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This Spa Rocks: How I Learned To Quit Worrying and Love The Spa at Rock Barn
There is still one remaining segment of our society where gender-segregation is almost universal — the spa experience. When you mention "spa" to most women, they’re in their robe and ready to be pampered before you can reach the a in the word "spa." So ladies, we already know you are going to love everything about the Spa at Rock Barn. And fellas? I’m here to tell you, if you give it a chance, you’ll love it just as much as the ladies do (to paraphrase Seinfeld — not that there's anything wrong with that!).
First of all, let me explain something. I am in no way, shape or form part of the metrosexual phenomenon. I was raised and steeped in hardcore Southern machismo. The only facial products I use are soap, water and shaving cream. Even when I had hair the only thing that ever touched it was water and shampoo. The last person who touched the nails on my hands or my feet was my mother when I was three. And if anyone ever tried to make me over like on Queer Eye For The Straight Guy, the episode would end with everyone getting punched in the neck. So I’m not exactly what you’d call your average spa’s target demographic.
Fortunately, for me (and the necks of their staff) the Spa at Rock Barn is more than your average spa. Located in the rolling hills and lush, award-winning links of the picturesque Rock Barn Country Club, the rock exterior of the Spa at Rock Barn looks more like something you’d see in tony ski resorts in the Rockies than the sprawling Catawba County countryside. But once you step inside, you’d swear you’d been transported to an exclusive European spa.
Soft music soothes your senses as you’re greeted by the concierge, who cheerfully arranges the consultation for your spa treatment. Behind her is the Spa’s Boutique, well-stocked with more personal care products than your realized you had body parts on which to put them.
From the minute you enter, the staff of the Spa at Rock Barn make you feel like you’re in a James Bond movie and you’re Sean Connery. Not George Lazenby. Not Roger Moore. Not Timothy Dalton. Not Pierce Brosnan. Sean freakin' Connery.
Charming attendants lead you to the locker rooms, which feature separate facilities for women and men, both with their own steam room and sauna. The locker rooms are well-appointed with full-shower amenities and stocked with a wide range of personal care products. Your attendant shows you to your locker, which is made not of impersonal metal, but real, rich wooden cabinetry of higher quality than you’d find in most kitchens. Your attendant brings you a plush robe and slippers. Then, once you’ve changed, he (or she if you’re a woman) shows you to the adjoining consultation area to await your spa specialist.
The Spa at Rock Barn has a full menu of cleansing, revitalizing, rejuvenating, detoxifying, firming and relaxing spa treatments for women and men alike. Face and body masques. Facials. Hand, foot , body and eyes treatments. Manicures. Pedicures. Aromatherapy. Mineral salt glows. Massages. Reflexology. Hair styling, cuts, conditioning, coloring and highlights. These treatments are available either individually, or as part of a wide variety of spa packages, many of which include lunch in Rock Barn’s world-class restaurant, specially designed to make the most out of a day spent at the spa. The Spa at Rock Barn is open to the public and day passes may be purchased for a complete day of indulgence at the spa.
Me? I selected the Golfer’s massage, a 50-minute treatment which involves deep-tissue massage, vigorous strokes, stretching and joint movement techniques that can help improve performance, endurance and recovery time (80 minutes sessions are also available).
My massage therapist, Tiffany, greeted me in the consultation room and went over my spa itinerary carefully. She then led me to the therapy suites and into a dark, quiet room, with soothing music in the background. She showed me a selection of essential oils to be used during the massage (I chose the detoxifying treatment).
Tiffany left the room while I made myself comfortable on the table, then returned a few minutes later to begin my massage. Throughout the 50-minute session, Tiffany worked the essential oils into muscles abused by years of running, weight training, too little sleep and too much work. Stretched my arms, legs, hands and feet. Asked me often how I was feeling and if the pressure was too much or too little. She also applied warm towels and compresses to my eyes, neck, shoulders and back.
The 50-minutes paradoxically seemed to fly by in a flash and last for a blissful eternity. Before I knew it, Tiffany had given me some orange-water to drink and led me to the Relaxation Room, a space filled with tranquil sounds and soothing aromas where you can continue to unwind following your treatment.
After a short time in the Relaxation Room, I returned to the locker room, where the attendants offered to get me something to drink from the spa’s fully stocked Juice Bar.
I changed into my swimsuit and plunged headlong into the spa’s pool enclosure, which is much like a cross between an exclusive mountain lodge and a secluded mountain grotto, with real rock floors and a richly detailed wood ceiling. Two-person chaise lounges ring the indoor pool area, which features wide windows that look out upon the the championship golf course surrounding the pool area. Adjoining the indoor pool is an outdoor deck complete with a brick fireplace an outdoor whirlpool.
First, I waded into the warm embrace of a natural-looking rock-hewn whirlpool, where waterfalls cascaded from the ceiling, obliterating any remaining tension in my back and neck. Then I swam lazily on my back in the shallow, placid waters of a wide, meandering mineral pool, listening to the soothing music piped in underwater as I watched clouds drift by through a clear, wide skylight in the roof. Finally, I took a (very) brief dip in cold plunge that more than lives up to its name, before soaking in the warmth of another soothing, circular whirlpool and the red-orange rays of the setting sun. Suddenly, I became aware of a sensation which seemed vaguely familiar, yet I hadn’t experienced in recent memory. Relaxation!
If you’d like to experience that same long-lost sensation, I’d seriously suggest you visit the Spa at Rock Barn. After all, if just one afternoon can turn a hard case like me from a spa agnostic to a convert, just imagine what it can do for you. Or better yet, don’t imagine it. Experience it. Schedule a spa treatment by calling 1-828-459-9150, or visit their website, www.rockbarn.com for all the glorious details.
by Burt Dellinger
