(BPT) – Looking to refresh your weary soul with a wellness vacation, but not sure where to start? Wellness travel has seen a boom in recent years so the options can seem overwhelming, but it’s easy to create a wellness escape that matches your personal style. Destinations like Michigan offer a range of relaxing retreats, soothing spas and low-cost nature-based getaways to help you recharge. Read on to find your perfect experience.
1. If affordability is your priority, give forest bathing a go.
Forest bathing is the practice of disconnecting from technology while exploring, walking or journaling among the trees. It has been shown to reduce blood pressure and anxiety. With 20 million acres of forest across two peninsulas that are hugged by the glimmering Great Lakes, Michigan is a forest bather’s paradise. State parks like Huron-Manistee National Forest and Hiawatha National Forest offer abundant, quiet trails.
2. If you’re looking to partake in some self-care, a sumptuous spa day is the thing for you.
Locals and travelers alike sometimes just need a little self-care — but you don’t have to go to an exotic destination to find some. Spas and salons offer services like facials, massages, infrared treatments and tanning, beauty services like hair removal, haircare, and mani/pedis, exfoliating and rejuvenating body treatments followed by rinse under a Vichy shower (like at Crystal Mountain Resort and Grand Traverse Resort and Spa), and often offer packages with multiple services included at a discounted rate. Whether you’re a regular or a first-timer, spa days are a surefire way to relax and rejuvenate.
3. If you’re looking to get your heart and legs pumping, take a ride.
Cycling is one of the best ways to enjoy nature and explore new sites. With top-rated singletracks and thousands of miles of family-friendly rail trails, Michigan is one of the most bike-friendly states in the nation. Trails can be found within densely wooded state parks throughout the state, carved along the side of vast sand dunes, winding in and around mountain-like terrain in the Upper Peninsula, meandering through downtown areas and more. Various skill levels and trail types are available, with many open year-round.
4. If you follow the latest trends, visit an ethereal salt sauna.
Halotherapy is the latest wellness trend gaining popularity. It is an alternative therapy treatment where guests sit in a salt cave or room and breathe in microscopic salt particles to help ailments like asthma, allergies and skin conditions. Adorned with atmospheric lighting and melodic music, immersive salt spas have emerged in Michigan cities like Kentwood, Rochester Hills and Traverse City, and offer short bookable sessions, series or group retreats.
5. If you’re seeking solitude or creative inspiration, get yourself waterside.
Studies have shown that spending time near water environments promotes relaxation, improves brain health, provides stress relief and can improve social interaction. Not only is Michigan surrounded by over 3,000 miles of Great Lakes coastline, you’re also never more than six miles from a body of water at any location in the state. Lake life is a quintessential part of living in and visiting Michigan, making it a haven for water sports, fishing, rock and waterfall hunting, and more. There’s plenty of coastline to go around.
Michigan has a wealth of wellness experiences that can be tailored to fit any traveler’s interests, from picturesque spa resorts like Boyne Mountain, Crystal Mountain and Shanty Creek Resort to Mission Point Resort and Grand Hotel on the famed Mackinac Island. Discover top-notch amenities in Traverse City, Saugatuck, Grand Rapids, St. Joseph, Ann Arbor and more. Michigan is the perfect place to relax, rejuvenate and recharge.
