Sanderling Resort – Duck, North Carolina
This spa and resort sits next to the Atlantic Ocean and gives guests a panoramic view of the ocean. There is a long beach to stroll on a five-star spa experience to enjoy daily. You can play a round of golf, some tennis or take a tour bus from the resort to the neighboring city of Corolla and see the wild horses. The accommodations offer suites as well as private homes with rooms that have pools right outside their door as well as just a few steps away from the sand dunes. There are numerous water vehicles to take out on the ocean and you can take a boat out to Currituck Sound.
Tanque Verde Ranch – Tucson, Arizona
This is a resort and spa meant for the entire family to come to and enjoy a dude ranch style experience. There are guided explorations through the desert or up in the mountainous areas or horseback riding around the resort or off the beaten path on nature trails. There are also bike trails, organized dance events, and opportunities to join in on scheduled fishing expeditions. For daily exercise, there are tennis courts as well as basketball courts. You can even go off the resort and go downhill skiing in the winter months and explore the local caves. All this and a relaxing top-notch spa experience to enjoy as well.
Westgate Resort & Spa – Orlando, Florida
This resort is not only situated close to Disney World, but it is within a few minute ride from Universal Studios and SeaWorld as well. You can actually take the shuttle at the resort to all three parks on a daily basis. There are a multitude of places to shop as well if you venture off the 85 acre resort, but you can also enjoy the lake area and boardwalk on site and take a relaxing stroll out to the resort island which is only a short distance from the main resort hotel and view the entire Westgate resort as well as the variety of tropical birds. In the evening, you can sit in front of a fire pit and enjoy a nightcap or rent a gazebo for your entire family for the entire day.
Besides the world-class spa, there are seven exterior pools with four additional pools for kids. There are a variety of other activities including beach volleyball, basketball, tennis, and miniature golf. Kids even have their own club that they can join for the duration of their stay.
The accommodations range from studios rooms to four-bedroom villas. If your stay is centered around a special occasion and needs a venue, the resort offers a private space called the Sunset Key Island Retreat & Events Center. You can also see the Disney World nightly fireworks from the balcony of each room.
L’Horizon Resort & Spa – Palm Springs, California
With so much to experience in this paradise setting, the exceptional spa accommodations of four different treatment rooms in a serene outdoor space under canvas cabanas is the icing on the cake. There are five-star shops to choose from, golfing, hiking and a fine dining list of restaurants that will keep your mouth watering just waiting for the evening to arrive. You will have the unique setting of a resort designed with an open architectural flair for indoor/outdoor experiences like outdoor showers.
There are also local attractions just a few miles or less from the resort like the Moorten Botanical Gardens that is a registered historical landmark where you can book a guided tour of the nursery and see the local wildlife up close. You can also take an architectural tour of Palm Springs that will leave you at the Palm Springs Art Museum of Architecture and Design to end the day with another tour of examples of mid-century designs. You can then treat yourself to the Living Desert Zoo and Museum and experience the beauty of the flowers of the desert as well as the wildlife of the region. If relaxing and just enjoying the view is your thing, then you can take the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway that takes you nearly three miles over the Chino Canyon cliffs and wilderness area.
Tides Inn – Irvington, Virginia
This spa and resort has been around since 1947, and it is considered one of the staples in the spa and resort industry in America. It has been renovated in the last decade to reflect the innovations of the resort industry including being able to offer its guests a state-of-the-art spa experience. You can enjoy a round of golf as well at the 50 – acre Golden Eagle Golf Club situated around a lake and wooded acreage and take part in a golf clinic either before or after your round. For kids young and old, there is also Frisbee golf that you enjoy on their own dedicated greens. The resort also offers guests bikes at no additional charge for a ride to the city of Irvington which is full of historic buildings and architecture. You may also enjoy kayaking, paddleboats, and Canoes at the local marina or partake in the Cove Cruise during the day for aquatic animal sightseeing or in the evening as a relaxing water excursion.
In the Chesapeake Bay peninsula where this resort is located, you can take part in the Virginia Wine Trail tour to four different vineyards for wine tasting and enjoy the scenery of the Chesapeake Bay. If you are an antique aficionado, then Kilmarnock will be one of your stops near this resort with a multitude of antique dealers as well as art galleries and quaint boutiques. For history buffs, there is the Steamboat Era Museum that gives a historical perspective of the era of the steamboat beginning in 1870 through the mid-1920s in the Chesapeake Bay region.
No matter which resort and spa sound like the one for you, getting there is also a part of making the vacation hassle-free and one to enjoy. That means knowing what to pack and how to pack it. Make sure you have what you need for traveling and for when you get there and how to dress for plane travel as well.
Emily Kil is a professional blogger that writes about travel, family, and digital marketing. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, son, and two dogs. When she’s not helping her husband with his bio hazard cleaning business, she’s RVing with her family around the USA. She’s driven across the country five times, including an epic trip to Alaska.
