The Past

Enchantment Resort holds a very special place in my heart. Fifteen years ago my husband arranged a surprise anniversary trip for us to this 70-acre resort nestled in Boynton Canyon near Sedona, Arizona. (read about that trip) We learned about vortexes; climbed the red canyon walls to ancient Indian cliff dwellings; went on a hot balloon ride ending with a champagne breakfast; rode horses; saw pictographs, petroglyphs and Indian ruins at Palatki; watched the sun set on the red rocks each night at the resort's Yavapai Restaurant and, most importantly, had our first massage at Enchantment's small amenity spa. My massage was so profound that it literally changed my life. I was fortunate that my first massage therapist instructed me how to receive a massage - to quiet my mind, be in the present moment and to send my breath and energy to the part of my body being massaged. I had never had those thoughts before. It felt a little other-worldly. It ultimately helped me expand beyond my technical and engineering identity and revealed the first part of my current mission - to share information about spas with others. The first opportunity for this was as the creator and "guide" for spas.about.com (1997-2003) and then as the owner and editor of DiscoverSpas.com (2003-present).

*AAA Four Diamond Yavapai Restaurant at Enchantment Resort in Sedona Arizona offers breathtaking views of Boynton Canyon through massive windows that provide a 180-degree view.

We returned to Enchantment Resort to celebrate another anniversary five years later. We hiked to the end of Boynton and Fay Canyons and up and down Oak Creek Canyon. We visited Jerome. We watched the sun set on the red rocks each night at the resort's Yavapai Restaurant and we had a new spa experience - watsu. The year was 2000 and Mii amo, the destination spa at Enchantment Resort, was under construction and would open the following year. The watsu pool used by the spa was off site. Again it was a profound experience for me. When my son decided to become a massage therapist a few years later, I encouraged him to study at the School of Shiatsu and Massage in Harbin Hot Springs with Harold Dull, the creator of watsu.

The Present

Ten years later, my son has come to Sedona to take a course in Myofascial Release from John Barnes to earn CEU credits for his continued certification from the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB). He has two travel companions for the week - my husband and I. After traveling all over the world, Sedona is still one of our favorite places. We just couldn't pass up the opportunity to return. And we couldn't imagine coming to Sedona and staying anywhere other than Enchantment Resort.

Read on...