Yoga and Meditation Retreat and learn simple techniques to de-stress and re-energize. Of course, you are welcome to join me on my Gourmet Getaway in July and enjoy a week of culinary events.

Beginning tomorrow, we get an insider’s look at the Canyon Ranch Peak Performance Program from a participant’s view. This is a specialized health and fitness package that can be added onto any group date.

For a complete list of upcoming retreats, go to
http://www.IslandGetawaysTravel.com/Wellness%20Retreats.htm

Healthy, delicious, gourmet spa cuisine DOES exist!

Gorgeous, fresh, whole, organic food is skillfully prepared and artfully presented to you three times a day. You will look forward to your meals with anticipation and learn exactly what an appropriate portion size is for full-size adults. Different daily lunch and dinner menus list the nutritional content of items in terms of calories, fat and fiber so you can make sensible, educated choices. 

If the words spa cuisine elicit an image of a pristine white salad plate decorated with two lettuce leaves and a cherry tomato crowned with a tuft of radish sprouts (I call that garnish), rest assured, you won’t starve at Canyon Ranch. There are no extreme 1,000 calorie a day restricted diets here. Eating well is a necessary plesure for optimal health.

Naturally, you are encouraged to eat nutrient-rich fruits & vegetables and whole grains as well as lean protein and healthy fats. Balance and moderation are the keys, even when it comes to dessert. And healthy snacks plus a wide variety of beverages are available throughout the day.

So many choices, so little time. My advice: try the chef’s suggested Balanced Selection of 3 courses.

Canyon Ranch Cookbook

Attend the daily interactive Lunch & Learn in the intimate 36 -seat Demonstration Kitchen and watch Canyon Ranch chefs as they cook a variety of daily entrees. Ask questions while you enjoy your 3 course lunch and come away with the recipes to take home. Meanwhile, the small Hands on Cooking classes provide an opportunity for active participation and firsthand learning.

If you are a serious foodie, consider the week-long Canyon Ranch Cooks culinary program. This Gourmet Getaway features daily cooking classes, lively demonstrations, chef-hosted dinners, cooking tips, nutrition discussions and more. Learn practical skills and professional techniques from award-winning chefs as they share their “divine cuisine and nutritional wisdom”.

For more information, go to
http://www.IslandGetawaysTravel.com/Wellness%20Retreats.htm

 If you are seeking relaxation and pampering, Canyon Ranch has a menu of over 200 services available to soothe, relax and revitalize your body, mind and spirit.  Your all-inclusive stay includes a generous individual allowance for professional consults and spa treatments. You can choose to be massaged, wrapped, manicured and pedicured to a state of bliss. Or you could meet with an exercise physiologist to design a fitness program to take home, consult with  a nutritionist to develop a practical, customized meal plan or receive a heart-centered Healing Touch session with a certified therapist.

So many choices, so little time. My advice: explore services NOT available in your home city.

Watsu Pool

For example, I tell everyone about the Aquatic Center at Canyon Ranch in Tucson. It is  a sacred space that contains 3 indoor Watsu pools where you can enjoy aquatic massage. There is an entire team of very experienced Watsu therapists here. You may request  either a male or female therapist who will float you in warm water in swirling dance-like movements while he/she stretches and massages your entire body. 

During the day, you can gaze up at Native American symbols painted on the dome overhead or close your eyes and just go with the flow. In the evening, soft lighting and soft music create a different atmosphere and mood.

Watsu draws on water’s rejuvenating power. Of course, it also appeals to me as a part-time mermaid. If you prefer dry land, the 100 minute Stone Massage with hot and cool stones and aromatic essential oils is a close second. For more exotic therapies, consider the selection of Asian or Ayurvedic body treatments.

I schedule my Watsu appointments in the evening after dinner. Afterwards, I can slip my spa robe over my swimsuit, slide into those spa slippers, waddle back to my room, sink into that comfy big bed and sleep like a baby until it’s time for breakfast.

