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Vacations are precious investments of time with your loved ones.
Trust ActiveTravels to provide:
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an experienced travel agent who can oversee every detail
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there for you
before and during your trip to ensure all goes smoothly
to find out more!
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Editor's Letter,
December 2019
Dear ActiveTravels Members,
We are really excited to present our December newsletter to you, our amazing ActiveTravels members!
Not only are we giving you a jump start on your New Year's resolutions by inspiring you with dreamy wellness retreats, but we offer you an antidote to all things wellness, a Vermont beer tour to bring back the beer belly you may have lost on said retreat!
We also present a new program we're starting here at ActiveTravels. For all members who refer us to friends, colleagues and family, we're sending chocolate bars as a thank you. An added twist is that one of those bars will have a GOLDEN TICKET, Willy Wonka style, inside. Whoever is the lucky recipient of this GOLDEN TICKET, will get a special hotel stay at one of our favorite inns in New England: The Woodstock Inn & Resort in Vermont.
Thank you for being loyal members, friends, and for reading our newsletters and being a part of our community. We couldn't do this without you.
Have a wonderful holiday season.
Happy Travels!
Lisa & Steve
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Five Trips to Try....Wellness Retreats
In our November newsletter, we noted that Rachel has now become certified as a Wellness Travel Advisor. She can discuss with expertise a curated list of wellness properties that would be best suited for what you're yearning for, from yoga to nature to nutrition to health to personal growth. Rachel can not only find the exact lodging that suits your needs, but can get complimentary amenities like room upgrades, free breakfasts, and $100 off spa treatments. We asked for her top 5 picks and these are the resorts she likes best:
Nestled on 172 acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Monarch Beach Resort features its own private beach club with stand up paddling and surfing lessons, a Robert Trent Jones coastal golf course, and the award-winning
Miraval Life In Balance Spa.
More than 40 weekly fitness, yoga and meditations classes are complimentary to resort guests. From the health-conscious menu served in the spa café and garden patio to the newly renovated spa courtyard pool, there is space for everyone to enjoy an intimate pre-treatment moment alone.
Then opt for the signature Shamana Karma Body Ritual. This 80-min ayurvedic poultice treatment with hibiscus powder dusting was developed by the Miraval Ayurvedic Master.
Tucked away along the banks of Lake Austin, 20 miles west of the city, is this 40 room/suite gem of an all-inclusive spa resort for adults. More affordable than Canyon Ranch and Miraval, you don't have to lay out a sizable sum to enjoy an amazingly restful and salubrious getaway. Rates include organic food, lodging, and all activities. Daily classes in yoga, fitness, meditation, and healthy cooking are offered, as well as hiking on their trails and water sports from kayaking to hydro biking to swimming in their two pools. Choose from over 100 rejuvenating treatments, including hot stone and deep tissue massages, skin brightening facials, detoxifying seaweed wraps and invigorating scrubs.
Discover a completely unique and authentic journey into the ancient lands of the Tamayame people at Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa. Nestled on 550 acres of the Native American Santa Ana Pueblo between the Sandia Mountains and the Rio Grande River (20 minutes from Albuquerque, 40 minutes from historic Santa Fe), Tamaya is steeped in over 1000 years of rich history and culture. Experience traditional cultural activities like jewelry making, Native American storytelling, and pottery making. Then rejuvenate in the award-winning 16,000 square-foot spa, play golf on the nationally ranked course, take a trail ride on a rescue horse, or soar through the turquoise skies in a hot air balloon. Afterwards, relax on the veranda while watching the spectacular red-orange New Mexico sunsets before digging into the tasty New Mexican fare.
Making its European debut (Lisa and I stayed at two wonderful Anantara properties in Bangkok last January), Anantara Hotels has stamped its particular form of sybaritic authenticity on this 280-room hotel, with its trademark emphasis on local heritage. Artisanal pottery, Portuguese wines, and the bounty of seafood from the Atlantic also creates a real sense of place. The spa features treatments by Elemis, a gym, and an indoor pool. There is complimentary yoga, pilates or tai-chi in the mornings. Enjoy tennis and swimming in the four pools around the property. Other activities include cooking classes with a visit to the market and a golf guru to advise on the surrounding courses in Vilamoura. The hotel is a 15-minute drive from the Faro airport and a shuttle runs a service to Vilamoura, the golf courses, and the beach.
Newly built by celebrated architect Matteo Thun, the Waldhotel Health & Medical Excellence is only a 30-minute drive from Lucerne, but nestled amidst a spectacular setting in the Swiss mountains. Doctors and other specialists custom-design a program that's tailored to your specific needs. Categories include Mobility and Activity, Weight Management and Metabolism, Body and Mind Balance and Beauty and Healthy Aging. The 20,000 square foot spa and fitness area also features an indoor and outdoor pool.
