With golf resorts in California about as common as orange shirts at a UT home game, La Quinta Resort & Club® gives the genre a sophisticated and historic twist. The 45-acre resort has attracted Hollywood celebrities, society leaders and golf enthusiasts to this Coachella Valley spa for almost a century. The club boasts more golf courses than any other resort in the Western U.S., with a total of 90 holes at the resort and nearby PGA West. Some of the links include the Pete Dye-designed La Quinta Resort Mountain and new Greg Norman course.

For those more inclined to leisure-time than tee-time, there is yoga, hiking, biking, swimming, a fitness center and an impressive spa. “We also have a world-class tennis facility with hard, clay and grass surfaces,” says Mike Islava, director of sales and marketing for La Quinta.
Spanish hacienda-style casitas, suites and spa villas, many of which have fireplaces, kitchens and private patios, are the resort’s lodging options. Room rates vary per season (starting at $225), while the two-person “Best in the West” golf package (valid Jan. 13 through May 5, 2005) starts at $644 and includes a room in the Resort Casita, $50 breakfast allowance and unlimited golf for two players.

Named one of the Great Budget Spas by Fodor’s, Hotel Spa Ixtapan in Ixtapan de la Sal, Mexico, may be just what the pamper-doctor ordered. Located in the mountain town of Ixtapan de la Sal about 65 miles southwest of Mexico City, this resort encourages you to leave behind the hustle and bustle of the U.S. for the tranquility of its southern neighbor. The four star 220-room hotel offers ample activities for the cardio-addict, especially those wanting to brave the steep mountain biking and hiking trails.

However, some travelers opt for the stress-buster spa services such as the heavenly-sounding “salt and almond-oil body rub.”

If weight-loss is your objective, try the resort’s Teocali restaurant, which serves exclusive spa cuisine.

A four-day Spa Classic package is $604 per person and a seven-day package is $1,075 per person, based on double occupancy. The packages include lodging and all meals plus massages, facials, hair/nail treatment, yoga, reflexology foot massage, golf/tennis lesson, aerobic and aquatics class.

Room rates, which also include meals, start at $150 per night.

Ixtapan Spa Hotel & Golf Resort
Ixtapan de la Sal, Mexico
800.638.7950
www.spamexico.com

Pura Vida (“pure life”) describes this as a voyage aimed at the true adventurer. Costa Rica Rios ‘Week of Adventure’ trips start about every other Saturday at the San Jose, Costa Rica airport and end on the following Saturday back at the same spot. In the meantime, you will mountain bike through Volcan Irazu’s cloud forest, camp overnight in the dense rain forest of the Pacuare River Reserve, whitewater raft in Class III and IV rapids, rappel down waterfalls and spend a final day on the beach snorkeling or surfing.

The groups are kept small, usually a maximum of 14, and the Web site describes the activity level as “six to seven hours of light to moderate adventure activity per day. No prior experience with any of the activities is required.” But Vicki Greeley, 57, who took the trip in October, says she’s just an average, reasonably fit person who was perfectly capable of handling all of the activities. “There are 20- to 70-year-olds doing these trips,” she says. “And they take good care of you. There was even a support vehicle at the volcano for those bikers who didn’t want to ride all the way down.”

The trip costs $1299 per person, which is all inclusive except for airfare.

Costa Rica Rios
888.434.0776
www.costaricarios.com

An elegant cruise ship, the peaceful blue Caribbean waters and a week of downward dog…what could be a better vacation for a yogi? Embarking from New Orleans, the Yoga Scott Yoga Cruise on the Carnival Conquest will sail to Montego Bay, Grand Cayman and Cozumel while vacationers stretch their bodies to new dimensions. Cherie Tormey, a Denver yoga instructor who is helping organize the cruise, brings ten years of personal practice to her classes. She’s worked with Hatha, Iyengar, Bikram and Anusara-style yoga, while her classes center on mind, body and soul, aiming to relieve stress, build flexibility and promote strength. “When the body is supple and the mind is calm, then the soul is free to be at its best,” she explains. “I try to give you rocket fuel for your soul.”

The all-inclusive Yoga Scott Yoga Cruise packages start at $895 per person for an interior stateroom. Ocean-view rooms are a little pricier, starting at $1045 per person.

Also, there are several other health-featured cruises for 2005, including a May fitness cruise and a biking cruise in the Adriatic.

Fit 2 Cruise
866.Fit2Cruise
720.200.0929
www.fit2cruise.com

For the Darwin in all of us, a stay in the heart of Everglades National Park (one of the country’s largest parks established in 1947 by President Truman), promises a unique peek at this fragile treasure of biological diversity. Located about two hours from Miami on the north shore of Florida Bay, Flamingo Lodge and Marina is the only ‘in-park’ lodging option where you can check out the subtropical wilderness of mangrove forests, alligators, endangered American crocodile, dolphins and more than 300 species of birds.

To help explore the area, the lodge provides houseboat rentals, canoes, skiffs, kayaks, fishing equipment and naturalist-guided boat tours. It’s no wonder visitors call it a world unlike any other, with aromatic flowers and the melodies of nature filling the senses.

And if you can’t leave your animal at home, not to worry. The lodge even accepts pets, provided they’re under 40 pounds and declared upon check-in.

The room rates vary during the winter season (Dec. 15, 2004 through March 31, 2005); a lodge room is $95 and a cottage starts at $135.

Flamingo Lodge & Marina
Flamingo, FL
800.600.3813
www.flamingolodge.com

One of the most popular ski towns in Europe for the Western traveler, Innsbruck caters to anyone in search of a great getaway vacation. A flight from Austin to Innsbruck via Lufthansa will have you nestled in the Tyrolean Alps after a full day of travel. But, don’t let the jet lag scare you; the breadth of activities is well worth your time in the window seat.

An excellent locale for the beginner to intermediate skier, there are more than 200 trails to navigate. Nightlife, not to mention shopping is a big hit and enough to keep the athletically-challenged entertained. If sightseeing and daily excursions are more your taste, day trips to Salzburg, Munich and Venice are offered, though the famed Bavarian Castles of Mad Van Ludwig have proven to be a tourist favorite.

With an all-inclusive package starting at $915 per person thru Ski Europe, a seven-night retreat at the three star hotel Tautermann can be enjoyed easily in this vibrant city. This is a no-brainer for those who want to experience the beauty of Europe. Overall Innsbruck is the place to go if you want to embark on a fun, economical and culturally rich vacation.

SkiEurope
www.ski-europe.com
800.333.5533