The Stanford Inn, Mendocino, California | $429+/night

A luxury vegan eco-resort overlooking California’s rugged Mendocino coast, The Stanford Inn is pet-friendly and family-friendly (even though I’m focused on that #solotravelerlife). As the owners are committed to a holistic concept, they work consciously to reduce the resort’s carbon footprint and only uses sustainable lumber, paints and other materials for the frequent upgrades made to the property.

Its award-winning cuisine is not just vegan (which could be a plus or minus, but for a fun weekend away, I’m glad they’re conscious of their food); it focuses on whole plants, not ersatz meats, cheese or processed substitutes. And, the Inn offers four different cooking classes from beginner up, also focusing on plant-based cuisine.

Guest rooms and suites at this boutique hotel are paneled in pine and redwood. Most rooms offer wood-burning fireplaces ready to light, comfy, spacious guest rooms and options to bring your pet (this was a big win for Nicolle).

They have yoga/Tai Chi/pilates, a spa, breathwork classes, meditation, gardening classes, organic gardens you can peruse, art therapy classes AND MORE. Sounds like my kinda vaca, right?!

Castle Hot Springs, Morristown, Arizona | $1,500+/night

A quick glance reveals Castle Hot Springs as a 2021 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Award Winner and I’m like, say no more! Actually, one look at the turquoise natural hot springs is really what did it for me. Okay, fine, it was actually when I read “all inclusive”—lol. 

Nestled in a canyon in Morristown, Arizona, a stay at Castle Hot Springs is a desert oasis ripe with opportunity for rejuvenation. 

Choose from daily included activities like yoga, meditation, canyon hikes, guided archery, a history tour, gardening classes, a sound bath or mindfulness activities (making sunprints, body scrubs or succulent diffusers). 

For an extra charge, you can also book private sessions for breath work, Tai Chi, Qigong, a mantra session, a chakra tune up, a look at your personal astrology, every kind of yoga you can imagine and more. 

And then of course you can soak in the mineral-rich natural hot springs at any time with the option to upgrade with treatments like massage, reki, cranial sacral therapy, body scrubs and more. 

A stay at Castle Hot Springs also includes three farm to table gourmet meals per day cultivated from their OWN FARM. 

Love that you can book your day full or do nothing at all. Did I mention each cabin comes with an outdoor private tub?! 

Golden Door, San Marco, California | $10,450+/week 

A stay at Golden Door includes a massage…EVERY DAY! But I’m getting ahead of myself. First and foremost they “exist to change lives” and with a 4-to-1 staff to guest ratio, get ready for the wellness experience of a lifetime. A 7-day stay is required and includes…

• Over 40 fitness classes and up to four sessions with a personal trainer.
• Five skincare sessions and one body treatment, two herbal wraps and a mani/pedi. 
• All meals, which are harvested from their own 5 acre farm. 
• Over 25 miles of private trails, 7 gyms, 2 swimming pools, 2 labyrinths, a tennis court and a bath house. 
• Warmups, t-shirt and robe (laundered daily), sandals, sun hat and a fanny pack for all your activities. You also get a water bottle, journal, tote and a yoga mat. Basically you just have to show up!

One day could look like: Hikes on the mountain, Tai chi in the meadow, a guided labyrinth walk, nights of camaraderie over twilight dinners with just 39 other guests. A focus on reconnection—to yourself, to the bigger picture, to the joy of laughing out loud.

OR it could be: Stretching yourself with TRX training, Pilates, haiku writing or some precious time with your thoughts in the bamboo forest….followed by an evening featuring a mind-expanding guest speaker from the worlds of the arts, sciences, food, entertainment, healing and conservation.

All I want to know is, is the fanny pack cute tho?!

Blackberry Farm, Walland, Tennessee | $595+/night 

Get ready to get your Walland, Tennessee on in ways you never knew possible. Nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, I’ve been coveting a trip to Blackberry Farm ever since I moved to Atlanta 5 years ago. 

Say hello to the epitome of luxury, outdoors, wellness and self care by surrounding yourself in the beautiful bounty of an actual working farm. Do nothing by their adult-only pool, or hole up in the tranquility room all day or do everything via their add-on Wellhouse offerings like…

Book a Tata Harper facial or get a good sweat in via workouts like H.I.I.T., Barre, personal training or private dance instruction. Indulge in adventure activities like guided trail running, deep healing woods yoga, mountain biking, road cycling or their “farm fit” class, which includes hay bales, barn lofts and farm animals. Slow it down with mindfulness activities like yoga and guided meditation. Or get curious with a guided Enneagram Journey (!).   

You can even take part in their learning lectures like Aromatherapy 101, Understanding Your Skincare, Juice Power or The Science Behind Deep Healing Woods. 

And if you are still left wanting more, try horseback riding, wake surfing, geocaching, wine tasting, paintball or clipping some fresh lavender from their herb garden for your steam.  

Civana, Scottsdale, Arizona | $269+/night

Nestled in the Sonoran Desert, just outside Scottsdale, CIVANA is a wellness destination offering a serene and healthy get-away. 

A stay at Civana includes: 

• Access to over 70 complimentary fitness, personal growth and spiritual classes each week like yoga sculpt, intention setting, stretch, chakra yoga, pickleball, inner intimacy workshop, aquafit, blissful sleep meditation, sunset sound healing and more.
• Access to athletic courts, trails and studio spaces
• Pool access
• Tennis courts
• Bike usage 

Additional offerings include mountain biking, guided desert hikes, wall yoga, mindful mixology, spa treatments and more.

A sample day could look like: wake up with a Tortuga Trail Hike followed by lunch at Seed and a restorative stretch. Reconvene in the early evening for a gratitude circle and a self-guided sunset cactus walk punctuated by dinner at Terras. 

Or breakfast at Seed followed by a daily intention setting ceremony and advanced mountain bike ride. Then lunch, an Aquafit class and an evening meet up for happiness hour at Terras, as well as a daily reset gratitude circle. 

Days are graced with delicious farm-to-table produce, grass-fed meats, sustainable seafood, and decadent desserts at Terras and/or plant-based, anti-inflammatory, gut friendly options at Seed. 

The Guest Experience team will help you plan your schedule whether it be wellness classes or spa treatments or both. #takemethere

Miraval, Tucson, Arizona | $1,080+/night/per person

A complete retreat for the mind, body and soul, Miraval boasts three heated pools, the Life in Balance Spa (with steam rooms, saunas, quiet lounges and I’m *pretty sure* Laurel Skincare), the Body Mindfulness Fitness Center, zip line, walking trails, interactive culinary workshops and more.

Start by choosing your intention, whether that be outdoor adventure, grief & loss, a couples retreat, mental wellbeing, relaxation or more and your days could look like….

Mental Wellbeing: breakfast, outdoor hike, roll with it class, lunch, Qi Grounding massage, Chorus of Crystals, private stress reduction consultation, dinner and a grounding massage. (Okay I’m sold….WHAT?! This sounds perfect.) 

Outdoor Adventure: trail run, labyrinth journey, lunch, climbing wall, pool time, drinks in the lounge, dinner, desert river stone massage. (I’m so here for this too!) 

Self Connection: breakfast, morning meditation, all the buzz class, the beauty of imperfection, lunch, soul journey, floating meditation, facial, dinner. (Drool…)

All meals, daily yoga, fitness, meditation and wellness lectures are included. Each stay also includes a $175 nightly resort credit per person to spend on a spa service or activities or private sessions.

Each room is outfitted with a cell phone “sleeping bag”—a subtle reminder that the world can wait. I’m here for alllll of that.