Travel and Wellness Ideas for Mother’s Day (or any time of the year)

If you’re a procrastinator as I often am, it’s not too late to find the perfect gift for Mother’s Day. For me, travel and fitness never have a deadline and they are presents that I would never consider returning.  If some of the dates below don’t work for your mother’s schedule, think of these as suggestions for other times. You can call the hotel or spa to ask when their next similar program will take place.

I just returned from a wonderful visit to New Orleans for JazzFest and since I still have NOLA on my mind, I will start by suggesting two New Orleans ideas that are truly wonderful. It’s a perfect way to join in the city’s 300th birthday celebration, too.

The luxurious Windsor Court in New Orleans, is offering a Mother’s Day package for those looking to give their mom a well-deserved weekend of relaxation and luxury. Your mother will enjoy a plush guestroom, a four-course brunch in the Grill Room, and discounted treatments at the Spa at Windsor Court. Dining on Southern specialties like baked chicken and waffles served with a definitely New Orleans-inflected caramelized banana, pecan praline sauce and Louisiana strawberries may just be a new form of heavenly dining. Since the weather is likely to be quite toasty on Mother’s Day, your mother will love Windsor Court’s new rooftop, where the Waterman bar will offer refreshments as will the salt water swimming pool.

At the new NOPSI Hotel in the heart of New Orleans’ Central Business District, Mother’s Day will celebrated Big Easy-style with special savings on luxurious room and suite accommodations, live jazz entertainment (so important in New Orleans!) and a Mother’s Day Champagne brunch with twelve food stations, hosted in the hotel’s grand Dryades Ballroom. The kids can participate, too, with a cookie decorating station to make the perfect take-away gift for mom. 

 

The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in Riverside, California is offering several packages with combinations of luxurious spa treatments, meals, botanical gifts and more. With the Mother’s Day Indulgence Package, mom will have a wine and food experience enhanced by luxurious spa treatments. The Mother’s InSPAration Package focuses on spa therapy with an afternoon in the spa enjoying treatments such as a rose petal bath and private massage, or an in-room massage. History fans will enjoy exploring this landmark property which dates back to 1896 and has been to host to many celebrities and US Presidents over its celebrated history.

For a New England wellness holiday, join Sarahjoy Marsh at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge, Massachusetts for a Mother-Daughter Yoga Weekend. Together you’ll spend quality time exploring your mother-daughter connection through yoga, meditation, and group experiences while having fun, learning new things (indoor and outdoor), and enjoying the gorgeous Berkshires setting. Mealtimes are also wonderful sharing experiences where you can try the delicious cuisine from Chef Jeremy Rock Smith which includes  a changing mix of vegetarian, Asian, regional, and international specialties.

And for a program that’s pure entertainment from start to finish, The Omni Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire has a range of activities for moms to enjoy with their entire family. The mountain setting is perfect for taking a canopy tour, learning how to decorate cookies, or making French toast s’mores and other treats. Everyone can participate. There will also be do-it-yourself sugar scrub and soap workshops, Vinyasa flow yoga, hiking along the Ammonoosuc River to the Upper Falls, paper flower making, Family Feud and other games, and movies. Whew!  You’ll need to book more than a few days here.

                                                                        

                                             

If your mother prefers the beach to the mountains, shecan celebrate her special day with a holistic and indulgent holiday at COMO Metropolitan Miami Beach. COMO Shambhala Urban Escape, the boutique hotel’s wellness center, has created a Mother’s Day program of meditation, spa services including Dr. Hauschka’s facial with rose-derived products, scalp massages, and the signature COMO Shambhala massage. Indulgent treats like the COMO Shambhala berry cheesecake will add a sweet finish to the day.

Happy Mother's Day!