Trip Reviews

A Mom Vacation in Portland, Maine

Living in New England is quite a treat! I can drive 1 hour in the winter and be skiing in the mountains or drive for three hours in the summer and be at the beach.  I was recently offered the opportunity to stay at the Portland Regency Hotel & Spa in Portland, Maine.  I haven’t been to the beach in a while, so I packed my bags, called my best girlfriend and we headed East towards sun and sand!

The Regency Hotel is located right in the heart of Portland.  It is situated in a Neo-Romanesque building that was once a state armory.  So there’s some history there.  Although the building is dated, the amenities are not.  This new hotel offers great service (coffee delivered to your door every morning!), modern facilities and two wonderful restaurants.  It’s also walking distance from Portland’s main attractions, shops and restaurants.  And not too far from Crescent Beach State Park.  For more information on all that Portland has to offer, visit the Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Our room was very elegant, with a turret. Not all rooms have turrets, but some have unique features such as alcoves or fireplaces.  The room furnishings are traditional with modern touches such as flat screen TVs.  We ate at both restaurants during our stay.  Twenty Milk Street offers old world charm, with lots of chandeliers and a fireplace.  We had Sunday Brunch and I had the Lobster Benedict, which was to die for!

It wouldn’t be a mom vacation without a few cocktails!   The Armory Lounge, located downstairs, happens to be a pub frequented by locals, as well as guests.  Their extensive drink menu left me a little tipsy…I couldn’t decide which drink to have, so I tried a few!  The chocolate cake martini was like drinking a chocolate cake!  Pub fare is also available.  I tried the mussels, which were simply made in a white wine and herb sauce.

The Regency Spa has seven treatment rooms decorated in natural tones.  The spa also offers a sauna, Jacuzzi and Vichy showers.  My skin was in need of some rejuvenation after spending the summer outside, running after my two year old daughter.  I decided to try one of their spa packages, the Regency Organic Bliss.  This package includes a Saltmousse body glow, which is meant to rehabilitate your skin’s health and radiance.  I also had the Organic Stonecrop Facial and an eye repair treatment.  In between treatments, we relaxed in the Jacuzzi and steam room.  Overall, the spa services were excellent and left my skin healthy again.  A definite must for a mom vacation!

The Portland Regency offers a Girlfriend Getaway package, and will let you and 3 of your mom friends share a room to keep the cost down.  Prices for this one night  package start at $176.25 per person, based on quad occupancy.  This includes a full American breakfast or Sunday brunch, plus $100 spa credit. And you also get complimentary fruit, cheese and champagne!

To book this mom vacation, please cal us at (888) 802-7364 or fill out a contact form.

This week’s deal: New Las Vegas Rumor Resort: $40 per night!

Be one of the first moms to stay at the newest boutique hotel in Las Vegas. Through Oct. 30, stay in a one-bedroom suite Sunday through Thursday for $40 per night with a two-night stay. This is one-third the price of neighboring hotels.  Each suite offers a private balcony to oversee the pool scene or The Strip lights just a few blocks away.

Rumor Boutique Resort is the newest addition to the list of trendy Las Vegas accomodations. Located across the street from The Joint, one of the city’s hottest concert venues, guests are just steps away from some of the best music lineups in town.

Step through the crystal doors and into the sleek, tranquil lobby lounge and discreetly glide through check in. Have a cocktail and stroll to a hammock in the grassy palm-shaded backyard. While you unwind, the bellman will gladly carry your bags to your brand new suite…doesn’t this sound like a great mom vacation?

The beautifully designed pool and shimmering wet-deck are a perfect oasis for relaxed lounging. Hide out in a seductive private cabana or be seen sunning with a cocktail on the wet deck. By day, the sparkling water and lush surrounding landscaped backyard sooth and energize. By night, it transforms into a magical hideaway.

To book this amazing deal, call (888) 802-7364 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (888) 802-7364      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or fill out a contact form.

A Cooking Lesson at the Essex

I recently checked out the newly built JK Adams kitchen at the Essex Culinary Resort and Spa. The Essex was offering a free cooking lesson in conjunction with Stonyfield Farms Organic Yogurt. The purpose of the class was to prepare delicious recipes with their Oikos Greek-style yogurt. I absolutely love their yogurts and so do my kids. I thought this was a good opportunity to try out a cooking lesson at the Essex and learn how to use my favorite yogurt in recipes.

The new JK Adams kitchen is very spacious in comparison with the smaller Chef’s Kitchen. What sets the Essex apart from other resorts is their alliance with the New England Culinary Institute. When the Essex opened their teaching program to the public, the response was overwhelming. The lessons were originally held in the smaller Chef’s Kitchen, which can host up to 8 students. The newly added JK Adams Kitchen is much more spacious and can host up to 16 students.