On another note, Checka Antifonario, a yoga teacher beloved by the ActiveTravels team is holding a
Yoga Retreat in the Heart of Italy
this summer. The dates are July 6-12, 2020. Just imagine, daily yoga and meditation on the grounds of a lovely working farm near the eastern coast of Italy. This farm is now a 20 room hotel with views of the sea. Special extras to enjoy are their olive oil and wine tastings, tours of the farm and excursions into the historic seaside town of Termoli and inland to see some ancient Roman ruins and the beautiful village of Sepino.
Contact Amy
, if you're interested.
Get 2020 off to a healthy start! Rachel and the ActiveTravels team are here to check availability and pricing at any of these properties.
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Deal of the Month:
Woodstock Inn and Resort
Snowsports Packages
(and look for your GOLDEN TICKET)
When former Dartmouth ski coach, Bunny Bertram, installed one of the first tow ropes on a Vermont slope in 1937, he played an integral role in establishing one of the state's top winter locales. In 1961, that ski area, Suicide Six, was sold to Laurence Rockefeller, owner of the Woodstock Inn, and it became the primary ski resort for their guests.
I
n addition to downhill skiing, the Woodstock Inn Nordic Center is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, providing 45 kilometers of groomed trails that surround Mt. Peg. Guests can explore the trail network on cross country skis, fat tire bikes, or snowshoes. Another option for backcountry skiers and snowshoers is the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park , where you can glide or walk under the old-growth forest and around a pond called the Pogue.
The Woodstock Inn & Resort is now offering four different ski packages, depending on whether you downhill or cross-country ski and bring the family. From January 1 through March 15, the Unlimited Snowsports Package offers accommodations for two nights, breakfast daily, ski passes at Suicide Six Ski Area for two days (rentals not included), and Nordic Center ski passes for two days of cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and fat tire biking (rentals are included). Package rates for two adults start at $475 midweek, $668 on weekends.
includes lodging
for two nights, breakfast
daily, two day passes to Suicide Six Ski Area, one family lesson and a S'mores kit for Apres Ski.
And, we'll sweeten the pot even more! As you know, referrals are our best source of finding new business and clients we love to work with. There's no way our business would have grown to where it is today without you spreading the word!
 So, as a small token of thanks, we're now sending bars of delectable Prophecy Chocolate by our friend, Mateo Block. Mateo spent 3 years in Peru and now imports the finest heirloom cacao from the jungle around Cuzco to create his bars in nearby Somerville. We're big fans of all five of his bars, especially the sublime  Wild New England, made from wild blueberries Mateo and his friends personally picked on a remote island in the Penobscot River in Maine's North Woods.
 We also love Willy Wonka and have decided to create our own version of the GOLDEN TICKET.
We are so grateful to The Woodstock Inn and Resort who have graciously agreed to offer two complimentary nights and one dinner to one lucky client who has referred someone to us in 2019.
If you have referred a member to us in 2019, you'll be receiving delicious chocolate bars to enjoy. Don't forget to open the bar to see if you are the lucky recipient of the GOLDEN TICKET! If you are, you will be going to the Woodstock Inn per gratis. So be on the lookout for your referral reward soon.
Thank you again for all you do to make our business a success! We couldn't do it without you!
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Quick Escape:
Vermont Breweries
Thanks to the microbrew explosion over the past 5 years, the apres-ski scene in Vermont has gotten much more exciting. Now that the Alchemist, the micro-brewery that cans the beloved ultra-hoppy Heady Topper, moved from Waterbury to a larger facility in Stowe, the town has evolved into a craft brew hub. Sample Heady Topper along with other local favorite IPA's like Focal Banger and Hellbrook at their state-of-the-art Visitors Center opened in July 2016.
Then make your way up the hill to Trapp's Family Lodge.  Best known as the family that inspired the classic movie musical, The Sound of Music, the von Trapp's turned to Austrian-style lager in 2015, reaping accolades like Silver Medalist at the Great International Beer Festival since its debut.  Tour the brewery, one of the largest in the state, and then taste the award-winning Bohemian Pilsner, amber Vienna Style Lager, and the ultra-smooth Golden Helles at the new Trapp Brewing Bierhall Restaurant, best paired with a plate of bratwurst.
 Other award-winning breweries that should be on your wish list: Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro Bend, Foam Brewers in Burlington, and Fiddlehead Brewery in Shelburne.
While hoppy IPA is on our mind, we'd like to raise a toast and Wish You a Happy and Healthy 2020!
Contact ActiveTravels to get started planning your Vermont getaway!
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