If lingering holiday malaise and winter’s cold, short days are knocking you off your game, look no further. Hit the snow in Wyoming, follow the sun to a Hawaiian yoga retreat, or reboot with a DIY adventure. One of these trips is sure to recharge you.
Cycling Vacation: Where to Go
With its empty, rolling roads and temperate weather, the wine region northwest of Santa Barbara has been the site of winter training camps for pro cycling teams for decades. Those looking to move up a category or lay a foundation for an upcoming Ironman can get in on the action, too: touring outfitter hosts an annual six-day riding camp here each March for cyclists that need to shake off winter cobwebs.
Guests put in 50 to 80 miles a day with a staff of elite riders, notching anywhere from 1,500 to 7,000 feet of elevation before returning to the small town of Solvang to lounge, stretch, and replenish calories at the . The camp鈥檚 chef provides healthy, high-energy meals like quinoa bowls with bison meatballs and grilled chicken skewers with Meyer lemon salsa, brown rice, and roasted cauliflower. 鈥淎 lot of learning happens at the dinner table,鈥 says Cycling House cofounder Owen Gue, whose staff conduct post-ride clinics on topics like bike handling and maintenance.
With its empty, rolling roads and temperate weather, the wine region northwest of Santa Barbara has been the site of winter training camps for pro cycling teams for decades. Those looking to move up a category or lay a foundation for an upcoming Ironman can get in on the action, too: touring outfitter hosts an annual six-day riding camp here each March for cyclists that need to shake off winter cobwebs.
Guests put in 50 to 80 miles a day with a staff of elite riders, notching anywhere from 1,500 to 7,000 feet of elevation before returning to the small town of Solvang to lounge, stretch, and replenish calories at the . The camp鈥檚 chef provides healthy, high-energy meals like quinoa bowls with bison meatballs and grilled chicken skewers with Meyer lemon salsa, brown rice, and roasted cauliflower. 鈥淎 lot of learning happens at the dinner table,鈥 says Cycling House cofounder Owen Gue, whose staff conduct post-ride clinics on topics like bike handling and maintenance.
(Tom Robertson)Cycling Vacation: Plan a Detour
The Channel Islands are a short hop from Santa Barbara by boat and a premiere destination for sea kayakers. Santa Cruz Island鈥檚 sea caves鈥攄eep openings in towering rock bluffs hammered for centuries by waves鈥攁re just big enough to admit a pod of kayakers. leads day trips to the caves as well as two-day camping expeditions. No paddling experience required. $177.
De-Stress: Yoga Retreat
If this is what a yoga retreat is all about, we鈥檙e in. The , a century-old plantation house converted into a craftsman-style boutique facility, has 24 guest rooms on eight acres of gardens in the upland area of Maui鈥檚 lush North Shore.
Offering weeklong retreats鈥攐r, for those with less time, daily drop-in classes鈥攖he teachers primarily lead anusara-style yoga, a blend of strength building and flexibility suitable for all levels. You can take up to four hours of yoga a day in the studio or on the outdoor yoga lawn鈥攑erfect for soaking up some restorative midwinter rays. There are also a handful of gardens and rooms set aside for meditation.
Guests can get a little rowdier at the saltwater pool, with views of the ocean and the cloud-shrouded West Maui Mountains, or at the outdoor fire pits in the evening. Rooms all share the same simple decor and absence of televisions鈥攜ou鈥檙e here to center yourself, after all鈥攁nd the on-site restaurant embraces the farm-to-table approach that Maui鈥檚 upland is known for.
If you get tired of downward dog, Lumeria can arrange excursions to hike or take in the verdant waterfalls along the road to Hana. From $354.
If this is what a yoga retreat is all about, we鈥檙e in. The , a century-old plantation house converted into a craftsman-style boutique facility, has 24 guest rooms on eight acres of gardens in the upland area of Maui鈥檚 lush North Shore.
Offering weeklong retreats鈥攐r, for those with less time, daily drop-in classes鈥攖he teachers primarily lead anusara-style yoga, a blend of strength building and flexibility suitable for all levels. You can take up to four hours of yoga a day in the studio or on the outdoor yoga lawn鈥攑erfect for soaking up some restorative midwinter rays. There are also a handful of gardens and rooms set aside for meditation.
Guests can get a little rowdier at the saltwater pool, with views of the ocean and the cloud-shrouded West Maui Mountains, or at the outdoor fire pits in the evening. Rooms all share the same simple decor and absence of televisions鈥攜ou鈥檙e here to center yourself, after all鈥攁nd the on-site restaurant embraces the farm-to-table approach that Maui鈥檚 upland is known for.
If you get tired of downward dog, Lumeria can arrange excursions to hike or take in the verdant waterfalls along the road to Hana. From $354.