The class was taught by Chef Kerry Bouffard, who teaches a majority of the culinary lessons at the Essex. This was the third and last free class that was part of this Stonyfield series. Kerry told me that the other two classes were completely full. However, our Sunday morning class had only four people, including myself. One was a hotel guest from the Rochester, New York area, who had brought along his 8 year old granddaughter. The other was a local freelance food writer, who writes for local publications like the Burlington Free Press and Vermont Life Magazine. This smaller group was more intimate and we all started chatting immediately.

I didn’t really know what to expect when Kerry told our class that we would be preparing three different dishes in one hour. I thought I might be running around madly trying to get everything accomplished. This wasn’t case. Kerry is very organized and task oriented. We were all given a handout of recipes that contained Stonyfield Oikos Greek yogurt. On the menu that day was a Lemon Cake, Fireworks Slaw with Tangy Cliantro Yogurt Dressing and Cheesy Yogurt Salsa with Homemade Tortilla Strips. If these recipes sound tantalizing, they are actually posted on Stonyfield Farm’s website. where you can also find other delicious recipes made with yogurt.

We started with the Lemon Cake. Kerry had us mixing all ingredients in no time, dividing the tasks amongst the four of us. Since our group was smaller, each of us had something to do. The cake was baking in the oven within 15 minutes of starting. Next on our list was the Cheesy Yogurt Salsa. This dish required a lot of prep work, with a long list of ingredients. We had to chop fresh tomatoes, dice onions, and also prepare a basting sauce for the tortilla strips. While preparing all the ingredients, Kerry would show us useful knife skills and share kitchen tips. I’m not that savvy in the kitchen, but brought home a few useful tips that I will continue to use. We then moved on to the slaw, which also required a lot of chopping and preparing. We accomplished our goal within the hour.

Kerry keeps the learning environment during the cooking lessons light and social. She understands that her students are there to also enjoy themselves and socialize as well as learn. She guides them through the tasks while maintaining her purpose without being rigid. For those of you who are not interested in cooking during your vacation, you may find that after taking a cooking lesson, you really didn’t have to do all the work. And you get to enjoy a delicious meal at the end of the class. Wine and beer can be ordered from the bar to accompany your creation.

A culinary lesson at the Essex is perfect for a mom vacation event. It’s a combination of learning new skills, socializing with other moms and enjoying a great meal!

A mom vacation at the Brasstown Valley Resort and Spa

Turning forty can be considered a milestone in a woman’s life. I see that number approaching at a fast pace myself, since next July, I will be celebrating my fortieth birthday. My husband recently asked me to give him a list of my expectations for this day. Do I want some expensive jewelry? Do I want to go away for a romantic adventure without the kids? Do I want to get away by myself? So, I’m currently pondering the answer to this difficult question.

As I started to think about it, I remembered my best friend’s fortieth birthday party that I attended last year at the Brasstown Valley Resort and Spa, located near Young Harris, in the North Georgia Mountains. Her DH organized this surprise birthday mom vacation, along with some of her girlfriends. All she had to was show up.

I flew in to Atlanta for this weekend celebration, leaving my husband behind with two kids for the first time. I was a little reluctant to go, since one of them had an pneumonia. And I did spend a part of the weekend on the phone with him, getting updates on her condition. He eventually told me to stop calling and start enjoying myself, because he was handling it.

Cottage Living Area

Our group of ten women drove about 70 miles north of Atlanta to the North Georgia Mountains on a rainy Friday afternoon in May. The weather didn’t look promising. Heavy rain showers throughout the weekend. We checked in to our rustic cottage, surrounded by mountains and nature trails. The Brasstown Valley resort offers 102 guest rooms located in the main lodge and 8 cottages with four bedrooms each. The size of the cottages is perfect to host your group of moms.  Our cottage had a beautiful main living area with a wood-burning fireplace, a small kitchen and fantastic views. This was the perfect setting for our mom vacation.

My friend, who had never been away from her three kids, was estatic! She kept telling us that this was the best weekend of her life, even before the weekend started! Her joy was contagious and all the moms present made the best of it, despite the heavy rain.

On Friday night, we had dinner at the lodge’s Dining Room and had their famous Friday Evening Seafood buffet. There was an abundance of crab legs, salmon and shrimp, all very fresh and tasty. We ate to our heart’s content, talking late into the evening. Many of the moms didn’t know each other, since we came from different parts of my friend’s life. We all had one thing in common. The desire to enjoy our freedom away from our children. Many of us had never left our children for long periods of time. Others travelled for business, which is usually more stressful than staying home. After dinner, we all started to relax and let reality sink in. We didn’t have to wake up to take care of our kids the next day. So we just drank more wine!

