Time out in Tucson, Arizona: Miraval resort & spa in the Sonoran Desert
Scottsdale, Arizona Pool Scene
Scottsdale, Arizona Hotels & Club Scene
THE bedtime "mint" on my pillow was a small green card with a Chinese symbol and the word "joy." Flipping it over, I read, "Joy is inside you
the simple feeling that lies within you" — in short, "Life in Balance," the mantra of Miraval resort and spa in the Sonoran Desert about 20 miles north of downtown Tucson.
The literature in my room told me that the "i" in Miraval is me, that the spa's goal is to relax me, make me feel cared for and thus able to see things more clearly and be better prepared for life's challenges.
It's all a bit New Age-y, but this 135-acre oasis is so beautiful and serene that, had I not been so busy taking notes, I might have been lulled into all manner of explorations of my inner self. As it was, I walked a labyrinth and communicated with a horse, but I balked at swinging from a 25-foot pole. My real goal was to compare a high-end spa to a day spa to better understand the experiences that spa-goers have.
For three days in late April, I was pampered, pounded and repeatedly reminded to be mindful. Mindfulness is big at Miraval.
So is the tab. For the room, meals, three spa treatments, airport transfer, activities and use of all facilities, it came to a little more than $2,800.
I ate well. Miraval does not impose a Spartan diet. Indeed, repeat guests from Pittsburgh lamented on our way back to the airport that they gained weight every time they came here. There's also a full bar, the Brave Bull Lounge, and a wine list is offered with the dinner menu. It notes that wine is good for lowering bad cholesterol. There's no mention of calories.
My room was one of 102 in villages of Southwestern-style casitas scattered among the cactuses, palms and pools. The room, in earth tones, was nice but not spectacular and opened onto a patio overlooking a man-made stream.
Heading out to explore, I encountered men and women padding about in gray-green robes, on their way to or from the holistic spa. Miraval is so laid-back that guests may come to dinner in their robes, but I saw only two women, of Japanese descent, doing so. (It's common in traditional Japanese hotels.)
My first stop was the Palm Court, where a snack bar serves complimentary coffee, cookies, smoothies and fat-free frozen yogurt throughout the day. It's also where each day's activities and sign-up sheets are posted. Guests may do as much or little as they wish. Among the staggering number of choices: nature hikes, power walking, yoga, bird watching, loving kindness meditation, sunset photography, tennis, trail rides and drumming.
There are lectures on healing sleep and on better sex. Dr. Andrew Weil, Miraval's director of integrative health and healing, is a regular speaker.
Adjacent to the Palm Court is the pretty fountain-centered courtyard, in a corner of which is a little nature center where guests record wildlife sightings on the property. One reported "a Western rattlesnake beside the door to our room." Rattlesnake? "It does happen," a staffer told me. "This is the desert." The staff, we were assured, is trained in removing snakes mindfully — i.e., to more snake-friendly locales.
The grounds are spectacular. Little desert cottontails dart among big boulders. The Santa Catalina mountains, purple at dusk, are the frame. The silence is palpable. Cellphones are taboo in most public areas, and I was surprisingly aware of the chirping of birds.
At Raindance Pass Boutique, I browsed a rack of bejeweled jeans for $310 apiece. In the books section, I thumbed through various titles, including "Outsmarting the Midlife Fat Cell" and "How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be."
Horse whisperer
I had signed up for the next day's Equine Experience, a Miraval signature activity. We were driven to a nearby stable, where cowboy John Orr explained that this was about self-discovery, facing one's fears and gaining insight into relationships. As he put it, "Horses never lie. And they have nothing in common with you."
Single page |
1
2
3
>>
 Should we take offense, order a drink, or what? That depends, of course, on where you think these words turned up. |
 The National World War II Museum in New Orleans dedicates its latest building. |
Phoenix airport luggage thefts: 10 tips to protect your bag and belongings
Worried about your bag getting stolen in baggage claim? You've got plenty of company, espec...
Read more »
Users' Favorites
Taking restless Southern California on vacation
Los Angeles Times e-mail newsletter, delivered every Thursday
wherever it appears.