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The essence of Rancho La Puerto in Tecate, Mexico, is that it is one of those places that is a haven for the body and soul -- a place of fitness and renewal. For years, friends and I have visited several spas and Rancho Le Puerto is at the top of our list for our winter spa time. Months after returning to my daily schedule, I can still close my eyes and visualize the bougainvillea and aloe, growing in our secluded patio garden, the hummingbirds darting between brightly colored flowers, and the eagles soaring over Mount Kanchumaa. But most of all I remember the camaraderie, inner quiet, laughter, walks, exercise, and relaxation. There are no phones or televisions in the villas to interfere with music, reading, or musing as you sit by a fire readied for you each evening by the attentive staff. This is a spa where you can, for a week, live surrounded by beauty, eat splendid meals, exercise your body and mind, and return home feeling more healthy and prepared for life than when you arrived.
The Ranch, which was opened in 1940, is a week long spa. That is, everyone arrives and leaves on Saturday. You can fly into San Diego and a prearranged bus will meet your flight. While you ride through the mountains south into Mexico, your hostess will help with immigration papers and provide a snack, a drink, and information. It is a testament to the Ranch that one of the first things a newcomer notices is how many on that bus are return guests so that by the time you arrive at the spa, you have shared the experiences of others and feel sure that you have made a good choice. You have.
After check-in at the beautiful administration building, you are taken to your accommodations for the week. These range from single rooms, placed with large communal living areas, to larger villas for 2, 3, or 4. Since I travel with friends, we usually share a villa for 3. The spa is famous for its landscaping and each section has a different flavor from Southwest dessert to the Italian Hills. Over all, the impression is one of brilliant colors, green gardens, and fountains -- no small feat considering that the Ranch has its own water plant and little grass because of the desert climate. There are informative landscape and vegetable garden walks to explain the philosophy of the Ranch, both very worthwhile. But I digress, an easy thing to do when trying to pack in the myriad of memories of the Ranch into one article. On Saturday after unpacking, you can sign up for massages, facials, wraps, etc. for the week so that you are assured of the times and services you want. Although my Spanish is limited, I have never been disappointed in the quality of these services. They are as good as they get.
O.K. You're here and not eating your way through a buffet line on an ocean liner. What is your week like? Even before you arrive, you will receive a list of the classes offered during the day. These include aerobic, coordination, flexibility, strength, and teaching classes which range from beginner to expert levels. You can choose meditation, yoga, circuit training, hiking, walking, step, pilates, drumming, weight training, tennis, slide, morning and evening stretches, and that is just the beginning. There are lectures on health issues, cooking demonstrations, lessons on herbal wreath making (mine made 2 years ago still hangs in my kitchen), writing, nutrition, and if that's not enough for you type A personalities, you can read or listen to music in the library, swim, go to the sauna or steam bath, paint, shop at the well-stocked store for clothing or local crafts for those you left behind, or just walk through the grounds.
As a type 1 diabetic who exercises regularly, I monitor myself carefully at the spa, making sure that I set realistic goals for the week which do not only include exercise and flexibility classes, but time to stop and breath in the clean fresh air of the Ranch. Each morning before breakfast I join the Meadow Walk for a hike, and after eating breakfast, begin the day with Pilates or Yoga. Then it's aerobic classes until lunch, my favorite being one to African music. This is always a class of smiles watching the talented teacher and the class trying to follow. After lunch, I, for one, slow down a bit, but since I have bouts of hypoglycemia, I never go into the mountains without a friend (and a carry-along emergency fanny pack) or start the week without telling the teachers that I am type 1 diabetic. Of course, the glucose tablets are always on hand. The fall into low blood sugar can be swift for me; my friends all know the signs and symptoms so they can feel secure that I am safe. We all take care of each other as the trouble with growing into middle age is that we all have special needs to one degree or another. In the villas there are fruit bowls to stem the need for a quick fix, and the kitchen is always willing to accommodate for special needs. Room service before the early morning walk brings toast and more fresh fruit plus coffee to get all of us ready, but the operative words are "know yourselves and watch your blood glucose levels."
In past years, Chef Bill Warren was an ever present shinning presence at the Ranch, but this year he is at the Golden Door (one of the Ranch's sister spas). Although the food is mostly vegetarian, the meals are beautiful to the eye, tasteful to the palate, more than satisfying, and still prepared according to Chef Bill's recipes. The dining room with its high beamed ceiling, roaring fireplaces, attentive wait staff, and outdoor shaded patios surrounded by gardens and fountains are a perfect counter point to the chef's menus. Not to worry if you wish more protein; the kitchen is more than willing to serve tuna, or to substitute pasta or baked potatoes for the fare of the day. Fridays are special as the Ranch bakes Chef Bill's wonderful cookies which he used to bring around personally, complete with his broad smiled conversation at lunch. Dinner on Friday is usually fresh fish and wine. A wonderful compliment to the chef is that my friends brought up on beef and potatoes did not realize they were being "deprived" until it was pointed out to them that no red meat was served all week. We all speak of cleansing our minds and bodies for this one week, with gallons of water and Ranch-grown produce. By mid-week we admire the healthy glow of our complexions without makeup. Chef Bill has kindly sent some of his prized recipes and we are proud to share them with you (see the end of the article).
I have found the exercise staff at the Ranch to be enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and more than willing to share information and help. When I tell them that I might stop during a class for a drink of water or quick bite of carbohydrate, to a person they have demonstrated an understanding of diabetes and given support for my trying to live a healthy life.
A big selling point for the Ranch is that there is a men's program so that your significant other will not have an excuse for staying home and eating pizza for the week (our literary agent and her husband are regular visitors to the Ranch). It's nice having men around, but their presence does not change the laid-back atmosphere of the spa. There are few women wearing a lot of makeup or fancy outfits. This is a place of renewal, not a fashion show. It's just pleasant to talk with both men and women at meals or during a hike into the mountains about the important things in the world like politics, global warming, the best restaurants in large cities, and, you know, cellulite.
The years we have been going to spas, our routine remains similar. We all recollect that relaxation takes a few days to set in. We collectively pity the masseuses who have to cope with our knotted backs and necks on Sunday, but by midweek our walking has slowed, our goals have become more realistic, and we have begun to both literally and figuratively, "stop to smell the flowers" of life at the Ranch.
A week at Rancho La Puerto does not come cheap, unless you factor in all meals and classes, rejuvenation, and your mental health. Then it is the bargain of your yearly expenditures. There are levels of accommodations from the more simple to more costly so that rationalization becomes easier; but to tell the truth, the rate of revisits and the sense of well being you take with you, plus the knowledge that this is certainly not the high end of spa expenditure, makes a week at Rancho La Puerto a bargain you'll use to soothe your soul the year long.
You can reach the Ranch at 1-800-443-7565 or get a free massage by booking your stay on the Internet at www.rancholapuerto.com.
AND NOW, CHEF BILL'S FANTASTIC RECIPES HE'S SO KINDLY SHARING WITH US:
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