Goodnight and sweet dreams.

For more information, go to
http://www.IslandGetawaysTravel.com/Wellness%20Retreats.htm

As we drove through the main gate and up the driveway, my first view was of the Spanish colonial-style Clubhouse, at the very the heart of The Ranch, as it is affectionately called. (See photo Day 1) After checking in at Registration, I took a guided tour of the property with a staff member from Guest Services, the concierge desk.

I had half expected dry desert with cactus, tumbleweeds and sun-bleached bones.  Instead, I found Southwestern-style buildings set within grounds landscaped with gardens, ponds, streams, and  fountains.  Accommodations are spread throughout in single-story builings each consisting of a few well-appointed single or double rooms. In one secluded section, the casitas offer 1, 2 and 3 bedroom houses for family or friends traveling together.

 
Welcome to the 80, 000 square foot Spa Complex featuring extensive spa and fitness facilities with cutting-edge programs and state of the art equipment. Here, you will find the separate men’s and women’s spa areas and treatment rooms as well as the gymnasiums, training rooms, racquetball courts,  a Pilates studio,  a Yoga Dome and the Hiking & Biking Departments. There are also walking and jogging trails, lighted tennis courts and outdoor swimming pools.

Canyon Ranch has been described as the ultimate adult summer camp. Canyon Ranch offers approximately 50 different classes and activities to choose from each day. It is a veritable smorgasbord of fitness where you are encouraged to participate in classes from A to Z: aerobics, aqua classes, boxing, Burdenko, dance classes, gyrotonic/gyrokinesis, meditation, Pilates, Yamuna, yoga, zumba and much more.

So many choices, so little time. My advice: pace yourself.
You can’t physically do it all in one stay so don’t hurt yourself trying.
Balance is the key here and at home.

Next, the most relaxing spa treatment I have ever had.

For more information, go to
http://www.IslandGetawaysTravel.com/Wellness%20Retreats.htm

Thirty years ago (1979), owners Mel and Enid Zukerman founded Canyon Ranch and developed their concept of a health resort dedicated to life enhancement. Set in the foothills of Tucson’s Santa Catalina Mountains in Arizona’s lush Sonoran Desert, it has long since become a world-renowned center for wellness. They have indeed created  a unique haven for relaxation, recreation and optimal health.

Canyon Ranch Clubhouse

Canyon Ranch is an amazing place that almost defies description.  I first went there almost 10 years ago thinking I knew what to expect. Of course, I was aware of its reputation for being an award-winning  spa.  I had read that it was a luxurious, ultra-all-inclusive, popular with celebrities (including Oprah!). In fact, it has received the Best Destination Spa Award from Conde Nast Traveler magazine 11 times. But I was about to learn that there is a lot more to their  immersion resort experience. I would come away delightfully surprized and completely overwhelmed and continue to go back for more.

Find out WHY as we begin making use of their abundant resources in the next post.

On my last day in Kenya, I spent several hours sitting in the shade of coconut palms fringing the coastal beach south of Mombasa observing a constant stream of human and animal activity: fisherman, hawkers, acrobats and jugglers, camel drivers, and the curious local monkeys.

Three men dressed in the traditional crimson garb of the central Maasai Mara plains walking down the beach caught my attention since they were obviously far from home and quite out of place. They paused long enough for me to capture their ethereal image in the shimmering noonday light. We were literally at land’s end. I was at my journey’s end and I wondered if they were too.

It was time to go home.

I had scaled high hurdles just to get to Kenya.

Was it worth it? Heck yeah! Would I do it again? Well, . . . let me check my Wish List.  The Spice Islands of Zanzibar, the Seychelles, Mauritus and Reunion – all islands off the east coast of Africa. And I know there are even more extraordinary experiences awaiting in Botswana.

Every serious traveler has a Travel Wish List. What’s on yours for 2010?

