CR Blog
The greatest gift I can give
myself is a week at Canyon Ranch each year.
Actually two weeks would be a greater gift, but I’m thankful to go at
least once. I started going over Memorial
Day weekend in 2004 with a group organized by Sue Weinman. (If you go in a group, it’s a much better
rate). Gloria Ascher had been extolling
the virtues of CR for years, but since I was teaching, I was unable to go until
I retired. It was love at first sight! Since
then I’ve only missed going twice: one
year when I broke my shoulder just weeks before I was supposed to be there and
last year when Debbie and I did our roots tour to Lithuania.
CR is paradise on earth, my
happy place. Dan is always amazed as to
how rejuvenated I am when I return home.
It is an oasis in the desert
near Sabino Canyon in Tucson. Mountains in muted shades of cerulean blue,
browns, golds, greens and lavenders surround the valley which is at 2500 ft. Throughout trees keep the ranch cool even on
the hottest days. A myriad of cactus plants
dot the landscape, and this year they were in bloom: the famous saguaro, the prickly cholla, and
the symmetrical barrel. Interspersed
with the cactus are creosote bushes (which you can smell after a rain,) a
desert willow, ubiquitous oleander, and Italian cypress that reach to the sky.
Fountains, a small stream,
and ponds home to turtles, fish, and frogs also help to keep the desert
cool. Throughout the ranch almost life
size pottery sculpture reflects Southwest Native American tradition. This year life sized African statues were
added: elephants, zebras, lions, and
giraffes.
Every year I go on an early
morning bird walk always seeing something new and wonderful: a tiny hummingbird nest with a mommy and her
babies, a mature baby owl sitting in a tree right outside my room, a road
runner on top of a roof, the cactus wren feeding their babies who keep secure
from predators in the holes made by woodpeckers in the saguaro. As I work out in the glass walled exercise
room, I watch mama and papa quail guiding their babies through the cactus.
In addition to the birds, many
small bunnies hop around. One year a
teeny, tiny frog perched on my doorstep.
The area is famous for javalinas, but I only saw them for the first time
this year—a group of about 8 around the entry to the clubhouse. Also this year---my first snake sighting! You may know me well enough to know I have a
snake phobia—it doesn’t matter to me whether they are venomous or not, long or
short. I was walking down from the
medical center (where I get my blood pressure checked to prove to my doc tors
at home I only have high pressure in their offices) when4 feet away from me was
a 5 foot long black snake—later identified as a king snake. I didn’t scream, I didn’t move. I waited to
see which way it would go, but it couldn’t decide undulating toward me and away
from me. Across the street was an area
planted with cactus and below that a road.
Along the road was a security truck.
I screamed, “I need your
help!” He hurried up to me in his truck,
and I jumped in. It’s hard to explain
snake phobias to someone who doesn’t have the condition so I probably sounded
like a babbling idiot.
Each morning at 6:30 staff
lead walks around the property. I go on
the easiest one (2 miles in thirty minutes with a few inclines.) On our route we walk past magnificent
southwest homes situated on the CR property.
I would be happy to live in any of them.
Hikes are available off the property.
I’ve done a number of them but not this year. My favorite is Bear Valley, a 4.5 mile hike that
goes through desert, past cactus, across a stream, up a small mountain where we
sit and have breakfast. One year we did
this in the warm rain. Some of the
hikers complained, but I loved it. My
first year-- being naïve-- I signed up for one that went to the top of a
mountain. From the minute we left the
van, we went straight up. After a few
minutes, I suggested to the guide in the rear that maybe I should wait in the
van, but he told me that he would stay with me on the trail. It was difficult but I had a wonderful time
getting to know him.
The staff at CR is
amazing!!!! They are genuinely nice and
interested in the guests. Surprisingly
many of them are older: in their 60’s and 70’s.
Returning to CR I feel that they have become friends and we greet each
other with big hugs. Gayla a woman about
my age is a receptionist at the front desk.
George from Peru who works in the yoga department is of indeterminate
age, but I guess late 50’s, early 60’s.
He is one of the special, very spiritual people I have met in my
life. I never miss his tai chi, chi
gong, or meditation classes. This year
he told me I had “good chi”. I shared this with a friend of his—a massage
therapist—and he said that was a great compliment from George. The therapist said I had a good “aura”. All in all I felt “good.” Please understand that the staff doesn’t go
around complimenting people unless they mean it. One year I actually cried in an aqua class
because the instructor Judy, gave me such a hard time about being unable to
keep up with everyone. She said, “I’ve
had pregnant women who can do better than you!” Actually she is one of my favorite
people—again of indeterminate age—with gray hair. Although she is more chubby than svelt, she is part of the workout staff and
had once been a ballerina.
After the early morning walk,
I grab breakfast from the main dining room—often bagel, lox, and trimmings and
blueberries and go eat breakfast at the outside dining room, which overlooks
one of the 4 pools at the ranch. At 8:30
I do centering meditation in the yoga dome and then begin my exercise classes.
While there is a fully
equipped gym open 24/7, the formal exercise classes go from 9 to 5. I start with Above and Below the Belt, which
consists of 10 stations with varying exercise “toys”: weights, bars, pulleys, balls, etc. Following a warm-up, we spend 2 minutes doing
each one with a 15 second break in between intervals. At 10 I either do a woman’s stretch class or
Fitness First a low impact aerobic class.
