Mother's Day Weekend Getaways - Peter Greenberg

Mother's Day Weekend Getaways

From PeterGreenberg.com
Oprah.com | April 06, 2010

Instead of another ordinary brunch-and-spa day, make lasting memories this Mother's Day with an active travel experience that can bring the whole family even closer together. Before you book, check out these mom-approved getaways from PeterGreenberg.com.

Surf's Up!
How about offering to teach mom to hang 10 at a women's weekend surf clinic? Visit Oregon's Northwest Women's Surf Camp and treat mom to the Girlfriend Getaway Weekenders package. Over two days, she'll learn to surf with instructors, practice in the ocean with a coach and learn the challenging sport firsthand, with the support of a women-only environment.

An organic lunch is catered daily, and accommodations are provided. Don't worry about the wetsuit and equipment: Everything, including transportation to and from the beach, is provided, along with a departing goodie bag to commemorate the weekend. Rates start from $225 per person depending on the location and number of participants. Girlfriend getaway clinics start in June, so surprise mom with a gift certificate on her special day.

Get inspired with more non-spa activities at PeterGreenberg.com.

Explore Your Inner Artist
Feel like dancing? Treat mom to an unforgettable weekend at The Oaks Spa at Ojai, where she can tap her toes to a custom mix of belly dancing, jazz, Zumba and African dance. If she still feels like stretching her legs, she can take advantage of outdoor activities like a morning stroll for 30 minutes around town, or a 4-mile jaunt into the foothills of the Ojai Valley, located just south of Santa Barbara, California. And the spa's health- and calorie-conscious meals feature locally grown produce and natural foods.

Or let mom tap into her inner artist at the nearby Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, which offers a cathartic mandala class in its Artist's Cottage and Apothecary. This signature two-hour experience involves creating your own personal mandala, meant to help work your way to self-discovery. If that sounds too intimidating, the inn also offers a variety of hands-on courses with local artists, including oil painting, jewelry making and silk scarf painting. The inn is currently offering a free night for every two nights booked through May 27.

Hike Your Way to Health
It's easy to grab mom and go for a nearby hike, especially when using helpful resources like Trails.com and LocalHikes.com. But if you want to make it a vacation, check out an organized walking tour that takes care of the planning for you. The Vermont-based Country Inns Along the Trail organizes both guided and self-guided tours that involve less than 10 miles of hiking a day, with nightly stops in Vermont's charming Green Mountain inns. An upcoming program involves stays only at inns that support the local, sustainable and organic food movement, from $695 per person.

Women's travel expert Marybeth Bond has more hiking holidays for you and mom at PeterGreenberg.com.

Celebrate Health and Wellness
Whether mom's in great shape, looking for a little fine-tuning or in need of some serious TLC, a wellness vacation can offer a lot more than a traditional luxury spa. The Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa—now located in its new digs at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami—has long been considered the gold standard in health and wellness support. Through June 19, rooms are $4,900 for one week single occupancy, or $4,250 if you're sharing a room. This rate includes luxury accommodations, daily meals and snacks, and a comprehensive fitness assessment and evaluation. That includes dietary analysis and medication review with board-certified physicians; access to daily workouts and classes with trainers' swimming and lap pools; a yoga and meditation center; educational seminars with nutritionists; and more.

Learn more about health and wellness hotels at PeterGreenberg.com.

Show You Love Her...with Food
Whether your mom is a whiz in the kitchen or could benefit from a few pointers, few things say "I love you" like a hands-on cooking class for two. The historic House on Bayou Road Inn is just minutes from New Orleans' French Quarter and not only offers cooking classes, but also shares the experience of West Indies Creole culture. The classes are personalized and hands-on, taught by some of New Orleans' top chefs.

After a full New Orleans breakfast, which is served at the B&B every morning, mom can explore the city (check out Gray Line's cocktail tour and Tours by Isabelle's "disaster" tour). The inn's cooking classes are in the evenings, focusing on dishes such as seafood gumbo, shrimp bisque, bread pudding and pecan pie.

Are you planning a Mother's Day getaway? Tell us about it in the comments section below.

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Printed from Oprah.com on Thursday, May 23, 2013