Ranch views

We woke up to a very rainy Saturday. Some of us had planned to spend the day at the Equani Spa. But a large group of moms had booked a horsebackriding trek through the mountains. The Brasstown Resort has its own stables on the property and offers five miles of trails. I was one of the more adventurous moms who hopped on a horse and took a guided tour through the muddy trails in the pouring rain. It was cold and the view was obstructed by heavy fog. But we all had a great time stepping out of our comfort zone doing something we couldn’t normally do with our kids in tow.

Birthday cowgirl!

The equestrian moms joined the other moms at the spa for an afternoon of relaxation. The Equani Spa takes inspiration from the Cherokee people. The treatments boast an assortment of rituals designed to stimulate and resfresh the mind, body and soul. Moms lounged around in plush bathrobes in the waiting area. This area offers lounge chairs and a large fireplace. Light snacks can be ordered. An assortment of teas and fruit juices are also available.

Moms in our group were all very happy with their treatments and found the spa staff very professional. Popular treatments were the hot stone massage and the Simply Sugar Spa Manicure and Pedicure. This mani/pedi uses raw cane sugar to scrub away dead skin cells. My heels never looked so good! We left the spa feeling relaxed and with our toes painted various shades of red. Meanwhile our husbands were probalby scrubbing various shades of red markers from the walls! But that was far, far away in our mind.

We celebrated my friend’s birthday at the lodge Dining Room that evening. The restaurant offers A la Carte dining on Saturday night. The food was excellent, with choices ranging from filet mignon to fresh seafood. We all went back to our cottage, started a fire and watched a slide show of my friend’s first forty years, which her sister had put together as a surprise!

We left the Brasstown Valley Resort the next day feeling refreshed and ready to face the life we had left behind for a brief period. The sun did come out on Sunday and we got to see the beautiful mountain views the resort is known for. My friend said that this was the best birthday ever! As I reflect back on this weekend, maybe I will tell my husband I want a mom vacation for my fortieth birthday!  To plan your mom vacation at the Brasstown Valley Resort and Spa, please fill out a Contact Form or call the Moms on Vacation Travel Club at (888) 802-7364.

Mountain views

Moms on Vacation at the Euro Spa!

Let’s face it! Vermont is a cold place in the winter. Our kids seem to recycle colds, ear infections and pneumonia. After dealing with sick kids for the last month, I needed to get away to a place where no sick kids are allowed. The weekend trip to the Euro Spa in Stanbridge, Quebec, couldn’t have come at a better time.

Five moms joined me on this trip. One mom had been working overtime at her job and dealing with her sick two year old. The other had two kids with a stomach bug, and then caught it herself. Two of the moms had never been away from their children before. One mom had been extremely busy with her two teenage daughters’ basketball tournament. The other mom has four kids. Need I say more? It was amazing to see all these moms pull it together for a relaxing weekend at the Euro Spa!

The Euro Spa has a very rustic feel when you walk in to the lobby. The accommodations are comfortable, but not luxurious. The rooms have all the basic necessities, but could use some updates. However, we did not spend much time in our rooms. After we checked in, we changed in to our bathing suits and put on white fluffy robes. We were then led to the spa. A feeling of relaxation immediately set in during our tour.

The Euro Spa has undergone a make-over since my last visit three years ago. The large pool area has been updated with new tiles and lots of tropical plants. The soaking tubs have been moved to the pool area. A new relaxation area has been added on with comfortable chairs and pillows. The improvements were meant to keep the waiting and relaxing area seperate from the pool area and to create better flow.

All the women were very happy with their treatments and found the Euro Spa staff to be helpful and professional. Since we all had two or three treatments scheduled throughout the day, our group didn’t catch up with each other until the end of the day. We all gathered to soak in the multiple hot tubs infused with different beneficial herbs. We soaked in the pine bath, the mud bath and the vanilla bath. There is also a salt water bath. We didn’t dare try the outdoor hot tub. It was only four degrees outside and involved maneuvering the cover off in our bathing suits! We talked about our treatments, what we liked the best and the least.

We met up in the restaurant for a nice dinner and some drinks. The dinner was buffet-style with a European flavor. The spread included some smoked salmon, a large cheese platter and lobster tails. There was also a generous salad and desert bar. Some of us ended our day by going to bed early to catch up on sleep. Others stayed up to talk over cocktails. At breakfast the next day, all moms asked me when the next Euro Spa trip was going to be organized! Everyone felt relaxed and ready to face their sick kids! This trip was a nice break during a long Vermont winter.

