On one autumn night of each year, youngsters across America celebrate a harvest holiday by dressing in costumes and going through their neighborhoods trick or treating for candy.   Gathering candy as well as crops is not all that Halloween represents.   Halloween is symbolic of our strange desire as human beings to be frightened out of our skin, to be intrigued by the supernatural, and to ponder the mystery of death.

    Taking care of heart health means proper nutrition, exercise, and a healthy lifestyle. Taking care of our romantic heart also promotes health. Good emotions are good for the heart and can help keep coronary heart disease at bay. Let Valentine’s Day be your motivation for a weekend vacation to lighten your heart.

Mid-winter blues are in full swing. Warm, sunny beaches may not be feasible destinations. There is a way to have a respite in the middle of these cold, dreary days, a way to run away from it all and be spontaneous without going too far. So grab your honey, pack your warm clothing, hop in the car, and capture two enchanting history filled towns not far from home.  

Get Fired Up at Mohonk Mountain House
Transport yourself back in time and enjoy thousands of acres of unspoiled forest with winding trails and some of the best crackling fires around. Mohonk Mountain House, known as the magnificent “lake in the sky,” is truly the ideal getaway. Whether you are looking for something romantic, or just a long weekend with friends there is something for everyone and for every season. Located just 90 miles north of Manhattan, this historic seven-story New York castle has successfully maintained its 19th-century charm. In fact, Mohonk Mountain House has the largest number of wood-burning, in-room fireplaces of any resort in the United States. The staff will even assist guests in making the ideal fire.

Since 1869, generations of guests have found a place for recreation and renewal of body, mind, and spirit in their unique mountaintop setting. They offer fabulous winter getaway packages where you can enjoy the holidays the old fashion way. Perhaps the best part of Mohonk Mountain House is their new 30,000 square foot spa set in a spectacular natural landscape. The Spa is actually perched atop a legendary cliff above a pristine mountain lake. The spa combines the very best of old world charm with modern amenities, and allows guests a chance to reflect and luxuriate in a place where time stands still. You will find a welcome retreat at every turn at the Mohonk Mountain Spa. There is a solarium, a stone fireplace, an outdoor heated mineral pool, an indoor heated swimming pool, and state-of-the-art fitness center. Guests can choose among yoga, Pilates, Qigong, aerobics, and water classes. There is a full menu of services in the Spa and salon, including their unique Signature Treatments. The “Mohonk Red” Massage begins with a relaxing breathing technique designed to bring you to a complete sense of calm and tranquility. Next, warmed Signature Body and Bath Oil mixed with their own “Mohonk Red” Witch Hazel glides over your skin while infused towels cocoon your face and feet. Acupressure, Swedish massage, Hawaiian Lomi Lomi massage, and traditional Thai stretches are used to de-stress and re-balance your entire body. This remarkable experience concludes with a Guided Power Nap and the elixir of the day. You will be given a flacon of their Signature Oil so you can take the memory home. Another unique service for parents-to-be  is called “Hello Baby!” This Couples’ treatment is a delightful way to share some special moments side-by-side. Mom-to-be will enjoy a 50-minute maternity massage designed to enhance lower back comfort, relieve leg and foot tension, and promote a sense of well-being. For Dad-to-be, a choice of the 50-minute Eagle Cliff Deep Tissue Massage or the Gentlemen’s Sky Top Revitalizer facial is sure to help melt away the stress of an expectant or new parent.
    
For more activity, venture out and explore the 85 miles of trails that are ideal for hiking, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing. Mohonk offers theme weekends including culinary classes, gardening workshops, music festivals and nature programs. A visit to Mohonk Mountain House is not complete without visiting the natural rock formations known as the “Labyrinth.” Guests can scramble over boulders, squeeze through crevices, and emerge to view stunning vistas. Rock scrambling through the Labyrinth is a challenging, but exhilarating experience and a signature Mohonk activity. The Rock Scramble is ¾ of a mile long and takes the average person approximately 45 minutes from start to finish. 
 
