Friends hiking in Sedona
getty
For those in between relationships, Valentine’s Day can be a slightly awkward time, but celebrating friendships never is. And so the day before Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s Day, a holiday hatched in the 2010 sitcom Parks and Recreation, can be a time in real life when friends can gather and participate in favorite activities together. Partners can of course also take part and everyone can repeat these activities at other times of the year.
Part of the Challenge Course at Miraval Berkshires Resort & Spa
Miraval Resorts
Wellness Retreats Miraval Depending on location, a group of friends can book a stay at this acclaimed wellness retreat in its original location in Tucson, in Austin, Texas, or in the Berkshires, Massachusetts, which opened in 2020. To really test the bonding friendship, they can climb one of the challenge course’s elevated platforms and scale beams or horizontal cables together, do a gentle free fall, climb ladders, zip lines, etc. There are also many other down-to-earth options, suggested by wellness consultancies ranging from yoga, meditation including meditation with horses and sound therapy to body treatments with manuka honey, ginger or lemongrass.
The new Harborside Pool Club at The Boca Raton with adjacent tennis club.
The Boca Raton
Tennis The Boca Raton, Boca Raton, Florida All Suite Tower scheduled for completion in April); a pro-level golf course; a newly designed 50,000 square foot spa; ten restaurants, including four from New York’s Major Food Group, best known for Carbone; a half-mile private beach; and a new Harborside Pool Club with three pools and waterslides. Adjacent is the tennis center with 16 hydro-grid courts plus pickleball courts, two of which have been converted for this rapidly growing trend of tennis courts, a tennis concierge to arrange court times and games with other guests, tennis lessons and more clinics . The resort is also offering a three-night “Golden Escape” special with a $500 dining or spa credit or one category room upgrade for bookings made by March 31st.
Ojai Valley Inn surrounded by the Topatopa Mountains that turn pink at sunset.
Ojai Valley Inn
Golf Ojai Valley Inn, Ojai, California Nestled in a valley bounded by the Topatopa Mountains, known for their mystical whirlpool as the home of the Chumash Indians, this resort is so heavenly it was named Shangri La im Film served “Lost Horizon.” The 220-acre property is dotted with oak and olive trees and includes a golf course that has been sculpted along the property’s rolling hills and has hosted several PGA events. Golfers of all skill levels can also take advantage of private lessons, including in-game lessons, and weekly golf clinics. Afterward, friends can gather at the 31,000-square-foot spa for localized treatments like a desert clay/inhalation kuyam guided by Chumash narration and meditation, or body treatments like an orange and honey wrap, and then at the two creative restaurants or a dinner special event at the farmhouse; This pavilion attracts visiting chefs from all over the country. But guests should also take a trip into town for fried chicken and a selection of flavorful Lebanese salads at casual, friendly Ojai Rôtie.
The ski-in/ski-out après lounge at Montage Deer Valley
2019 Barbara Kraft
Ski Montage Deer Valley, Park City, Utah This destination regularly tops lists of the most popular ski resorts in the US for its 103 slopes, ski-in/ski-out availability, choice of upscale accommodations and services, scenic splendor and the generally reliable snow depth averaging 300 inches apiece year. Montage Deer Valley guests can access six mountains by skiing out the back door, with daytime activities arranged by the Mountain Host, including everything from lift tickets to ski boot warm-ups from the ski concierge. Afterwards, treatments are available in the 3,000-square-foot spa and a glass of Veuve Clicquot in the ski-in/ski-out après lounge, a vibrantly decorated mountain yurt, among other dining options.
Alfresco dining at L’Auberge de Sedona: Cress on Oak Creek
Photo by Dave Siegel
Hiking L’Auberge de Sedona, Sedona, Arizona The red rock formations surrounding Sedona and the spiritual, regenerative energy associated with its vortex sites make it a popular destination for bonding. Outdoor activities are of course recommended to enjoy all these landscapes, be it on horseback, mountain bike, hiking or spiritual vortex walking tours with a private guide. The resort’s concierges have conducted many of the hikes and can recommend standout trails such as Soldiers Pass, West Fork, the most famous, and Doe Mountain based on difficulty and views. Afterwards, healing treatments with individually blended herbs and plants as well as dinner by a bubbling stream can be experienced in the spa.
