30 Things before 30: The Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon has always been a place I have wanted to see and I am extremely happy that I got to see it as part of my 30 things list. Since we were doing another Las Vegas trip this year, Uncle Beau suggested we leave a day early and fit in the Grand Canyon since we hadn’t had enough time last year to do it. Everyone agreed to this except for Adam and Amanda who decided to fly directly into Las Vegas and meet us there. When we were making arrangements I suggested that we fly into Phoenix, Arizona so that we could see different scenery on our drive. All of us (Beau, Honey, Mom, Dad, Amanda. G and I) were on the same Toronto-Phoenix flight which left Tuesday morning. The flight was okay – it was on Air Canada Rouge, which to be honest is a crappy air carrier. It’s Air Canada’s discount brand and the service, seats and experience match the cost. When we got checked in we were told our seats had been changed despite having paid extra to select the ones with a little more room (when I mean a “little” more room I truly mean it). When we got to the gate we were called again to ensure we knew about this change. Finally just before boarding Dad and Amanda were called up that their seats were changed to ones at the very back because their seats were needed for someone with accessibility issues. These new seats were at the very last row and not part of upgrade we paid. When dad asked about the payment being refunded the woman at the gate blew him off. When we went to ask her name she refused to give it to him stating rudely that he had no right to that information. Seriously?!?!? Using twitter I contacted Air Canada about this and did get the refund for the seats but they completely ignored my question about her attitude and the fact that apparently paying passengers aren’t entitled to know the names of employees who treat them with rudeness and disrespect. This is the third trip in a row that we have encountered issues with the attitude of Air Canada staff either at the gate or on the plane. Trust me, if possible I plan to never give this company business again unless it’s absolutely necessary – especially considering the amazing service we had returning on West Jet. Dad and Amanda ended up being moved again to a row in the middle of the plane whereas Mom and I had our original seats a few rows ahead. The flight attendants were not very friendly and made it seem as if we were inconveniencing them by being there and there was no entertainment offered unless you had downloaded their app on your own tablet or paid to rent one. Needless to say we were all happy when the flight was over.

We grabbed a late lunch in Phoenix and then began our four hour drive. The scenery was great – especially when we got to see all these different cactus’s. We planned to stop for some photos but put it off not realizing that the landscape changes the further you go. By the time we got to a certain point there wasn’t any cactus’s around which was sad. It just means I will have to go back to get my cactus photo!

We arrived at the Grand Canyon entrance just as it was getting dark and decided to wait until morning to go in. We stocked up on some snacks and drinks at a nearby store and went to bed early since we planned to leave by 3:30am. The hotel wasn’t the nicest – it was an older Holiday Inn – that clearly over charges and doesn’t care about upgrading because of the high volume of tourists in the area. It was really worn out – peeling paint, stained floors, cracks in the bathroom – but the beds were comfortable and we were only there for the one night.

The next morning we were up long before sunrise and piled into the van. By 4:00am we were parked and outside waiting for sunrise. We had thought sunrise was earlier then it was – or it was obstructed by the Canyon – but either way we were outside in the dark for a while waiting for sunrise.  Something I hadn’t realized was how cold it would be at this point. With the sun only just rising, it was freezing cold. I had a sweater on and that wasn’t nearly enough to keep me warm. A piece of advice to anyone traveling there – bring warm clothes! Despite it being May with the Daytime temperatures hitting 80-90 degrees – you will definitely need warm clothes for the early morning Canyon visit!  

The scenery was amazing and wroth the visit. It’s so impressive to see these massive rocks and their formation – it really makes you think about the history and the fact they have been here for so many years. I would love to go back at some point and spend more time there – visiting other parts of the Canyon and maybe some day being able to afford a trip down to the ground. There are helicopter tours that will take you right into the Canyon and allow you to see it from below. I think that would be amazing. Until then, I am glad that I was able to see it and am thrilled to have shared that experience with some of my favorite people.   

Afterward we made the drive to Las Vegas stopping along the way at the Flintstone Park – which was so silly but fun, and the Hoover Dam. The Dam was interesting, but of the two stops Flintstone Park gets my vote. It was so random and bizarre – just a really fun memory. Mom enjoyed it as she loves the show the Flintstones. Everyone else but Amanda opted to wait and drive around, but I think they missed out!  

