With the prospect of another long, hot D.C. summer looming ahead, ourthoughts turned to places where a body can go to cool off and chill outa bit. Places to rejuvenate the mind, body and spirit.

From the majestic mountains of Big Sur, California, to the wilderness ofthe Canadian Pacific Northwest, to the rocky Maine coast, crystal-clear lakesand rivers, alpine air, and cool ocean breezes beckon us.

We’ve chosen some of our favorite luxury resorts/hotels in the midstof scenic splendor and pristine wilderness.

If romantic and rustic are your cup of tea, the Post Ranch Inn is a romantic luxuryresort featuring organic architecture and the dramatic beauty of Big Sur’s coastline,giant redwood trees, majestic mountains and the Pacific Ocean. The inn is perchedon the crest of a wooded ridge. Guests will feel like a part of nature, with roomsdesigned in the shape of tree houses perched on stilts nine feet above theforest floor, earth shelters, and butterfly-shaped buildings. The fifteen roomson the ridge’s seaward side open out to exclusive and stunning panoramas ofthe coastline. Every room has a wood-burning fireplace, indoor spa tub, privateterrace, massage table and king-sized bed. Other amenities include a wetbar with complimentary non-alcoholic beverages, terry velour robes, slippers,walking sticks, and a stereo system with thirty channels via satellite. The Post Ranch Spa’s treatment rooms are set in a redwood grove amidst the guestrooms. Spa treatments utilize organic products and local natural elements. Trytheir signature treatment that utilizes warm and cool stones to stimulatecirculation and balance the body’s energy centers, Big Sur Jade Stone Therapy, ortheir over-the-top Crystal and Gemstone Therapy. The Sierra Mar Restaurant serves world class cuisine in a scenically spectacularsetting. Breakfast baskets can be delivered to the room and picnic lunchbaskets are also available. The heated swimming pool is located in a meadow next to the Yoga Yurt. A baskingpool with its infinity edge merging the sea and sky, is kept at a temperatureof about 102 degrees F. There’s also a fitness room with a treadmill, Lifecycle,cross trainer, universal weight machine, Plyoballs, weighted bars and free weights.Complimentary activities include yoga, TaiChi/Qigong, herb garden talk, guidednature walk, a sculpture tour, stargazing, and regional beaches within 2 and 6 milesaway. Other activities in the area include hiking trails, golf, shopping, art galleries,horseback riding, kayaking, fishing and whale watching. Post Ranch Inn is the recipient of numerous awards including Travel andLeisure’s #3 ranking for the best overall: hotel spas in October 2002, and itsFebruary 2001 “The 50 Most Romantic Places on Earth,” and Conde Nast TravelerGold List’s one of “The Best Places to Stay in the Whole World,” 1995-2003. Nestled in a quiet valley at the base of Beaver Creek Mountain, Bachelor Gulchoffers a 21,000 square-foot spa, 36 holes of golf, and a 237-room hotel thatoffers panoramic views from 90% of its guestrooms and suites. It’s a ten-minuteride from Vail, Colorado. Room choices include 29 one, two, or three bedroomsuites, 102 rooms have private balconies, and 77 guestrooms feature fireplaces.Frette linens, plush terry robes and marble bathroom floors are just a few ofthe amenities. Choose from an extensive menu of fitness, cosmetic and therapeutic servicesat Bachelor Gulch’s spa. Treatments are offered in a nature-inspired setting,where guests are surrounded by stout wood, polished rock and clear, flowingwater. Fitness rooms feature stunning views up the mountain and a signaturerock grotto sets the tone for a soak in a lazy river hot tub. Treat yourself to their blue spruce sap and soak, roaring rapidshydrotherapy massage, champagne powder wrap, or their altitude adjustmentmassage that uses deep tissue and Swedish massage and features essentialoils of apple, lavender, peach and pine. The Red Sky Golf Club offers a unique high country golf experience. The Club’stwo eighteen-hole golf courses, designed by Tom Fazio and Greg Norman, areseparated by a dramatic mountain ridge and a wildlife migration corridor. Golfersenjoy spectacular views of Castle Peak to the west, or the Gore Range and VailMountain’s back bowls to the east. Other activities include mountain biking, backcountry hiking, fly fishing,whitewater rafting, tennis, kayaking, hot air ballooning, and gondola rides. If you enjoy being surrounded by water, head to the wilds of VancouverIsland in British Columbia and the Clayoquot Wilderness Resorts whereyou can experience Vancouver Island’s thousand-year-old rain forest andthe waters of Clayoquot Sound. Clayoquot Wilderness Resorts consistof two properties: The Floating Resort at Quait Bay and the WildernessOutpost at Bedwell River. Every window of the lodge-like rooms at theFloating Resort offers bay or mountain views, and includes down comforters,an extensive wine cellar, and private decks with hot tubs. The HealingGrounds Spa has aromatherapy treatments, massage, Vichy and Swissshowers, rain-forest saunas, and lakewater showers outdoors. Thereare hiking trails, two private lakes, and a natural waterfall-fed pool. For more extreme comfort, 20 minutes away by boat there’s the WildernessOutpost at Bedwell River, with