JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.,--- The kids are back in school and the fall routine is in full swing, so it’s the perfect time to grab your gal pals and head out for a weekend of good food, shopping, gossip, a little pampering and a lot of fun.
So pack your bag, hook up with your pals and get ready to have a blast. You deserve it.
If you live near Branson, check out the Emory Creek Victorian Bed & Breakfast www.emorycreekbnb.com where you can have a movie night with complimentary films and snacks. If a spa sounds more luxurious, Chateau on the Lake www.chateauonthelake.com offers a package just for girlfriends that includes fruit, cheese and wine when you arrive, along with special spa services and shopping discounts.
Maybe you’re looking for more activity, try The Katy Trail Bed & Bikefest www.katytrailbb.com near Rocheport, a cozy 1880s historic home. Rent bikes to explore the Katy Trail, poke around the historic district, take in gorgeous river views and tour the bluff-top winery Les Bourgeois www.missouriwine.com, a family-owned operation that has a tasting room.
Just a 20-minute drive away in Columbia, The Market Place www.marketplaceonline.biz is a 38,000-square-foot mall that was voted “Best Place to Buy Antiques” by Inside Columbia Magazine. You’re sure to find something special to remember your getaway.
You and your pals can meet in St. Louis, where the 1920 colonial Eastlake Inn Bed and Breakfast www.eastlakeinn.com is convenient to such attractions as the 630-foot-tall Gateway Arch www.stlouisarch.com, Missouri Botanical Gardens, www.mobot.org, considered among the top three gardens in the world, St. Louis Union Station www.stlouisunionstation.com, a marketplace with shops and restaurants, and the Saint Louis Zoo www.stlzoo.org, where you can wander through a giant birdcage and see the River’s Edge, which elephants and hippos call home.
On a side trip to The Hill, the Italian neighborhood of St. Louis, you’ll find bakeries filled with fresh delights like biscotti, crusty breads and cannolli, and delis selling aromatic cheeses and briny olives. If retail therapy is what you’re looking for, check out Plaza Frontenac www.plazafrontenac.com or the Saint Louis Galleria www.saintlouisgalleria.com
One of the largest resort spas in the Midwest is Spa Shiki www.spashiki.com, a 15,000-square-foot facility reminiscent of a Japanese home that is located at the Lodge of Four Seasons www.4seasonsresort.com in Lake Ozark. Special packages include shopping discounts for Osage Beach Premium Outlets www.premiumoutlets.com along with cocktails in the resort and complimentary valet parking.
If you’re headed west, Briarcliff Village www.briarcliffvillagekc.com, just north of downtown Kansas City, is a charming, Tuscan-inspired setting that offers a wide array of shops and restaurants, as well as Spa Tuscano www.thespatuscano.com, with a full menu of facials, massages and body treatments. You may decide to relax here all day (group parties are welcome).
The Crossroads Arts District www.crossroadskc.com is near downtown and jammed with galleries, unique shops and restaurants. Nosh on wood-fired prosciutto pies at Pizza Bella www.pizzabellakc.com. A few blocks farther is the Kansas City Power & Light District www.powerandlightdistrict.com, where the rooftop bar at Bice www.bistrokansascity.bicegroup.com is a perfect perch to enjoy downtown; or grab a drink in the upscale outdoor Living Room, surrounded by bars and restaurants.
For more girls getaway ideas or to get a free copy of the 2009 Official Missouri Vacation Planner, log on to www.VisitMo.com or call toll-free 800-519-4800.
# # # |