Girlfriend Getaways

The King & More

1. Elvismania! -- Memphis, Tennessee Declare it an Elvis Lives weekend! Swoon to the crooning of the King at many local locales. Indulge! Too much of a good thing is never enough.

Activities & Highlights:

• Graceland: Where Elvis once lived, and still lives -- visit his gravesite. Call ahead for hours. 901-332-3322.
• Sun Studios: Where Elvis once recorded. Today it's still a working recording studio. Daily tours available. 901-521-0664.
• Memphis Rock 'N' Soul Museum: The name says it all! Call ahead to check hours. 901-543-0800.
• Corky's BBQ: If good things take time, then there's no better BBQ than Corky's. They slow-cook their pork shoulders for 22 hours and their ribs for over seven hours. Try the place that Memphis Magazine voted as the #1 BBQ for 17 straight years. 901-685-9744.

2. Active Relaxation -- Neversink, New York If what you need is a fitness frenzy, you'll find it on the 280-acre forest preserve where the New Age Health Spa resides. This place offers "the whole package" -- literally. Once you're there you won't have to leave for anything. Enjoy back-to-back workouts for 12 hours straight or take a day-long hike topped off by the "challenge" course. Activities are suitable for all fitness levels, but it's a spa too, so you can always opt out for something a little less "taxing" and stretch your spirit on the massage table. New Age Spa room rates for a triple start at $209 per-person, meals included. Visit the New Age Health Spa's Web site or call 800-682-4348.

Activities & Highlights:

• Fitness: Before breakfast, you'll start your fitness routine at 6:00 a.m.
• Dining: Three square meals are included; you'll dine on spa cuisine created with fresh, organic ingredients
• More active activitites: Wander the groomed nature trails, or take a more challenging hike. Also, the gym, steam room, sauna, swimming pool, and solarium are all yours for the taking, at your leisure, of course.

Photo Courtesy Jon
Gilbert Fox and Billings
Farm & Museum

3. Back to Nature -- Woodstock, Vermont All the charm and beauty of a quaint New England town. Visit the village's main street and wander the shops, or go for a hike in the mountains. No matter where you go, the view will be spectacular!

Activities & Highlights:

• Pane & Salute Bakery: An authentic Italian-style bakery. Take your espresso or cappuccino standing up or enjoy a more leisurely meal served at a table. A husband-and-wife team own and manage this one-of-a-kind spot in the heart of town. 802-457-4882.
• Simon Pearce: Dine and shop at this rustic mill that has been remodeled into a stunning display of hand-blown glass, or marvel at the view overlooking the river. 802-295-2711.
• The Billings Farm and Museum: Tour an actual working dairy farm. 802-457-2355.
• The Woodstock Inn: A stop for a drink or cocoa may turn into an all-afternoon affair at this quintessential colonial inn. 802-457-1100.

National Cowgirl Museum
and Hall of Fame

4. Urban Cowgirls -- Ft. Worth, TX It's so much more than just a cowboy town. (Although what visit to Texas would be complete without a trip to the Rodeo?) This happening city is quickly earning a reputation in the art world.

Activities & Highlights:

• Fort Worth Stock and Rodeo Show: The oldest livestock and rodeo show in the country. 817-877-2400.
• The Kimball Art Museum: This gem of a museum has some stunning masterpieces by Fra Angelico, Rubens, Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Mondrian, and El Greco, to name a few. 817-332-8451.
• The Modern Art Museum of Ft. Worth: Just opened this year, the new Modern designed by Tadao Ando is a piece of art in itself and houses an impressive collection of works by artists such as Jackson Pollack, Cindy Sherman, and Andy Warhol. 817-738-9215.
• National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame: You can't pass this one up; it's devoted to preserving the memory of the pioneering women of the West. 817-336-4475.