Debbie likes the cardio circuit workout.
At 11, I go to the indoor
pool for aqua exercises. While some
classes occur every day, others are only 1-3 times/week. My very favorite class is Desert Drumming,
which uses a large exercise ball and drumsticks. It is quite a workout as we hit our ball in
every possible part, raise our drumsticks in the air and touch the ground, and
hit the balls around us. It’s quite
aerobic and I work up a sweat while grinning from ear to ear. I also love Booming Babies, which is
choreographed to music from the Baby Boomers era. The last 3 days of our stay this year was
Dance Week with professional dancers from New York leading classes. The Disco class was super fun with our
teacher in costume including a wig with twinkling lights. We had to choose disco names, and mine was
Sparkling Shirley because of the sequined hats I wear.
The arts and crafts classes
are a favorite part of my stay at CR. The main teacher Terry and her assistant
Cindy are like old friends. The classes
vary from year to year. This time I did Kumihimu,
making a braided necklace and keychain; Paper Casting, creating greeting cards,
Beading, resulting in a picture holder.
I also made a beaded bracelet, a vision board, and 2 small
watercolors.
Each year CR has a variety of
speakers. This year we had a celebrity,
Jane Fonda, who was candid about her life and was quite funny. No one asked her
about her Viet Nam years. She also participated in the ranch
activities. I actually was right next to
her a couple of times. It’s obvious that
she’s had face work and her hands look like an old woman’s (she’s almost 76!),
but she has a beautiful figure. I also
enjoyed listening to a medical doctor discuss staying healthy mentally and
physically as we age.
One new class this year was
Fire Making. Debbie and I rushed to
sign up. It was the hardest task I’ve
ever attempted. I was a fire- making
dropout although Debbie was successful.
The instructor said that the success rate is 30%. Of the 5 of us in the
class, 2 were able to make fire and one succeeded only with the instructor’s
help. It takes a great deal of upper
body strength in an awkward position to be successful. Here I thought that they were going to give
us matches and kindling! It was all
worth the attempt because in the class was a New York Producer Scott Zellinger
who is currently one of the producers of the new Tom Hanks play as well as a
new Bette Midler show. In fact while we
were at CR, he was nominated for several Tony’s. Both Scott and his wife were very
down-to-earth and delightful. He and
Debbie bonded. She wants to go to work
for him for free. He told me that, “your
daughter is adorable with a great personality.” (pooh, pooh)
After all the morning
activity, I enjoy the very special treatments available at CR. We pay one price for our room and food and
get a $1070 allowance to spend as we choose.
In the past I’ve tried Shamanic Journey, a Psychic Journey, Healing
Hands (when my mom was alive, I really needed this!), a consultation with a
specialist in physiology. Now I go for the yummy bodywork. They are as wonderful as they sound. Vanilla Wrap:
You are loofahed and lotioned wrapped up, and lowered into a warm
cocoon-like waterbed. Abhyanga-Shirodhara: In this Indian Ayurvedic treatment, you
receive a two- person massage (sounds
kinky but it isn’t) followed by oil slowly dripped onto your forehead. Watsu:
(Debbie’s favorite) in a beautiful, large room with 3 pools, skylights,
plants, southwest art, while wearing floats on your legs, the therapist slowly
moves you through the water while massaging you from head to toe. My therapist this year was a 300 lb. woman
and I felt that I was in the arms of Earth Mother. My favorite treatment is called Euphoria and
it is euphoric. The treatment room is
beautiful with roses, drapery, and soft music.
This is how it’s described in their brochure, “Enter into a euphoric
state of being in this elegant body treatment designed to calm the nervous
system and relax the mind. Your journey
begins with a sage compress to your face and an aromatherapy scalp
massage. After a warm botanical body
mask is applied and gently buffed, you are immersed in a soaking tub. Your ritual concludes with a soothing massage
using warm herb-infused oil.” Aaaaaah…
It’s fun to meet celebrities,
but it’s the friends I’ve met at CR who come each year from Arizona,
Washington, Novato, Florida, etc. that make it special. We are mixture of 2 generations: 40s and 60s+.
We each do our own thing during the day but often get together for lunch
and/or dinner. We drive the waiters
crazy by ordering everything on the menu to share. CR has healthy food but not necessarily
health food. They do serve hamburgers,
steak, lamb chops, pancakes, French toast, etc. but in small portions. However, you can have as much as you want,
and we often do. The homemade ice cream
and cookies are to die for, and we go home with bags of the cookies. In addition to the menu items, at breakfast
there’s an omelet bar; at lunch, a salad and sandwich bar; and at dinner a
salad and pasta bar. Everything is
labeled with the calorie, sodium, carb, etc. count. Throughout the day and throughout the ranch,
we have a choice of fresh fruit and drinks although there’s no soda or
alcohol. The pool restaurant makes
lattes, cappuccinos, and lattes.
I’ve traveled all over the
world enjoying amazing experiences, but if I had to choose one place to visit
over and over again, it would definitely be Canyon Ranch. Because of the scenery, the staff, the classes,
and state of mind, for me it is a place of renewal, both of body and
spirit. Canyon Ranch’s motto is “The Power of Possibility.” All I know is that I feel better and can do
more at 70 than I could do at 60. At the
same time I look at the world with a calmer, more spiritual perspective.
If you have never been to
Canyon Ranch, try it. I guarantee you’ll
love it!
