A few years ago when I went to The Lodge at Woodloch for a facial and massage, I swore that one day I would spend the weekend at their destination spa. The rooms are luxuriously appointed, the spa cuisine is to die for (I had lunch there during a recent event with Christopher Drummond Beauty) and the grounds are breathtaking. Although I only live about 40 minutes from The Lodge at Woodloch, the resort is tucked away here in the Poconos in such a way, that it felt like I was traveling far far away…

One of the first things I noticed about The Lodge at Woodloch, was their superior customer service. We (Bryan & I) pulled up to the gated entry to give our name for our stay and by the time we got to the valet, they opened my door calling me by name and once inside, the concierge, also motioned to me calling me by name…all of which made me feel like a valued customer and not just some random person checking in. We scheduled a spa treatment, 9 holes of golf at Woodloch Springs, Wake-Up kayaking for 7am the next morning and made a reservation for dinner. After a quick tour of the resort, Bryan sat down for lunch at Tree while I was whisked away for a Tension Tamer massage with Gwen.

If you haven’t heard me tweet and Facebook incessantly about how much I LOVE this spa, then you certainly need to stop by and try it for yourself. I chose the Tension Tamer massage, as sitting at my desk all day working has really had its way with my upper back and shoulders. At times, the pain has become unbearable. The Tension Tamer focuses on this key muscle group to help melt that stress away. And boy did it! At the beginning of the massage I told Gwen that I could barely feel any pressure from her hands in the area surrounding my neck because some of the area had gone numb. She worked her magic and within 30 minutes I was telling her that she was a magician. Suddenly there was feeling back in that area and the tension in the surrounding muscles began to ease up. I honestly did not want to leave after my 50 minutes were up. Gwen told me that due to my line of work, that I really needed to have massages focusing on that area more often. I completely agree!

After finishing up a lunch plate that Bryan brought me to the room, we made our way over to Woodloch Springs, which is a private community with an 18-hole PGA 2 golf course. Since I have never played golf before, we decided on just doing 9 holes. The course was gorgeous despite how wet the green was from all of the rain we’ve been having in the Poconos. Bryan taught me how to play and I have to say, golf is hard work! I have a new respect for pro-golfers now!

Dinner at Tree was delicious and we each had salad and chicken that was out of this world. At about 9pm we decided a swim was in order and made our way to their Aqua Garden (which has amazing waterfalls) and their Horizon Whirlpool. On a dark night with a view of the stars, it was breathtaking.

I slept like a baby that night and I honestly didn’t want to get out of bed in the morning because the bed was so comfortable! Made me realize that I’m about due for a new mattress for my own bed. The morning was a little chilly, but we made our way to Little Lake Teedyuskung for our 7am kayaking. Since the rest of the people who signed up for the session were no-shows, we had the guide all to ourselves! This 1:1 session was great as we learned more about the area we live in and got to take in all of the wildlife. Although the really ridiculous spider that kept jumping into my kayak, which almost made me flip over when trying to get it out, was not so amusing (at least for me, but Bryan and our guide thought it was pretty funny.)

After breakfast at Tree, my feet begged me for a Restorative Rosemary Pedicure at their Lotus Salon…and how could I say no? The view from my seat was beautiful and the bourbon vanilla soak helped soften my dry heels. I loved the seaweed wrap and Antoinette made my toes look pretty with SpaRitual’s Crystal Water nail polish.

All in all, it was a relaxing and fun-filled weekend that we truly enjoyed. So whether you live locally and are looking for a staycation without feeling like you are really still local or are looking for a Pocono getaway, The Lodge at Woodloch should top your list of places to go. If you’ve visited or have had a spa treatment here, please share your experience in the comments!

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*Some images from The Lodge at Woodloch’s website; disclosure: a portion of this stay was gifted.

Shannon Nelson

Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.

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Laying on a beach in sunny St. Petersburg, Florida on a perfect  80 degree day after an amazing seafood lunch and visit to the Salvador Dali museum, I was feeling pretty content and thought there was just no way that life could get any better that day.

Well it did,  as soon as I checked in to the Innisbrook Resort to prepare for an entire day of pampering at the Indaba Spa.  You might wonder exactly how does one prepare for a spa day…well in my case it involved checking into one of their amazing suites, donning the ultra plush robe that greeted me as soon as I entered the bedroom and letting my mind and body completely relax… before my scheduled day of relaxation…it seemed like the right thing to do…

The Indaba Spa is absolutely beautiful, I love and appreciate that it did not have a gimmicky feel nor was it trying to be one of those uber trendy spas that people tend to forget after the hype is over.  It was just very inviting, beautiful and calming, to me everything a spa is supposed to be.