If you’d like to be added to my private invitation list for future getaways, e-mail me:
Jacintha@IslandGetawaysTravel.com

Turn around 180 degrees for an expansive view of a beach that seems as wide as it is long. Diani Beach stretches out to waves coming in from the Indian Ocean beckoning you into the warm water. The sand is firm and perfect for jogging but there’s little activity at this time of day. That will soon change.

The beach bar is just opening for business. A vendor is setting up racks of sarongs. A man strolls by with hand-woven hats. Another with bags for sale.

A hotel attendant walked by. Could he get me anything?, he inquired. Some of the resorts in the South Pacific offer fresh coconuts. I asked if they had any, not realizing that a staff member would be dispatched to climb a palm tree and fetch me a fresh green drinking nut. It was quickly sliced open and handed to me with a straw inserted. A perfectly refreshing coconut mocktail.

And then I met the resident colobus monkeys – inquisitive, mischievious and completely fearless. They alone provided hours of free entertainment. They would walk right up, look over you and your belongings and perhaps abscond with a small item left unattended.

My only regret is that I have only 1 day and 1 night here. Barely 24 hours, enough time to look around but not really do much.

I had brought a stck of small bills, 5s, 10’s, some 1’s, for tips. Both camps had staff gratuity boxes and driver/guides were given tips directly. Some companies offer ultra all-inclusive trips. Gratuities were not expected in that case.

I had a little money left. I was leaving the next day and I knew I would have some time at the airport. I wandered into the duty free store to grab some gifts and souvenirs. At the check-out counter, the cashier informed me that credit cards were NOT accepted, only cash. On the way back to the gate, I finally noticed the ATM machine with a very, very long line. How had I not seen that before? Now it made sense to me. Strcitly cash and carry.

I would arrive home with less than $10 U.S.

Well, you know, The Sea Goddess must always gravitate to the sea.  Another short  flight from the Masai Mara takes us to a small airport near the coast, just south of the port city of Mombasa. 

I can feel the difference in the humidity. I can almost smell the sea salt. There is ocean nearby.

ocean front rooms

I promised you interesting places with character. No generic chain hotels. A few minutes drive brings us to the Sands at Nomad boutique hotel on Diani Beach. As we wind up the driveway through the coastal forest, our first view of the traditonal Swahili architecture is quite striking. 

This hotel is small but full service. It offers a pool and jacuzzis, a pool bar, a beach bar, an alfresco restaurant , a spa, a dive shop and internet center. It had been several days since I was last able to check e-mail. The computers were very popular with the guests and seemed to always be in use.

interior view of suite

The accommodations consist of rooms, suites and bungalows dressed in hand carved mahogany furniture and Swahili objets d’art,  the inspriation of designer and local artist Mario Scianna.

All the units are air-conditioned and I noticed mosquito netting for the first time on this trip. I wasn’t sure if it was for purely decorative or practical puroses until I found it lowered at night by the invisible housekeeping staff.

The beach front bungalows were all occupied so I was unable to get the manager to let me take a peak. Judging by the exotic exterior: the unusual domed shape, the thatched roofing and the curtained patio daybed, I’m sure it was equally lovely inside.

Throughout my journey, I had met many more European than North American travelers. Of course, it’s a much shorter trip for them. I was also fascinated to learn that most Americans rarely venture out to this part of Kenya for a coastal safari. Whereas British, German, French and Italian tourists frequently come for some R&R with sun, sand and sea.

Tourists from around the globe visit in the summer months to view the annual wildebeest migration from the Serengeti Plains in neighboring Tanzania. Millions of wildebeest move north in search of food during the months of June through September. Tagging along in the visual food chain are zebras, lions, cheetahs and hyenas.

As the thundering herd  crosses the Mara river, there are other dangers: hippos lying on the river bank or submerged in the water. And then there are the 18-20 foot long crocodiles seen here doing a little lazy sunbathing. Our guide made sure we were at a safe distance – on the opposite bank.