(Chelsea Batten)De-Stress: Plan a Detour
Winter brings big swells to the North Shore, but surf spots on the more sheltered west and south sides of the island are no more than an hour鈥檚 drive. picks guests up at Lumeria, supplies boards, and tailors lessons for all ability levels. Depending on conditions, a full-day tour might include a morning at the classic longboard break 1,000 Peaks and an afternoon at the North Shore鈥檚 Hookipa, with a stop for grilled mahi-mahi at the famous Paia Fish Market. From $200.
Turpin Meadow Ranch, Moran, Wyoming
It鈥檚 a lot easier to play hard outside on a chilly day when there鈥檚 a massage, gourmet food, and a plush room awaiting you at the end of it. That鈥檚 exactly what you鈥檒l find at , 45 miles north of Jackson Hole at the edge of Grand Teton National Park. Turpin just reopened after a two-year overhaul; it鈥檚 now owned by former Olympic nordic skiers Hans and Nancy Johnstone, who operated Jackson鈥檚 iconic for 20 years.
The ranch was built in 1932 and has a storied history鈥擝ob Dylan played a wedding here in the early eighties with local troubadour and ski-mountaineering pioneer Bill Briggs鈥攁nd it now features eight renovated cabins spread along the Buffalo Fork River in addition to its historic lodge, the heart of which is a soaring, two-way fireplace separating the dining room from the bar.
It鈥檚 a lot easier to play hard outside on a chilly day when there鈥檚 a massage, gourmet food, and a plush room awaiting you at the end of it. That鈥檚 exactly what you鈥檒l find at , 45 miles north of Jackson Hole at the edge of Grand Teton National Park. Turpin just reopened after a two-year overhaul; it鈥檚 now owned by former Olympic nordic skiers Hans and Nancy Johnstone, who operated Jackson鈥檚 iconic for 20 years.
The ranch was built in 1932 and has a storied history鈥擝ob Dylan played a wedding here in the early eighties with local troubadour and ski-mountaineering pioneer Bill Briggs鈥攁nd it now features eight renovated cabins spread along the Buffalo Fork River in addition to its historic lodge, the heart of which is a soaring, two-way fireplace separating the dining room from the bar.
(Courtesy of Turpin Meadow Ranch)Detour: Ski the backcountry in Grand Teton National Park
Book a day of backcountry skiing in the Tetons with the guides at . You鈥檒l pick up expertise in avalanche strategy and snow stability while shredding Wyoming鈥檚 legendary peaks. Depending on conditions and your experience level, objectives range from cruisy powder slopes to more technical pursuits like the Apocalypse Couloir, which can require two rappels over icefalls to complete. From $250.
Tele-Ski: Where to Go
Buck the alpine-touring trend and go old-school. Bonus: you鈥檒l get an intense workout along the way. Telemark skiing engages the core, not to mention your quads, in a way other setups can鈥檛. Learn how at Vermont鈥檚 , where there鈥檚 no corporate ownership, no snowboarding, and lots of telemark devotees.
The hill has a rough-and-ready reputation鈥擲ki It If You Can, reads the bumper sticker on seemingly every New England Subaru鈥攂ut the Birdland lift services ample green terrain, and Mad River offers two-hour beginner tele lessons for $50, including lift ticket and equipment rental.
Intermediates can brave tougher terrain under the hill鈥檚 iconic Single Chair with a $70 ticket-and-lesson combo on . All-day, women-only Breakthrough clinics happen on February 14 and March 14.
Bunk at newly refurbished two miles down the road, an 18-room compound with a pub and game room, the latter complete with restored shuffleboard table ($150). Be warned: you may have to challenge the locals to get in a game.
Buck the alpine-touring trend and go old-school. Bonus: you鈥檒l get an intense workout along the way. Telemark skiing engages the core, not to mention your quads, in a way other setups can鈥檛. Learn how at Vermont鈥檚 , where there鈥檚 no corporate ownership, no snowboarding, and lots of telemark devotees.
The hill has a rough-and-ready reputation鈥擲ki It If You Can, reads the bumper sticker on seemingly every New England Subaru鈥攂ut the Birdland lift services ample green terrain, and Mad River offers two-hour beginner tele lessons for $50, including lift ticket and equipment rental.
Intermediates can brave tougher terrain under the hill鈥檚 iconic Single Chair with a $70 ticket-and-lesson combo on . All-day, women-only Breakthrough clinics happen on February 14 and March 14.
Bunk at newly refurbished two miles down the road, an 18-room compound with a pub and game room, the latter complete with restored shuffleboard table ($150). Be warned: you may have to challenge the locals to get in a game.
(Brian Mohr/EmberPhoto)Tele-Ski: Plan a Detour
Mad River Glen鈥檚 clapboard is the soul of the ski hill and a fine place to knock back a Magic Hat Single Chair ale. But don鈥檛 stop there, because you鈥檙e within easy distance of some of the best beer drinking in the world. Local watering holes , , and the keep the most sought-after New England brews on tap, including , , and . Looking for the Alchemist鈥檚 world-famous ? Beer mecca usually has a stash.
