Tocasierra Spa

Welcome to the Tocasierra Spa!

The Tocasierra Spa is at the Pointe Hilton, Squaw Peak Resort. It is on 16th Street North of Glendale Avenue in Phoenix. It is tucked away in the back of the resort and is a fitness facility for locals as well as offering spa treatments. The entrance has the same Spanish architecture as the Point Resort.I used the fitness facility and rode the bike for a mile, and then walked four miles. (I'm trainingfor my 60 mile 3Day walk!) The pool is not close to the Spa, so I decided to relax a bit to prepare for my massage.
The waiting room was a little small, with a small couch, two chairs and a three chair/table setting. No place to lounge and fall asleep.

The locker room and shower area was clean with plenty of towels, showers, and a steam room.
I'm trying to decide what to do to tile my bathrooms in the house, so I always find the resorts interesting. This used very large tiles for the walls, with smaller ones on the shower floor.

The stripe about eye level was made with glass "pebbles" inset into the surface. The predomanant color was turquoise.
This is the room for the treatment. Of course, the lights were dim. I had a 80 minute Specialty massage, complete with an incredible head massage and a hand paraffin treatment. It was hard to stay awake.

The Spa at Camelback Inn

Day 3 on our exhausting mission to live the life of leisure as "Spa Girls." We headed to The Spa at Camelback in for facials. We arrived about lunch time and checked in, then went to Sprouts Restaurant for a healthy lunch.

http://www.camelbackspa.com/arizona-spa-cuisine/ If you want to see a picture of the view from the restaurant.

This spa had a different atmosphere than the other two. Southwest,
yes, bit with an "urban" feel to it. We spent about two hours lounging in the hot tub and outside under the palm trees. About 1/2 hour before our facials, we moved into the lounge area. It was a quiet place with about ten lounge chairs. We settled into two chaises and took a brief nap. When our names were called, we were escorted to our treatment rooms for another wonderful experience.

I ordered the Camelback Signature Facial. The online brochure describes it as: Blends of grapefruit, mandarin orange, cranberry and pomegranate make this facial the ultimate in aromatherapy. Accompanying the therapeutic aromas of pure plant extracts is a detoxifying pumpkin enzyme treatment followed by a specialized mask customized to your skin type. Your relaxation is further enhanced by a gentle hot stone hand and foot massage.

It was wonderful!

My sister ordered the Sonoran Rose. She described it as incredible. The brochure describes it as: Our two most popular facials are now blended to form a fabulous treatment. This patented skincare line has stabilized oxygen in creams containing Vitamins A and E as excellent free-radical scavengers. A deep pore cleansing and the rich aromatic essence of the rose relaxes, soothes and softens skin. During this facial, an application of Glycolic Acid removes surface build-up of dry skin on the face, hands and arms leaving the texture of the skin fresh and radiant.

Great day, again, and we were exhausted. We made it home and then arranged with Kalen to have dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant. I didn't add the photos on this day but check the July 4 posting for the restaurant.

Mustangs and Massage - Aji Spa at Wild Horse Pass

G mentioned some time ago that she would like to start riding horses again. So when I saw the listing for "Mustangs and Massage" at Aji Spa, I knew that it was a good pick.

This information is from the website:
MUSTANGS & MASSAGE
Spend the morning on horseback in search of the 1,500 Wild Horses that roam the Gila River Indian Community and enjoy an afternoon of luxurious pampering with this one of a kind package offered at Aji Spa. Cowboys from the Equestrian Center will greet you on horseback for a 1.5 hour ride through ancient tribal lands where descendents of the Spanish El Conquistador’s noble Mustangs roam free. Keep an eye for a rare view of these amazing wild animals before returning to the spa. Indulge in the sanctuary of Aji Spa for the rest of the day while enjoying a saddle-soothing 50-minute full body massage (excludes Watsu) and delicious lunch at Aji Cafe.

We started the morning with a 9AM ride. We were part of a group of about 8 women, so our guide had his hands full. He was from Pima/Maricopa Tribe and his brother owned the stables. He lead the way through the desert, pointed out the wild mustangs on the property and discussed other desert flora and fauna. He kept a sharp eye out for things that would cause the horses to spook (such as SNAKES) and the ride was delightfully uneventful.

My horse, Jessie, liked to be in the lead so she always kept trying to get to the front of the line next to the guide. Cowboy Roger noted that horses tend to take on the personality of the riders.

Was that directed at me?

When we returned, we jumped into the pool for our mid-morning chat. We ordered our poolside meal and decided to share: Pasilla Flat Bread Pizza with Anchiote Chicken made with Pepicha Basil Pesto, Oven Roasted Chicken Tenders, Sweet Onions, Roasted Peppers & Mexican Cheeses spiked with Ancho Pepper Aioli. We also ordered flat breads with assorted dips and spreads. All were excellant.

Ginan is my CMO...Chief Motivation Officer. She does a lot to keep me headed forward and has become a huge supporter for the 3 Day Walk. So, as I was trying to lay on the couch in the evening to watch a DVD about Andy Warhol (we will be at the museum in July), we took a break so that I could get my 3 Miles in for the day. It was tough as I was exhausted from the day's activities. But off we went, down the Old Cross Cut Canal parkway that runs along side 48th Street. 3 full miles, and I am very happy to have kept up with my training plan. Obviously she didn't think that 1.5 hours on horseback was enough for the day.

Carefree Resort & Spa

Our destination today was the Carefree Resort & Spa. We started the morning with breakfast with Kalen at La Grande Orange. Then took 101 North to Pima Road and further north to Carefree. The day started with a 4.5 mile walk through the neighborhood. It was a tough one as there were (surprisingly) a lot of hills. We took a water break in downtown Carefree, which is where the World's Largest Sundial is located.

A plaque on the dial reads:
"Solar engineer John Yellot and architect Joe Wong designed the sundial for K.T. Palmer in 1959. It stretches 62 feet and points to the North Star. Solar local time is 27.7 minutes behind Mountain Standard Time and the hour markers are adjusted to compensate. The town of Carefree added copper cladding in 1990."

On our return to the resort, stopped for lunch on the patio. We had wonderful Nicoise salads and two glasses of fresh lemonade. After enjoying the meal, we changed into our swimsuits and went to the pool. The water was and so refreshing! We were a little anxious about the time, so we returned to the spa to wait for our massages. What a delight! If you have never had an 80 minute massage, do so. It is delightful.

G selected the C a r e f r e e M a s s a g e - A light to medium pressure massage designed to
heighten senses, allow complete relaxation, and stress relief. It worked!

I selected the T h e r a p e u t i c M a s s a g e - This deep pressure area specific massage focuses
on relieving pain, stiffness, and muscle soreness caused by injury or overuse. It helps to promote an overall sense of well being while improving posture and body awareness. (I now have an overall sense of well being!)

We returned home to change and meet Kalen for dinner in Scottsdale.

All in all, a great day. We were sound asleep by 8:30 PM. This is truly exhausting work.