The price for this Euro Spa package is $254 (US dollars). It includes one night accommodation, a one hour massage and a 30 minute treatment. It also includes three delicious meals. To book your mom vacation at the Euro Spa, call (888) 802-7364 or fill out a contact form.

Testimonials:

“The Euro-Spa trip was a much needed getaway. This is the first time I have been away from my daughter and I really enjoyed the peace and quiet that Euro-Spa offered. I found the staff to be professional, friendly, and helpful. They made me feel comfortable and at ease during treatments. The spa was relaxing and invigorating.”–Heidi H., mom to 1 year old

“Just want to say thanks again to Caroline for such a wonderful time at the Euro Spa this past weekend. It was my first spa experience, and it could have not been better. I will definately go back……”–Rema P., mom of 3

A Vegas Mom Vacation at Mandalay Bay

I landed in Las Vegas after catching the red-eye flight for a long weekend with some of my friends. I left home in the middle of the night, already feeling tired from being up with my three year old daughter for the past three nights due to a fever. I felt some remorse about leaving her with her dad to go to Sin City, but I knew she was in good hands. I arrived in Vegas feeling pretty tired and didn’t know how I was going to survive in the city that never sleeps.

The last time I had visited Las Vegas was about fifteen years ago, while road tripping with some of my girlfriends through the Utah and Arizona canyons. Vegas, at the time was on the verge of a makeover, with new casinos popping up and old one being torn down. This recent trip revealed the evolution of a city that has become so popular for everyone, including moms looking for a different type of vacation. But can one really relax in Las Vegas amongst the constant casino noise and the endless partying opportunities? I was about to find out.

None of the women in our group were interested in gambling. We opted to stay at THEhotel, which is part of Mandalay Bay, because it offered a spacious suites for our group of 15 women. THEhotel is a boutique hotel that offers luxury and comfort for your mom vacation. The one bedroom suites are modern, equipped with 42″ plasma TVs and wet bars. We had reserved the H suite, a 1674 sq ft suite with a large sitting area for socializing. Other ammenities include a 14,000 sq ft spa, the Bathhouse. The Bathhouse is a unique spa experience with multiple soaking pools and tubs.

Since THEhotel is part of the Mandalay Bay complex, we had access to the Mandalay Bay facilities, including the famous Mandalay Bay Beach, where we spent most of our days. This water complex offer a wave pool, a lazy river and lots of real white sand. For the ultimate pool experience, we reserved two adjacent beach bungalows equipped with a wet bar and lounging couches. We no longer felt like moms, but more like rock stars! After spending our first day in Vegas lounging by the pool, my energy was starting to be replenished. Since we were all tired from being moms, our first night was spent in our suite. We ordered room service, watched movies and talked. We didn’t feel the need to go out and experience the Vegas nightlife yet.

Our second day was spent at the Bathhouse spa, enjoying a few spa treatments. I decided to opt for a soaking bath, the AROMAPOTHECARY SCENTUAL BATHING. This 25 minute bathing session is a true aromatherapy bathing experience that left my skin silky soft! After a day at the spa, we all felt rejuvenated and were ready to hit Vegas hard for some dinner and nightlife. We opted to eat off the strip at a Thai restaurant recommended by one of the moms in our group. The Lotus of Siam is by far the best Thai food I ever had! If you like Thai food, don’t miss out on the opportunity to eat at this restaurant. We then headed back to our hotel, where we had arranged with our concierge for V.I.P. access to Mix Lounge. Going out on a Saturday in Las Vegas means long waiting lines, unless you are a group of women. You can talk to your hotel concierge about V.I.P access to your hotel clubs. The entrance fee to the club is cheaper if you’re staying at the hotel where the club is located. We spent most of our time outside on the 64th floor balcony sipping delicious drinks and watching the Strip in action on a Saturday night.

Our last day in Las Vegas was spent shopping and walking up and down the strip. We returned to the Mandalay Bay Beach late afternoon to relax one last time before leaving Las Vegas the next day. That night, some of us saw a Cirque du Soleil performance, Ka, with discounted tickets purchased through Tix4Tonight.com. Others checked out the Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay, a giant 1.6 million gallon aquarium with various sharks and other aquatic predators.

After arriving in Las Vegas feeling tired and worn down, I didn’t think I would leave feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. But spending time lounging by the pool and spa at Mandalay Bay with my best girlfriends was the cure that I needed for my tiredness. And we never made it to the casino. Who said Las Vegas is only for gamblers?

Our budget for this 3 day weekend was kept under $700. Although our experience in Las Vegas seemed luxurious, the cost is divided by the number of women in your group, making it more affordable. Many Las Vegas hotels are deeply discounted right now because of the low occupancy rate.