Birthday on the Road: A Mother-Daughter Spa Getaway

(Photo: Lisa McElroy)

As travel writers, we love nothing better than discovering new places. We both also love surprises. A surprise trip? You betcha. A surprise birthday trip? Even better. Life is a highway, and we’re gonna ride it all birthday weekend long.

Wanna know how, why, and where we did it? Read on.

Why this birthday trip was especially appropriate

Lisa: It makes me ridiculously sad to realize how fast Abby is growing up, but I’ve decided to embrace it, her taller-than-me height,smarter-than-me math skills, cooler-than-me wardrobe, and all. It’s time. She’s… gulp… 14. What we needed for her birthday? A grownup getaway.

Abby: A new beginning. Many things symbolize a fresh start, a new chance to do it all again, but better this time. Birthdays are one of these things. On your birthday, you have a fresh new year all ready for you to embrace and maybe fix some of the past year’s mistakes — a new chance to shine. And what better way to do that than to shine both inside and out? For the past couple years, I have adored going to the spa: the relaxation, the rejuvenation, the feeling of a clean palate, and the glow it gives you. So you tell me: What better birthday surprise would there be than a trip to the spa?

How we chose the destination

Lisa: It had to be close to our Philadelphia home — close enough that I could surprise Abby by picking her up after school and get her there by dinner time. It had to feel sophisticated and luxurious. And it had to have a killer spa. It was makeover time, baby — you don’t turn 14 every day. The Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay fit the bill. It’s about three hours away, right on the water in Cambridge, Maryland, large and glamorous, and spa-rific. The fact that it’s in a cute coastal town with diners and vintage clothing stores and coffee shops didn’t hurt, either.

Abby: I didn’t get to choose, but I have to say, my mom chose good.

Perfect for a mother-daughter weekend: the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay (Photo: Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay)

First impressions

Lisa: I was really impressed by the resort’s grand entrance, the long driveway down to the ocean, and the pretty façade. What I liked best, though, was the view from our room — right out over the bay. We left the curtains open all night so we could look out. Abby was asleep for the sunrise, but I stood out on our balcony and drank it in.

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Abby: When we pulled up to the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay, I was so happy! On the cold day, the warm, grand lobby was a sweet relief. Plus, I was two days away from 14, and I could smell the fresh start just waiting for me. Passing by and peeking in the window, I could also feel the calming nature of the spa, and I couldn’t wait to go the next day. It was going to be perfect.

Abby’s best friends, Hank and Linus, liked the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay, too! (Photo: Lisa McElroy)

It wasn’t all about the spa

Lisa: To be honest, I had thought it would be. But after I managed to drag Abby out of bed (she had stayed up past midnight reading a book in bed, propped up by about nine pillows), I told her we were hitting the main drag. At this time of year, we had this beach town all to ourselves. A case in point: At the totally yummy High Spot Gastropub (think: homemade corned beef hash and brie with fresh fruit, plus an endless cup of strong coffee), we were the only diners. That was OK — we sat in the sunshine and read our books, relaxing together on this last day of Abby’s being 13.

The High Spot: The perfect place to fuel up before a day of pampering. (Photo: Facebook/The High Spot)

Abby: OK, so my Nutella waffle was ridiculously decadent, sort of setting the mood for the day. After we stuffed ourselves and I finished my book, my mom and I walked around the small town.

Do you know what else symbolizes a new beginning? Weddings. I got to experience a small slice of my own future wedding when we stopped into Vintage and Vogue, a small, owner-operated vintage clothing gold mine. I spotted a beautiful ’80s wedding dress (yeah, you read that right) with incredible beading and a long, long train, and before I knew it, I was trying it on. Somehow, it fit me absolutely perfectly. It was like a dream, right down to my mom using an antique hanky to wipe her tears away. Another sign that 14 was going to be the best year yet, another sign that fresh starts liked me. (No, I’m not getting married for at least a decade. But a girl can dream, right?)

The future — way, way, way in the future — bride getting a (very) early start on dress shopping at Vintage and Vogue. (Photo: Lisa McElroy)

A fairy-tale birthday trip

Lisa: Yep. One reason that traveling with Abby is so much fun is that, in the craziness that is everyday life, it’s pretty rare for us to take the time for waffles or nine cups of coffee or a stroll through downtown (notice I’m not mentioning the wedding dress? I was a little weirded out because she looked like she was a child bride in a weird cult or something). Getting her all to myself for 36 hours —no play practice, no business trips, no laundry or dishes or pet grooming — that was a fairy tale birthday weekend in my book.

Related: Teen Dream? 10 Things This 13-Year-Old Learned on a Colorado Dude Ranch Vacation

Abby: Yes! Sure, eventually, the wedding dress had to go back, and then we were back at the Hyatt and the Sago Spa and Salon. Now, according to the spa’s policies, I’m too young for body treatments like facials and massages, but getting my hair, makeup, and nails done was a very close second in my book. I relaxed and marveled over the incredible twisted bun the hairdresser (who had to wrestle with my long, thick, and tangly brown hair) created — a masterpiece! I have to admit, I even liked the light makeup she applied, an especially big deal because of my strong anti-makeup stance. I felt good, I felt pretty, and I felt like my new start was going to start off with a kick.

The Birthday Girl, post-makeover. (Photo: Lisa McElroy)

Next, my toes and fingers got beautified, and I couldn’t help but admire the small sparkle that the pale pink I chose gave them. They looked pretty and, as an ode to my younger self, a little princessy.

All good trips must come to an end

Lisa: Too true. It made me think about our next spa trip, though. I think we’ll head south for some warm weather and a weekend at the Tideline Ocean Resort and Spa, a Kimpton hotel in West Palm Beach, Florida. It’s a brand new spa, complete with head-to-toe treatments for teens.

Abby: Unfortunately, we had to rush out and leave to make my birthday dinner reservation (at my favorite restaurant, Philadelphia’s Porcini, where we’ve dined for my birthday every year since I was 7). But the glow of the spa stuck with me for a long time, reminding me to make this the best year I had ever had. Every so often, the wedding dress pipes in too, with its extravagant beauty. “Make it good,” they say. Well, I will.

Lisa and Abby: A long tradition of mother-daughter birthday outings.

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