RETURN TO TRAVEL PAGE

Westglow Spa, Blowing Rock, North Carolina

By Alison Woo

Nothing reinvigorates one more than traveling. Stepping out of the mundane day-to-day activities of life and into the magical awaits the traveler who ventures into the North Carolina mountains to this incredible retreat as you roll up to the stone gates flanking the entrance of the Greek revival mansion called Westglow Resort & Spa. The discrete entrance could easily be missed, but the warm welcome from the staff cannot be mistaken. Without formality or pretension, it’s like being invited to a friend’s glorious country house.

Historical home dazzles
Westglow sits on 20 acres in the shadow of Grandfather Mountain. Built in 1917, the mansion was the former Blowing Rock summer home of famed artist and writer, Elliott Daingerfield, who named it accordingly because he said the views were “never glaring, always glowing throughout the shadows, clouds or mist.” It was bought in 1978 by Glynda Valentine as a private family home with the intention of eventually converting the estate into a destination and day spa. Last year, new owners Bonnie and Jamie Schaefer remodeled the home, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The focus here is on quality living in a quiet environment. There are no TVs or radios in guest rooms but wireless Internet service is available. The ideal place for solo or couple’s vacations; children under 18 are not allowed. Laura Steen, who grew up in the house because she was friends with Valentine’s daughter, now works as a guest services representative. “It’s truly one big family here,” she said. “You can do something to better yourself, like eat healthy, exercise or have a treatment at our spa. You may feel stressed when you arrive, but the glow you feel will definitely stay awhile.”

The overall sumptuousness of the place moves visitors toward relaxation. Outside, massive columns create the mansion’s trademark portico, framing mountain vistas via rocking chairs. Inside, six well appointed bedrooms offer mattresses with feather beds, wood- burning fireplaces and bathrooms outfitted with claw-foot tubs and rain-forest-style showerheads. Our adjoining rooms also had a terrace with a hammock, perfect for stargazing or watching the sunrise.

Heaven’s lobby
Their acclaimed Life Enrichment Center – a world above a standard spa, pool and gym scenario seen at many resorts – did not disappoint. Travel and Leisure magazine named Westglow one of the top 15 destination spas in the world. It’s easy to see why. The gym had every piece of equipment imaginable but my very favorite places were the heated pool and the remarkable new spa lounge and retreat area. One visitor said, “If heaven had a lobby, this would be it.” Soaring 30-foot exposed wood-beam ceilings frame a jawdropping view of the mountains which wrap around a fireplace and massive white leather sofa sectional.

I decided to expand my spa horizons and try the hot stone massage and the oxygen facial. When I first read about the massage, I feared being scalded. The effect, however, was blissful. The stones were heated to 130-degrees and then rolled over me; imagine a Swedish massage plus heat. It got rid of knots and aches that seemingly never go away despite hours of yoga. Next visit will have me trying the two-hour Thai massage, an ancient form of healing using acupressure and stretching.

The oxygen facial was interesting. The aestheticians do the normal cleansing, buffing and extracting but then use products that have been oxygen enriched. My face was finished with a layer of pure oxygen. The sound was like something heard at the dentist’s office and feels like a sheet of cool air. After the massage, it felt somewhat anticlimactic, but a week later, the effects were stunning – my skin was clearer than it had been in years. I’m hooked! In the midst of all this is a full complement of fitness classes including spin classes, Pilates, aquacise and hiking. I took their sunset yoga class and doing the mountain pose while watching the sun set behind the mighty Blue Ridge Mountains was sublime.

Focus on food
Don’t think that it was all about exercise and control. The food here might be reason enough to come. Eban Carter, executive chef, offers a dazzling array of gourmet delights that would please any foodie. “There’s a big stress on using local, regional and organic foods here,” he said of their cuisine at Rowland’s, the on-premise restaurant. “Low-fat can mean low-taste and I’d prefer to look at portion size rather than disappoint.”

Rowland’s offers both a Spa and Indulgent menu but Carter says since they introduced the more lavish menu, few choose the former. Actually many of the entrées are quite similar the only difference being portion size. Some delights include grilled veal chops with chestnut puree, apple-fig-blueberry compote and sautéed asparagus with red onions and shitake mushrooms; the grilled filet mignon accompanied by a Merlot demiglace and an Oregon black truffle compound butter with porcini mushroom risotto; and marinated wild sea bass. Do a few extra laps in the pool to make room for the chocolate molten lava cake. It’s worth it.

The night ended listening to a live pianist in a beautiful drawing room filled with books and cards. There was even a James Bond-esque hidden plasma TV behind a painting hanging over the fireplace. After my night of exercise and indulgence, I woke up to the crisp pine-infused mountain air and felt happy to be alive. We all work so hard and are so caught up with day-to-day living that it’s easy to forget what’s important. Nearby Blowing Rock and Boone are known for their galleries and shops, but the deep sense of true peace paired with the plethora of possibilities one can find at Westglow makes it a destination to consider all by itself.

Want to go?
Resort and spa packages and gift certificates are available as well as à la carte spa services and dining options. For more information, visit http://www.westglow.com.
 

RETURN TO TRAVEL PAGE