By CAROLE ORLIN SPECIAL TO THE D A I LY PRESS
If you are looking for an extraordinary adult adventure, fitness and health destination that is easily and inexpensively reachable by air or automobile, I found a location in southwestern Utah made for you.
Red Mountain Spa and Resort is located in Ivins, Utah, just 10 minutes from the St. George Airport. With daily non-stop flights from LAX to St. George, it is a short flight on a puddle jumper plane. It also is a two-hour drive northeast of Las Vegas. Once you enter Red Mountain Spa, you’ll find yourself nestled at the foot of dramatic red sandstone cliffs and lava beds adjacent to the 10,000-foot peak of Pine Valley Mountain and near the entrance to the beautiful Snow Canyon State Park. You will find yourself in a completely different world.
Red Mountain Spa has 82 rooms and 12 luxury villas. Our room was small but beautifully appointed, and our view of the red rock was spectacular. We were just a few steps away from a meditation labyrinth built in the lava beds, which I used every day. We were greeted each morning by baby rabbits and exotic lizards a few steps outside of our door.
It’s difficult to know where to begin in an attempt to adequately describe Red Mountain Spa. It is one of the largest destination spas in the country and is renowned for its outdoor recreation and adventure sports — hiking, kayaking, mountaineering, rock climbing, mountain biking and back-country wilderness trips, to name a few.
“It’s difficult to know where to begin in an attempt to adequately describe Red Mountain Spa.”
“It’s difficult to know where to begin in an attempt to adequately describe Red Mountain Spa.”
They offer more than 30 hikes for all levels of fitness and over-50 classes. But no worries, they work closely with guests to help decide which classes and activities are most suitable for you. Two classes that I can personally recommend are the chi ball class and NIA. The latter is a form of creative free-style dance. I enjoyed it so much that I have located some NIA classes in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be any in Santa Monica. One adventure that I did not have time to explore but will definitely schedule on a return visit is a kind of high-tech treasure hunt called “geocaching.” It involves hand-held global positioning systems (GPS), where the guests are taught how to read and log in coordinates to find hidden “treasures” on the property. It involves hiking hills, crossing streams, scrambling and more.
Red Mountain is relatively close to Zion, Snow, and Bryce Canyon National Parks, and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We went on a wonderful day trip to Bryce Canyon, which was about a two-hour drive. Fortunately, the Red Mountain staff drove and we got to sit back and sightsee. We hiked two of Bryce’s many trails, including the Queens Garden Trail. We had a lovely lunch and returned exhausted but exhilarated. Zion is only about an hour away. They also offer a two-day, 26-mile hike from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon to Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the canyon on the Colorado River and back out the South Rim.
However, for those of you who just want to relax, eat healthy and receive top notch — and I mean top-notch spa treatments — Red Mountain Spa is perfect for you. We saw many people with books in one hand and a glass of wine in the other stretched out on the many hammocks scattered around the property, just taking it easy. We were surprised to see that all the food on the menu had the calories, fiber and fat listed. The food is very healthy — Southwest inspired — and many people come there for their detox program. This means detox from caffeine, sugar, etc. They make it very clear that it’s not a detox for drugs or alcohol. They have a seven-night package for “purifying the body, mind and spirit.” We did not partake in that option, but nevertheless, it was one of the first times I have gone on vacation, ate well and did not gain weight.
Their Sagestone Spa opened just this past January. It’s a breathtaking three-story geodesic dome, which is packed with a wide range of body treatments. The spa menu is so large — over 70 treatments — that we needed serious help in deciding which treatments to select. The staff was very knowledgeable about which treatments would be appropriate for each person. I trusted their guidance and went with the Arnica Friction Bolus Massage. I didn’t know what to expect, and I probably would not have picked it as a treatment, but I have to say it was the best body treatment I ever experienced. My husband had the Red Rock Hikers Massage, which I thought didn’t sound too exciting, but he said it was outstanding.
Red Mountain also has its own on-site chiropractor, Dr. Brad Crump, who gives health lectures and treatments. They even do bone density testing on site.
I recommend that anyone interested in going be certain to take the time to review all they offer, even if it is time consuming, and to contact them ahead of time with any questions.
We left Utah relaxed and renewed. With the tremendous range of activities, along with the dramatic topography of the area, this spa-destination resort is really in a class of its own. I have to give particular credit to the staff. Running an operation of this magnitude cannot be an easy task, yet it’s done very well. The only drawback I can see is that we did not allot enough time to do everything we wanted to accomplish. I would suggest planning to go for at least a week, or even longer — if possible. (Carole)
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 26, 2006. Read the original PDF.