AHHH

Need a break? The Essex Culinary Resort & Spa claims to be the “ultimate getaway experience,” and Seven Days readers don’t disagree. Perhaps they took a look online at the resort’s full-service spa and fitness center options. The Essex promises to pamper, beginning with its pristine outdoor pool, waterfall and oversized hot tub. Steam rooms, saunas and relaxation lounges augment an inviting array of massage, body-treatment, facial and salon services. Start out with the Muscle Melt, a temptingly titled cure for sore bodies, or the über-calming Green Tea and Ginger Wrap. Or, try the Warm Stone Massage, where essential oils soothe tired muscles into toasty relaxation. With all this downtime, you may just work up an appetite, in which case you can sample such spa cuisine selections as Grilled Shrimp With Papaya or the Soba Noodle Festival. We all deserve a little R&R now and then.

-Carolyn Fox