two dozen white canvas tents set on raisedwooden platforms and connected cedar boardwalks traversing the rainforest and river estuary. The ten guest tents have porches overlookingthe Sound, furnished decks, queen-size Adirondack beds with downduvets, antique furnishings, remote-controlled propane woodstoves, oil lamps and opulent rugs. Relax in one of the wood-fueled hot tubsor saunas, play chess or snooker in the games tent, or enjoy a snifter ofcognac in the lounge tent and a good book. Enjoy traditional seafood feasts around a huge indoor fire pit at thefloating resort or an ever-changing gourmet menu of dishes like roastedoyster cumin chowder, salalberry-cured wild Pacific salmon with seaasparagus, or Dungeness crab stew in pale ale both. Horseback rides into the old-growth forest reveal ghost towns, StrathconaProvincial Park, and bucolic stream-fed meadows. Bears, eagles,whales, seals, sea lions, and deer are frequently sighted. Other activities include mountain biking, hot springs, hiking, canoeingand kayaking, swimming, sailing, scuba diving, fresh-and saltwaterfishing, and whale watching. Clayoquot is featured in Resorts & Great Hotels the Connoisseur’s Guideto the World’s Best 2003 Edition. The East Coast counterpart to theoriginal Canyon Ranch in Arizonaoffers a total spa experience on a 120-acre site in the stunning BerkshireMountains of western Massachusetts.The elegant main house,Bellefontaine, dates back to 1897and is a replica of the Petit Trianonin Versailles. The inn has 26 rooms,there’s a reflecting pool and formalgarden, and a 100,000-square-footstate-of-the-art indoor fitness centerwhere guests can play squash, swimin the indoor pool, use the weighttraining rooms, or run on an indoortrack. The spa boasts an extensivearray of services including AustrianMoor Mud Therapy, Ayurvedic HerbalRejuvenation, Canyon Ranch StoneMassage, Revitalizing Salt Glo, Shiatsu,Swedish Massage, Polarity andReflexology. Try the signature Parisianbody polish or a craniosacral bodyalignment. Forty-five daily classes (from yogato chi gong to ballroom dancing),outings, workshops, and seasonalsports are offered. There are alsoexcellent medical programs staffedwith highly qualified medicalprofessionals. Canyon Ranch serves healthy, low-caloriemeals that are absolutelydelicious, and they list the nutritionalcontent of every selection. Try theirhomemade ice cream with nonfatfudge sauce (135 calories). Summertime activities include hiking,kayaking, and the resort’s signatureRopes Challenge course. Canyon Ranch is the winner ofnumerous awards, including a four-timewinner of Conde Nast Traveler’sBest Spa Award. It ranked fourth inTravel and Leisure magazine’s 2002World’s Best Awards Readers’ Surveyfor Best Spa, and was named one ofthe best places in the U.S. for outdooractivities in Shape Magazine’s 2002Active Woman’s Guide to the GreatOutdoors. For privacy, luxury and over-the-top dining on the Maine coast, there’sthe 25-room White Barn Inn, built in the 1860’s. A member of Relais andChateaux, the inn, located in the picturesque town of Kennebunkport,Maine, is comprised of 12 elegantly restored inn rooms, four gardenrooms, and seven luxurious suites, all with fireplaces. The inn is adeptat maintaining the fine balance of making guests feel like they’re beinglooked after without being hovered over. Complimentary afternoon teaand evening port are served. The rooms are furnished with 19 th -century traditional pieces and hand-paintedfurniture. The Loft Suite features a private deck, cathedralceiling, private entrance, king-sized bed, oversize marble bath, steamshower, and whirlpool bath. May’s Annex suites have wood-burningfireplaces and feather beds. The White Barn Inn Restaurant is thepremier AAA Five Diamond dining establishment of New England, theonly restaurant in New England to win the award nine years in a row. It ishoused in two meticulously restored barns and seats 120 guests. Tablesare set with candles, linens, crystal and silver; a pianist plays soft dinnermusic. The haute cuisine menu features regional fish, seafood, game,roasted root vegetables and locally grown meats and poultry. The natural stone heated swimming pool features a soothing, reverse-edgedwaterfall. A negative edge brimming pool is equipped withpoolside cabanas, massage tables, spa treatments and al fresco dining. Thepool is nestled into the landscape of birch and pine to enhance its serenity.Facials, herbal body wraps and stress reduction exercises are available. Enjoy a memorable picnic of Maine lobster and Marie Rose Sauce ona bed of fresh salad with fresh blueberries and homemade cookiesfor dessert. You can even purchase the order packed in a fitted wickerpicnic basket and take it with you as you leave. It’s an easy, 10-minute walk to the wide, crescent-shaped beach orKennebunkport offers a multitude of fine shops and art galleries. Otheractivities all within a few minutes from the inn include horseback riding,deep sea fishing, whale watching, sailing and parasailing, wildlifepreserves and monastery tours. The White Barn Inn tops Conde Nast’s 2003 Gold List, it is among Travel andLeisure’s top 500 hotels in the world, was voted Travel and Leisure’s #5 bestresort inn restaurant, and was named one of New England’s ten best innsby Forbes.com.