Courtesy of Washington State Tourism Division
The Rosario Resort & Spa in the San Juan Islands is one of many spa resorts in the Northwest.

Pamper yourself

Spas let you take relaxing seriously

DW KANA SHEPHARD, FOR THE OLYMPIAN

Where do Washingtonians go to get away from it all to relax, refresh and rejuvenate?

For busy suburbanites, relaxation means not multitasking for a moment, so the place must be close by, a short jaunt by car, plane or train. It has to be a place where they can put up their feet, go "aaahhh," and forget the worries of the world for a day or two.

That place is a spa.

Northwest residents take relaxation seriously, as evidenced by several types of spas available in small towns and big cities.

"I go to get away from my life," said Christi Johnson, 34, of Tumwater. Jamie Dennee-Lee, 33, of Olympia said, "I don't go to get away from my life; I go because it is a great addition to it."

Both of these women have busy career and home lives, so the opportunity to take a respite from the daily grind is most welcome.

Each woman has her own regimen for combating daily stress, whether it is yoga or other exercise or reading a book at night. But it's their monthly trip to the Olympus Women's Health Club in Lakewood that helps each of them rejuvenate.

Sometimes they bring friends; other times it's a solo mission. But both women enjoy the women-only facility for its affordability, its services such a body scrub or foot massage, and the Korean food.

"For about $20 a day plus the costs of services and food, it is a real inexpensive place to go," said Johnson. "If I had all the money in the world, it would still be my favorite spa to go to. I'd just go every day."

Day spas like the Olympus are popular because you can go for a few hours or a whole day. The spas typically offer services including bodywork -- massage, cranial-sacral treatment, foot care -- and various spa therapies such as herbal wraps, body masks, and hydrotherapy.

Seattle's Asian-influenced Ummelina International Day Spa and Mukilteo's Le Visage Institut del Beaute offer a large range of services but fit the practical definition of day spa, as does the Spa Paradisio in Spokane.

Some local salons such as Audrey's and Jamie Lee and Company in Olympia, are no longer about just hair and nails; they have become day spas unto themselves, offering similar spa-style treatments. Dennee-Lee's own business for example, includes a diversity of pampering options such as massage, facials, pedicures, and cranial-sacral treatments.

"It's one-stop shopping for relaxation." Said Dennee-Lee.

Washington is also home to a number of spa resorts, akin to the European mineral water, or "cure" spas. They offer clients the opportunity for more extended periods of relaxation with on-site accommodations, meals and scenic views.

From the quaint to the deluxe, these spas offer traditional bodywork services as well as services unique to their resorts. Three of the most well-known include the Resort Semiahoo at Blaine, Sol Duc Hot Springs in the Olympic National Forest and Rosario Resort & Spa in the San Juan Islands. Also worth checking out are the Dolce Skamania in Stevenson, the Sleeping Lady in Leavenworth, the Trillium Retreat Center on Vashon Island and the Annapurna Retreat and Spa in Port Townsend.

While Johnson prefers the low-key atmosphere of the Olympus, she also finds time to take in a retreat spa, such as the Breitenbush Hot Springs in Detroit, Ore. A retreat spa, like this one, allows visitors to enjoy one -- or several -- days of purely personal time. Clients can design their own time or take programs and work with the staff to explore a variety of bodywork.

"I like that I can do my own thing, whether it is soaking in fresh, hot water, taking in a hiking trail or getting a massage," said Johnson. "The best part is that they do all the cooking."

DW Kana Shephard is an Olympia-based free-lance writer.

The Olympian Copyright 2001

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