My first order of business was to choose what I wanted for lunch (this is a part of The Indaba Experience), then off I went to my locker to change into my official spa gear…a snugly robe and mildly massaging slippers.  My first treatment of the day was the Signature Facial.  All of the products used for the facial were from a natural and organic skincare line called Eminence Organics and with names such as  Lemon Cleanser, Pineapple Enzyme Peel and Apricot Lip Moisturizer, I felt like my skin was getting the nutrition that my body is so deprived of. The neck, shoulder and foot massage that Jennifer administered (and are a part of the Indaba Signature Facial) left me so relaxed I didn’t think I needed the full body massage that was next on my schedule of services.  Well after Melissa (my masseuse) was finished with me, I realized how silly that notion was.  I wondered if I had morphed into the bad guy from Terminator 2…my limbs felt like liquid!

Next up was my lunch of salad, water and white wine that I ordered upon arriving and which I had the choice of eating inside in the lounge area or outside in the wonderful Florida sunshine surrounded by nature (I also had the option of laying out in the shade or sun on one of their super cute lawn chairs.)

I ended my spa day (or as I now refer to it my outer body experience) with a Coco-Lucious Manicure and Pedicure (I just love saying Coco-Lucious!)  All of the products used for the mani and pedi were also from Eminence Organics and smelled absolutely heavenly…nothing less expected with names like Coconut Scrub and Mango Enzyme.

I highly recommend either arriving early or staying late…or both, to partake of the steam room, hot tub or laying out with a good book or magazine.

In addition to being completely relaxed and pampered from head to toe surrounded by absolute beauty, I also gained some valuable beauty knowledge from my esthetician, masseuse and nail technician.

1)      Brushing my lips with a toothbrush (which I read in a fashion magazine), was not a good idea as there are great lip scrubs out there.

2)      There is a very big difference between a Physical Therapist and a Physical Terrorist.

3)      The nail shape that I prefer has a name….squoval

4)      Try to moisturize your hands after every wash (prevents dryness and hang nails)

5)      And last but definitely not least, people in Florida really pay attention to your hands and feet, especially feet…so keep up with those mani’s and pedi’s on a regular basis…thanks Indaba Spa!

Gail Lewis

Gail is at times a model, most of the time a blogger, but always a beauty junkie.

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I have long been a fan of soy candles and also love the moisturizing properties of soy for my skin. The Scandle makes a great body massage candle that has the clean burn of soy while also including essential oils for a hydrating, yet relaxing massage.

The Scandle I have is in Oatmeal Milk & Honey from their “Originals” travel tins.  It a very delicious fragrance that is sweet with the scent of honey and I even want to say a hint of vanilla. It was such a nice product to just burn simply as a candle, but to also rub the warm oil into my dry hands. I would say it felt as good as a paraffin treatment, except that the oil absorbs into your skin to soothe it.

Scandle even has hands and feet treatment packs that include a Scandle infused with tea tree & lemongrass essential oils and special moisturizing socks or gloves. That sounds like a great treat this Holiday season for that at home spa lover in your family (or maybe yourself!)

Visit www.abodycandle.com to see all they have to offer. They are a great indie company as well!

Shannon Nelson

Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.

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If you follow me on Twitter, then you may have heard me tweeting about the Cocoa + Fig Massage Candle from Jimmyjane the day it arrived. Without even lighting the candle my entire home office was filled with the scent of a dark rich cocoa aroma complimented by a fruity and earthy fragrance. It’s not too often that I fall insanely in love with a fragrance, but when I do, look out because then I am telling everyone all about it.

The Cocoa + Fig Massage Candle comes in a beautiful black porcelain container filled with a clean-burning, natural paraffin-free soy wax. It’s very soft to the touch, so even without lighting it you can rub your finger tips across it transferring some of the oils onto your skin with your body heat due to its low melting point.

While I didn’t use this candle for massage, I did burn it for the incredible fragrance and used the oil on my skin so that I could wear the scent itself. It’s strange to think that the pairing of cocoa and fig could actually smell sensual, but it does. It also makes me want a piece of Hershey’s Special Dark, but that’s just me.

The Cocoa + Fig Massage Candle sells for $65 at www.jimmyjane.com with 72 hours of burn time. The website is not work-friendly if you go beyond the candle page if you know what I mean–so definitely look this up in the comfort of your own home. This candle is 100% worth it.

Shannon Nelson

Shannon Nelson launched A Girl's Gotta Spa! in 2005. She currently works with beauty brands as a social media consultant, freelance writes for magazines and is a public speaker at beauty industry conferences.

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