Getaways for getting closer

Stress and long hours at the office regularly drive Karen Cross to The Homestead in search of relief.

There, she unwinds at the spa as massage therapists work the kinks from her sore shoulders and stiff neck. She often indulges in a facial, then a manicure and a pedicure.

"This is something you don't do all the time -- then it wouldn't be a treat," Cross said. "If you work full time, you definitely need time to relax and unwind. This is time by myself, when someone is pampering and taking care of me."

Cross, senior vice president for Land'or International at Innsbrook and a resident of western Henrico County, travels to The Homestead in Hot Springs annually with her husband, John. While he plays golf, she rejuvenates in the sauna.

"I work hard," Cross said. "This is time to give back to myself."

Within an easy drive of Richmond, resorts such as The Homestead, Wintergreen, Boar's Head Inn and Keswick Hall remain popular destinations, despite the soaring cost of gasoline. Richmond is home to a variety of spas, but many enjoy making a weekend out of relaxing near the mountains.

"With the economy going the way it is, everyone is cutting back on eating out and going to the movies," said Jana Powers, spa director at Boar's Head Inn in Charlottesville. "But we are going strong. People aren't willing to give this up. Spas help with your health and well-being."

According to the International Spa Association, spa visits nationwide have hovered around 110 million the past few years, and spa industry revenues totaled $9.4 million in 2006. Since 1999, the number of spas has grown at an average annual rate of 21 percent, to more than 14,000.

"Spas give us the chance to calm our nerves," Powers said. "They take us out of the real world, even if for a short period of time."

At Boar's Head, stressed-out souls can soak in a bubbling tub of goat's milk and honey as they escape the daily grind of the workweek. The seven treatment rooms are filled on weekends, so be sure to book at least three weeks ahead.

If massages and body wraps aren't your thing, escape to the sports club, play golf, take a hot-air balloon ride or visit historic sites, such as Monticello.

"You can definitely see the stress when people come in here," Powers said. "You can see the change when they leave. They walk out smiling."

Some book an entire day at the spa, with a break for lunch sandwiched between an exfoliating scrub and pedicure. Mary Anna's Inspiration, a combination of a mineral bath with herbs, Swedish massage, European facial and pedicure/manicure, takes nearly five hours at The Homestead.

"We try to create the ultimate experience for people," said Christie Ford, The Homestead's spa director.

The emphasis, Ford said, is on using natural products unique to the area. Popular treatments include the mineral springs mud wrap and the buttercup scrub.

"We use ingredients you'll see when you are out on a hike," Ford said. "You leave feeling attached to The Homestead."

The spa even gets children, Ford said, so The Homestead has designed treatments just for them.

Manicures and pedicures are popular for girls, who often get the treatments with mom.

"They get massages, too," Ford said. "It's not seen as pampering. With all the stress they are going through now with SOLs in school and everything else, this is a way to take care of themselves."

Most come during summer vacation.

"When kids are out of school, weekdays aren't really weekdays anymore," said Kelly Stevens, spa services manager at the Wintergarden Spa at Wintergreen.

At Wintergreen, Swedish massage is the most popular treatment, Stevens said.

"For some, a spa treatment is a luxury," she said. "But some use it more to help with their sore backs. For them, it helps them go on with their day-to-day lives."

While many come to rest their weary bodies, couples make the trip for the romance of the countryside. Mothers and daughters make memories, and sisters use the time for bonding.

"I think the spa industry will only continue to grow as people realize just how relaxing it can be to escape from their daily lives," Stevens said.

The adventure comes with a price. Individual treatments, such as manicures and pedicures, start at about $20. Packages that combine body wraps, facials, massages, exfoliating scrubs and soaks into a full day of luxury can add up to more than $500.

"Going to a spa is not an inexpensive treat," Cross said. "But you get what you pay for. I work hard, so I don't mind paying to pamper myself. Rejuvenation -- that's what it's all about."
Contact Janet Caggiano at (804) 649-6157 or jcaggiano@timesdispatch.com.