Daughter loves boxercise, Mom practices meditation....

Happily, the spa program is designed to suit diverse ages, interests, and multi-levels of fitness -- perfectly suitable for an inter-generational vacation. Erica loved the aerobic challenge of boxercise classes and circuit training in the gym. I went on early morning powerwalks and tried to master the basics of meditation -- chanting, "oh-h-h-m-m-m-m" in the late afternoons. Erica used the treadmill, I went to stretch classes. On the river, my daughter learned the art of sculling while mom burnt calories by pedaling a waterbike. Our big city senses were bombarded with refreshing new sights -- lazy hawks circling overhead, big turtles sunning on the rocks and a blue heron picking his way among the reeds. Just fabulous!

Daughter reads at the pool, Mom enjoys a hammock...

Of course, guests can be as busy or as idle as they choose to be. When my daughter needed a break, she relaxed by reading at the outdoor pool. I, on the other hand, lay in a hammock shaded by two huge trees, listening to the birds calling to one another. Each of us, in our own way, was slowly unwinding.

And we were being perfectly pampered! Every day we chose from a list of over twenty different treatments and beauty services with tantalizing titles -- Honey Mango Scrub, Texas Two Step Reflexology, Swedish relaxation massage and OJA, an Indian Ayurvedic treatment that cleanses and then nourishes the body. As the week wore on, Erica and I joked privately about how beautiful we were becoming.

Daughter craves chocolate pecan pie, Mom picks perfect pancakes...

All one needs is one meal in the spa diningroom (with it's picture-glass windows overlooking the water) to understand that healthy low-fat food is not necessarily boring food. We were offered so many choices-- from the grilled fish of the day to vegetable stir fries and chicken frajitas, each was seasoned inventively and served with a smile. Erica is still dreaming about the Friday evening Texas Bar-B-Q and the Chocolate Pecan Pie she loved. I enjoyed the blueberry pancakes enough to order them each and every morning and we both had at least one serving of low fat yogurt once during the day. We both lost weight!

True, my daughter and I are at very different stages of our life and looking for different forms of relaxation. How nice it was to find one special spot that could offer each of us, alone but together, the very particular nurturing that we needed at that moment. Next year, we're thinking of adding Erica's grandmother to the equation. I'll bet that could work too!