If SoWal was an 18 mile spa, what would be on it?

My 30A spa day:
-morning yoga as the sun rises (technically it rises until noon or so, so you can sleep in)
-breakfast of cereal w/ fresh produce from Toni's or blueberry scone from Miss Lucille's
-Kayak through Western lake/Grayton park -heliotherapy w/ a focus on hydration - center yourself by surfing the waves in the Gulf & as you enjoy the scenery while the wind pushes you back towards the launch
-lunch of prosciutto, pear, & arugula salad from Heart & Soul
-pre-pedi/mani exfoliating beach walk (build muscle tone helping the TDC remove items pre-manicure so you don't chip/smear later)
-shower off salt and sand at an outdoor shower w/ view of the sky
-full body massage w/ mandarin & pomegranate shea butter
-mani/pedi, shampoo, haircut, & style at Head & Toe Salon in grayton
-healthy dinner of seafood and crisp wine at local restaurant
-sweat out toxins by dancing until closing and alternating drinks w/ glasses of water w/ lemon
-brunch at red bar w/ belgian waffle & strawberries

My 30A spa day:
-morning yoga as the sun rises (technically it rises until noon or so, so you can sleep in)
-breakfast of cereal w/ fresh produce from Toni's or blueberry scone from Miss Lucille's
-Kayak through Western lake/Grayton park -heliotherapy w/ a focus on hydration - center yourself by surfing the waves in the Gulf & as you enjoy the scenery while the wind pushes you back towards the launch
-lunch of prosciutto, pear, & arugula salad from Heart & Soul
-pre-pedi/mani exfoliating beach walk (build muscle tone helping the TDC remove items pre-manicure so you don't chip/smear later)
-shower off salt and sand at an outdoor shower w/ view of the sky
-full body massage w/ mandarin & pomegranate shea butter
-mani/pedi, shampoo, haircut, & style at Head & Toe Salon in grayton
-healthy dinner of seafood and crisp wine at local restaurant
-sweat out toxins by dancing until closing and alternating drinks w/ glasses of water w/ lemon
-brunch at red bar w/ belgian waffle & strawberries

ok..I'm hungry now.

I love your ideas Scooterbug... Why go to Canyon Ranch and pay all that $ when you can have more flexible spa time in SoWal? I may have to try Canyon Ranch someday, though, to make the official comparison....

My spa day would be:

• Early morning at the beach for a walk and reading, with a healthy breakfast at the beach (say, home-made granola, yogurt, fresh blueberries and a nice cup of tea or coffee)
• Mid morning bike ride or yoga or something healthy like that
• Light lunch at one of the many restaurants in town (I'd ride there on the bike)
• Early afternoon massage after lunch
• Reading and nap in late afternoon
• Drink before dinner, perhaps to watch the sunset at the beach
• Nice dinner out with friends
• Short walk after dinner somewhere
• Sit on the porch and visit or read
• Watch a movie

On some of the spa-days, I'd add a class on something - meditation (I wish someone taught meditation in SoWal or consider it -- maybe even on request), make something at all-fired-up, yoga, cooking class, mani-pedicure, play a good game of cards or something, watch a good movie, go to some of the parks, check in on SoWal.com, maybe retail therapy, maybe hire one of the chefs who posted on SoWal.com who cooks a meal for us at our home

This is a very interesting thought Paula in light of a past thread that indicated more rentals were booked this year in developments with spa amenities.
There are so many activities, restaurants and places/sites to utilize that have what could used as daily spa retreats if the right marketing with a proposed plan and schedule were implemented.

If I had my feet in that business in Sowal, I would be marketing myself right here on this thread (in one place) to owners who could possibly make a spa like advertsing campaign especially in off season.

I like your thinking Paula. Very savvy marketing.

Paula: very interesting thread! there are so many health/fitness resources in sowal these days that it would be very easy to create your own spa vacation.

Yoga and pilates - there are now several studios offering classes of all kinds. Walton Sun has a listing each week.

Meditation - see Jill's One Yoga.

Food - lots of options, including For the Health of It (groceries and smoothies), Heart & Soul, Fabrice (fine food!!!) and Smiling Fish (best salads on the beach). of course, there are healthy food choices up and down the beach. Sushi at Baytowne Wharf or Florida Fish House. Also, Bridgette hosts Raw Foods classes at her studio with Amy Likins, Raw food Chef and Holistic Nutritional Consultant (Aug 17, next class). and don't forget Toni's for locally grown fresh produce...

Sunset at the beach. Full moon at the beach. Stargazing.

Kayaking, swimming, biking. And all the gyms offer personal trainers - though I think I would opt for a few yoga classes instead.

River tours. Sailing. Hiking state parks on the beach. Eden State Gardens.

Massage and body treatments, pedicures, etc at Serenity by the Sea Spa in Sandestin (Hilton). very, very nice...

Grayt ideas. Star gazing and the river tour would definitely be on my list (I'm so not a kayaker yet). Add wine tastings at Wild Olives and Fonville Press on Friday nights.

It would be most relaxing off-season I would think. It could be called spa-season rather than off-season. (September/October/late April/Early May - maybe winter as well). It would be nice if the idea was kept casual (not fancy) - part of what makes SoWal different is that it is casual. Despite all the different kinds of communities, including very, very upscale communities, I can't tell when hanging around 30A who lives in what kind of place and I like that. All T-shirts, tank tops, shorts, sandels, flip flops, bathing suits, etc., look kind of alike to me and that's what people mostly wear around SoWal.

So, maybe a theme could be "Mother Nature" somewhere in there. I remember thinking after the hurricanes (knock on wood) and looking at the beaches that the hurricanes reminded us to respect mother nature, go-with-the-flow rather than fight what Mother Nature intends the beaches to look like, accept the natural beauty of what is rather than wish it was something else (e.g., accept the peat showing through the sand rather than worry about it), etc.

Some of the restaurants could offer cooking classes (e.g., For the Health of it; Thai cooking, blue orleans, d&ks.)

I've never spent a weekend or week at a spa, so I really don't know what to compare it to. I've just looked wistfully through the advertisements and articles in magazines that describe spa experiences.

Paula, I caught your thoughts about encouraging snowbirds to choose SoWal, but can't find it again. Under which heading did it appear? Thanks, Undecided Snowbird, BJ

... massage tables and hot chicks.

"spa-season" I love it. Paula, these ideas are grayt, especially with all the additions posted by folks.