BIRDWING SPA, 21398 575th Avenue,
Litchfield, MN 55355.
Tel. 320/693-6064,
Fax 320/693-7026.
Web: www.birdwing-spa.com
Overnight spa packages begin at $275 per person; seven-night packages begin at $ 1,475 per person. Accepts Visa and Mastercard.
Seventy rniles west of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
This is one place where paying extra to stay in the barn is a good thing. When the folks at Birdwing needed to expand their guest facilities, the capacious red structure out back seemed the obvious choice. Of course the raw comfort of soft hay wasn’t exactly what they had in mind. Mansard cedar was brought in for a new roof, along with Georgia pine to furnish what would become the suites within. For the bath facilities, slate was hand lain on the floors, and large whirlpools installed for tubs. The results are charming, and well worth the few extra bucks you’ll pay for what they call the Vintage Barn Suites.
As with most destination spas, however, the room is not the focal point of the experience, even though each day can start with breakfast in bed. Situated on 300 acres of lakeshore woodlands, you’ll want to take full advantage of what’s outside. Fifteen miles of hiking trails become cross-country ski trails in the winter, while snowshoeing gets you well off the beaten path. If it’s a summer stay you’ve arranged, you’ll swap snowshoes and skis for bikes and canoes. Of course you can always opt for yoga, step aerobics, circuit training or even a simple walk.
On the table, lean protein is balanced with whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables. In essence, meals here are balanced per the food pyramid. Fat, sugar, arid sodium are all kept to a minimum. Breakfast might be buttermilk oat pancakes, fresh berries and vanilla yogurt. For lunch, a chicken pita sandwich, strawberry soup, and poached pears. For dinner, you might see grilled asparagus and basil pasta served with a mandarin orange spinach salad.
Birdwing Spa Services and Options |
