Does your body need a rescue mission? Come to New York to melt away stress and restore your natural glow. The ancient Babylonians used to walk for miles to bask in mineral-rich pools, but you won't have to travel far at all to be soothed here. From
Long Island to
Lake Placid and beyond, world-class spas have perfected the art of pampering. Hundreds in
New York City alone range from Chinatown's Origo to the
Waldorf-Astoria's Guerlain.
If you want to be surrounded by spectacular landscapes, follow your bliss to
Gurney's amid the dunes of
Montauk, the
Springs Spa in the
Finger Lakes, or
Barton Hill near
Niagara Falls. At
The Emerson, in the
Catskills, you'll be transported as soon as you walk through the elaborate doors, imported from an Indian palace. The
New Age Health Spa in Neversink, named "Best Value" by Spa Finder magazine, offers healthy cuisine and fitness classes.
In
Saratoga Springs, where the bubbling mineral waters have been soothing visitors for centuries, you can bask like a Babylonian. Stay at the stately
Gideon Putnam or reserve a soak and massage at the
Roosevelt Baths & Spa.