30 Things before 30: H20 Float Spa

The H20 Float Spa was something that Amanda was interested in doing that seemed interesting to try. It’s basically a sensory deprivation pod where you float and experience weightlessness in warm water filled with over 1000lbs of Epson salts. There are LED colored lights available if you want light inside, or you can shut everything off and float in darkness. You are able to hook up an iPod and listen to music during your float, or you can just float in silence. The H20 Float spa is described as a place that “provides a peaceful and private setting, allowing you to create time and space for yourself while completely disconnecting from the rest of the world. Pure Relaxation”.

Amanda and I booked for a Sunday Afternoon which worked out well as we went out the night before with some friends and stayed out later then planned. The spa is on the Danforth in a busy area filled with shops and restaurants. Parking was easy to find – we parked in a lot that was just behind the plaza that the float spa was in. Once we arrived we had to sign waivers that we understood all the rules and requirements and understood that we were responsible if anything went wrong or if anything happened in the pod.

We were led into the change room where we were given a robe and told to leave everything in a locker provided for us. There were no private change rooms – just a small room where all of us (4 women in total) undressed and changed into robes. I hadn’t been expecting that. First – most spas offer some privacy or at least private change rooms for those who want. Secondly, the float rooms that Amanda and I had booked had their own shower and facilities. I don’t know why we couldn’t have just changed in the privacy of out own float suites.

A staff member lead us to our rooms and showed us how everything worked. We had to start with a shower before entering the pod, and then once finished our float session we were to have another shower. The overall experience was okay. The float session was different – the water was warm and I found that it helped my muscles, but I was bored and ready to be done after 30 minutes. The float session was supposed to take an hour, but there was no way I could have stayed in there that long. I got out early, had my shower and spent the rest of the time in the waiting room playing on my phone.

I don’t see the benefits to this treatment matching the cost in any way. It was expensive (almost $100.00) and I could pretty much replicate the experience with my own bathtub, a bag of Epson salts and an LED light. While my muscles felt better, it was temporary and not worth the time or money spent. Even Amanda felt the same way after her session – she also finished early having gotten bored, and found that it wasn’t anywhere near as awesome as she thought it would be.

If you have some money you want to put towards a relaxing spa day, do that! Don’t waste it floating in water like we did!

30 Things before 30: Cocktail Making Class – Amanda’s Birthday

For Amanda’s 30^th birthday her sister-in-law and I planned both a night out with friends and a surprise party. It was a busy weekend but totally worth it! For the night out the first stop was to a Mixed-Up Relay at the Pantages Hotel in Toronto after getting picked up by this awesome pink party bus which was covered in fur inside and a pole in the middle! The event was two hours and consisted of us breaking off into three teams. Our host showed us how to make 4 different classic cocktails (a cosmopolitan, margarita, long island iced tea and one other I can’t recall). Then as a team we had to make them – being judged on speed, taste and quality. It was a lot of fun and an excellent way to start off our night. While it wasn’t a very in depth cocktail making class I would definitely look into doing another because I found it interesting and fun.

It also helped me cross something else off my 30 by 30 list - cocktail making! 

We spent the rest of the night at two Toronto bars which were a lot of fun. Then on Sunday we managed to completely surprise Amanda with the party which included her friends, family and some co-workers. It was an excellent weekend and made me realize yet again how much I enjoy event planning. While it doesn’t seem like a career in it is going to pan out, I am starting to consider doing something on the side from home. Maybe event consulting or small-scale event planning. I’ll have to do some more research and see what options are available!

30 Things by 30 - Hydrotherapy Treatment

I am a pretty down to earth person but I will admit that I do love to indulge in the spa. I love being pampered – be it a manicure, facial, massage, pedicure – I love it all. When I was in High School my Mom and her friend visited St. Anne’s Spa for the day and I remember being so jealous. This spa was in my book of the “Top 100’s Spas in the World” (yup that’s a book I own!) and I wanted to go there so badly. The appeal was simple – it looked and sounded amazing and it was close by, only about an hour away from where we lived.

