Babymoon at Canyon Ranch

Last weekend, we traveled down to the wonderful Sonoran Desert to celebrate our babymoon at Canyon Ranch!

Before getting pregnant, I had never heard of a “babymoon” {let’s be honest here, it’s really just an excuse to take another vacation} but when I found out about the idea, I was all in. And when I thought about where I’d want to go, a spa was the first thing to enter my mind.

So down we flew to Canyon Ranch and spent a truly magical weekend full of wonderfully healthy food, exercise and sunshine. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect weekend! Adam’s job is incredibly demanding and he hardly ever gets a chance to totally and completely disconnect. Well, Canyon Ranch forced him to {they have no cell phone policy in most areas} and it was incredible.

Here’s the gorgeous room we stayed in! The bed was super comfy and I thoroughly enjoyed stretching out since have a queen, not a king, at home.

And the cute little sitting area on the other side!

Maybe it seems like a small thing, but my favorite part of the room was definitely the duel sinks and vanities. It was nice to have some space and each have our own sink and “area” since I tend to overpack in the toiletries department. Cough cough.

Canyon Ranch is an all inclusive resort with a FULL list of activities each day {check it out here!}. They had so much stuff going on that it was almost overwhelming! There was truly an option for everyone ranging from strenuous bootcamps and hikes in the mountains to gentle vinyasa yoga. For the three days that we were there, our favorite activity was waking up really early, eating a big breakfast and then doing the two mile “walk” {they call it a walk but I found it to more like a hike!} around the property. It was perfect for me since I’m a little slow these days and didn’t want to hold up a group on one of their guided real hikes.

Doesn’t that guy look like he’s waving? heh heh

The grounds are absolutely gorgeous with the mountains in the distance. I’m pretty sure the resort was quite full the weekend that we were there but you’d never know it. Everything was very, very quiet and very peaceful.

The first day we were there, we got a couples massage! Oh my goodness, it was AMAZING. They did a prenatal massage for me and a regular massage for Adam. Let me tell you, when you are 30 weeks pregnant, there is nothing better than someone massaging your legs and feet with rose body oil. Nothing.

That afternoon, we spent an hour with one of the Canyon Ranch counselors talking about how to better the communication in our marriage. I wouldn’t say that we have poor communication, but it’s always a great thing to work on, especially with such a major life change about to take place. Adam and I are both incredibly committed and passionate about maintaining a strong, healthy marriage and we really enjoyed our time meeting with the therapist. It was a new experience for both of us and one that I absolutely would recommend to all couples. Granted, I’ve only been married for a little less than a year so I’m still pretty new at this whole thing, but it’s obvious to me that communication is key.

One of the really unique things about Canyon Ranch is that aside from all the luxurious spa treatments and fitness classes, they offer a whole staff of doctors, nurses and licensed counselors. Literally, they have it all!

The FOOD at Canyon Ranch was, of course, delicious. I’m pretty sure that within three days we tried everything on the menu. Since portion sizes were so small, we each would order two entrees and a bunch of appetizers {and, obviously, all the desserts} to split. I think the best thing I tasted all weekend though was this grilled artichoke!

I could have eaten, like, fifteen of them.

This spicy veggie burger was also really good! Everything tasted very fresh.

We ate the majority of our meals in the poolside cafe, which is a little more laid back and casual than the formal dining room. It was just too nice outside to be anywhere else!

The second day of our trip was my favorite day. It was absolutely perfect. Woke up early, ate chocolate chip pancakes {the chef made them special for us!} and did our sunny two mile hike followed by a drumming class! Like I said, they really offer something for everyone! It was so fun to try a new activity together and I’m sad that none of my photos turned out because I looked pretty hilarious sitting there beating on my drum with a huge baby belly sticking out. 🙂 Apparently drumming is a great form of therapy and meditation, and I have to say, I left the drumming circle feeling very happy and energized!

After drumming, we laid by the pool all afternoon before I got a special pregnancy facial {which I won in bingo the night before!!!}. Like I said, total perfection and my form of heaven. I felt totally relaxed and blissed out.

And of course, no trip to the desert would be complete without epic sunsets. I think we have pretty great sunsets in California, but there’s nothing quite like one in the desert.

That last shot is my favorite. Gorgeous painted sky.

All in all, we had an amazing weekend filled with a great balance of getting pampered {massage and facial} and getting out of our comfort zones {talking with a therapist, trying the drumming circle}. If y’all are wondering about bringing your spouse to a spa, I say do it!!! There were tons of men there and Adam had a great time. I think it’s the perfect environment to reconnect with each other and spend quality alone time without all the distractions in our everyday lives. I think many people just think of spas as a place to visit with your mom or girlfriends, but Adam and I would return together in a heartbeat. It was perfect for us.

Canyon Ranch so generously hosted us for the weekend but, as always, our opinions are entirely our own! THANK YOU, Canyon Ranch, for giving us a weekend we will never forget and helping us make lifelong memories together.