Meals at Mohonk are always fresh with plenty of healthy choices and indulgent desserts. Vegetables such as squash, beans, tomatoes, and greens grow in their own organic garden. Their award-winning gardens reflect French and Italian influences. Guests can enjoy large masses of flowering annuals, perennials, and tropical plants, set against magnificent vistas.

What sets Mohonk apart from other resorts is that it provides an opportunity to experience nature directly. You can connect with an incredibly beautiful, natural environment and leave feeling very nurtured by that connection. This season when the weather turns frightful, a real life castle awaits you. Can you think of anything better than being curled up on a sofa with your favorite book, listening to a crackling fire, and overlooking the glistening snowy scenery?

Relax in Style at The Lodge at Woodloch
Nestled in the heart of Pennsylvania’s lake region, easily accessible from anywhere in the Northeast, is the first true luxury destination spa called The Lodge at Woodloch. Whether you are looking to get away from the madness of the daily grind by yourself, or looking to spend quality time with friends, this is the place. At Woodloch you’ll find superb amenities with every conceivable choice for contentment and challenge available to you. A stay here offers the opportunity to learn and grow, strengthen and beautify, relax and reflect. Through its very architecture, The Lodge at Woodloch offers a totally integrated experience, physically, mentally and spiritually. As its name implies, it is a true “country lodge” where the outdoors never leaves you. Nature’s colors come inside through the many windows and porches. The pristine lake, ponds and woodland gardens are always visible. Even the intimate dining room seems perched in the trees, appropriately called "Tree”.

The true highlight at Woodloch is the personalized spa experience. Programs and services are designed to provide guests the opportunity to truly relax, renew and rediscover themselves. The surrounding natural environment nurtures the body and uplifts the spirit in every way. You’ll find covered porches with rocking chairs and sunny terraces which beckon you to relax. The screened-in porches adjacent to wet areas with radiant-heated floors for cool down are the perfect way to complete a treatment. Some unique options allow guests to personalize treatments to their liking. The “Awakening the Senses Head to Toe” is a polish, wrap and moisturizing massage meant to awaken all of your senses. This signature, multi-sensory body experience with personalized choices of aromatherapy, chromatherapy (color therapy) and healing sounds induce the perfect mood. It starts with an essential oil detox and paves the way for a gentle full-body white oak scrub. Then two customized rebalancing wraps of warm citrus and seaweed offer tranquil time with neck and head massage. Next, an application of antioxidant moisturizer leaves you relaxed and refreshed. A surprise gourmet treat to tantalize the palate completes your experience.

If you go to Woodloch with a friend or companion, then the “Suite Surrender Bath and Massage Combination for Two” is the ideal choice. Guests can enjoy the privacy of the Spa Suite while they relax in hot baths with fresh local herbs. Invigorating salts and therapeutic muds nourish your skin while you relax. Afterwards, enjoy luxurious side-by-side full-body massages to complete your treatment for two. They also offer a unique selection of face and body treatments designed to allow guests to reach new levels of relaxation. Some of these include a White & Green Tea Facial and a Lemongrass & Rosemary Facial. Guests can also customize their facial with their favorite ingredients and scents. Guided meditation classes and a meditation walk on the mile-long Nature Path await you. You can participate in group MindBody classes, evening ChiEducational seminars, cooking demonstrations and chef-hosted dinners. Everywhere you look there are opportunities to enhance your lifestyle. You can explore new or hidden talents in their Creative Discovery programs, with choices such as photography, watercolor painting, floral design, journaling, drumming and more. Challenge yourself in their Outdoor Adventure program with excursions either on-property or only minutes away. You can fish, kayak or bird watch on the private 15-acre lake or enjoy mountain-biking, river-rafting, cross-country skiing, hiking, organic gardening, snowshoeing, ice skating and more. The Lodge has also created a state-of-the-art eat-in demonstration kitchen that allows you to share experiences with their talented chef. Classes teach you new cooking techniques, healthy and surprising ingredient alternatives, plus elegant and fun presentation skills. As the winter winds blow, The Lodge at Woodloch provides an oasis for personal awakening and renewal just two hours away. Pack your bags and indulge.