FROM: Becomingachef.com

The blog of award-winning authors
ANDREW DORNENBURG & KAREN PAGE

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 — Sometimes great get-aways are carefully planned in advance; other times they simply happen. In the first half of 2010, we are grateful to have had two magical get-aways that fell into the latter category: at The Lodge at Woodloch and The Inn at Little Washington.

In May, as Karen fought intense neck/back pain, she found the best (temporary) pain reliever to be hot Epsom salt baths. As she began to fantasize about being able to spend 24/7 in a hot bath, she discovered online that this could be a real possibility given the therapeutic soaking pools at The Lodge at Woodloch, about two hours from Manhattan in Pennsylvania.

"Soothe your mind and body in our heated hydromassage WaterWalls at the Aqua Garden" beckoned The Lodge's Web site. "Perched in the treetops, soak year-round in our outdoor Horizon Whirlpool" it cooed welcomingly.

So off we went. Within a half-hour of arriving, we found ourselves in Muscular Pain Sufferers' Nirvana. We weren't able to take, and haven't yet found, a photo of The Lodge's Aqua Garden that does proper justice to its stunning beauty. The eight- and four-foot waterfalls are absolutely spectacular, and we loved being able to seat ourselves in the pools beneath them with the water crashing on our backs, creating an unforgettable aqua-massage.

During our first 24 hours at The Lodge, Karen mostly soaked and stretched (in excellent yoga and Pilates classes) while Andrew ventured out on well-organized hikes and bikes. However, the aqua-massage worked so well that by the time we left, Karen was able to hike and even kayak in the lake behind the Lodge with much greater ease of movement than when we'd arrived.

Spa cuisine tends to get a bad rap, but the food served at The Lodge ranged from quite good to truly excellent. We loved getting to meet the kitchen team during the culinary demonstrations (complete with tasting!) that take place every afternoon in the demo kitchen. We were able to enjoy a glass of wine every evening, along with live music — and one of our greatest pleasures was discovering guitarist John Curtin who performed the best cover of Neil Young's "Harvest Moon" we'd ever heard outside of hearing Neil Young himself perform it at Madison Square Garden.

This exquisite destination spa is simply not-to-be-missed.

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