I can’t remember which birthday it was, but my mom surprised me with a trip to St. Anne’s. We drove up on the 15^th of November and the cover story was we were going to visit a cool Christmas Store she had heard about.  When I eventually realized where we were going I was ecstatic. It was a wonderful place and everything I had hoped for and imagined it to be. I loved being there the night before my birthday and waking up there on the 16^th. Mom had thought of everything and even brought me a cupcake! Since then its become our yearly tradition and she and I go every year on-or-around my birthday. (Again I must point out that I have the best mom in the world!)

St. Anne's in the Summer 

Despite being a spa person I tend to stick to my usual treatments – the typical familiar ones that change little from place to place. I’ve tried a few variations on massages and facials but haven’t been too daring in my treatment choices. I did muster up the courage once and tried a body wrap while on a cruise and it was somewhat awkward as I was thrust into the shower while still wearing clothing. However there has always been once treatment at St. Anne’s that intrigued me  - the Moor Mud Hydro Wrap. Over the years I have heard nothing but positive reviews of this treatment from staff and clients and the whole concept seemed interesting. It combined a lot of treatment elements I was curious about but had never tried– a body masque/exfoliation, hydrotherapy tub and massage, mud and a vichy shower. It’s one of their most popular treatments and when working on this list I decided to muster up the courage and try it.

The official description of the treatment from the St. Anne’s website is as follows: “After a body masque of Ontario Moor Mud and an exfoliation, you are submersed in the hydrotherapy tub containing Golden Moor Plus with pine oil, while a hydro-massage is directed on the body. Finish your treatment with a warm Vichy shower and an application of hydrating lotions” (http://www.steannes.com)

And that is a perfect description of the treatment elements – but the process is the interesting part.

First I was led into a darkened treatment room which looked like a cross between a large luxurious bathroom and a sterilized morgue from TV. I use the morgue description because the room was all tiled with drains in the floor and a metal moveable table in the middle. However it wasn’t an unpleasant room – just a lot different then your typical massage or facial treatment rooms. The table was all made up with green sheets (which are easier to clean the mud from) and nearby were clear plastic sheets, which the therapist said was actually a certain type of shower curtain.

The treatment started with me lying down draped in the sheets while she used a bristle brush to exfoliate the skin (as per most treatments of this nature I got to keep the brush). She then had me get into the shower and rinse off any of the dead skin, dry off and get back on the table. Next she applied the Moor Mud (which had been warmed) to my body and wrapped me in the plastic curtain and warm sheets. While the mud did it’s magic she massaged my feet, scalp and face. Next she had me get into the Jacuzzi tub which was filled with warm water and added Pine Needle Moor Mud to it. She had me wipe off most of the mud from my arms and legs before setting me back on the table where she used a Scotch-hose to clean the rest of the mud off which also gave a hydro massage. Once this was done she rolled me under the Vichy Shower heads which poured down on top of me like a massaging rain. After I dried off once more, she massaged a hydrating location onto my body.     

It’s important to note that while there was a lot of moving from place to place and getting wet and drying off, everything was done professionally and tastefully. I was never left fully exposed and always had some sort of towel, sheets or draping covering me. One the occasions when I had to flip over or stand, a sheet was lifted as a barrier of sorts giving me privacy. This treatment also ensures that female guests are treated by a female staff member which also ensures guest comfort.

Overall it was an interesting experience. I enjoyed the feeling of the Vichy shower and the Moor Mud, but the Scotch-Hose was a strange sensation. My skin looked and felt amazing afterward, but it wasn’t what I would call a relaxing treatment. There was a lot of movement – table-shower-dry off-table-bath-table-dry off-table – and the room got warm with all the water heat. I will say that the therapist did an amazing job! First, its almost impossible for her not to get wet so I really appreciated her hard work and efforts. Also, she was constantly moving around and prepping – changing the linens, getting dry towels, setting up the bath. There was nothing relaxing about the treatment for her!

I would definitely recommend this treatment to people heading up to St. Anne’s and am glad that I got the courage to try it. But before I do it again I am going to step outside my comfort zone and try a bunch of other treatments first because St. Anne’s has an entire menu of cool things to try. My next treatment is either going to be the Mud Stone Wrap or the Eucalyptus Body Wrap!