Greensboro–From my late teenage years, I’ve been fanatical about my skin and have always kept it cleansed, toned and moisturized — as all good Southern ladies are supposed to do, given the harsh sun, heat and humidity that smother the South like a wet wool blanket.
So then when I had the high-powered vitamin C brightening facial at Ritz Carlton Reynolds Lake Oconee, near Greensboro in Georgia’s lake country, I just thought I had clean skin (heavy emphasis on the word “thought”).
When my superbly skilled skin therapist finished with the facial, I’m certain that my face and pores had never been as clean or my complexion as vibrant as they were at that moment.
Working carefully with a super-purifying cleanse, my therapist lifted oil and dirt from beneath my skin’s surface that had probably been lurking there for years. A facial peel was next, followed by an LED light therapy mask that seemed to melt away the fine lines.
The Resort
My husband and I had driven to Lake Oconee, about a three-hour drive from home, for a midweek escape. When we indulge, which isn’t often, we spoil ourselves with a spa getaway, and the Ritz Carlton was the perfect getaway. Hidden among the verdant forests, sweet-scented magnolias and iridescent sapphire waters of Lake Oconee, one of Georgia’s largest lakes, the sanctuary-like resort is all about golf, water and spa.Crafted of wood, stone and glass, every structure here echoes perfectly with the tranquility and quietness of nature. If you listen closely, you can hear soft murmurs of the wind as it sighs through the pines.
We stayed in a regular guestroom with panoramic views of Lake Oconee. The linens were big and plush and the bathroom trimmed in marble. The resort also offers several individually decorated 894-square-foot suites including fireside accommodations with a private patio and fire pit for views of sunrises and sunsets. Luxurious cottages are available, too, and are named in honor of Georgia’s flora, include Azalea, Camellia, Gardenia, Jasmine and Magnolia. Their size ranges from 1,798 square feet to a massive 5,404 square feet, and they have extras including enhanced lake views, stone fireplaces, wraparound patios and kitchenettes.
Loving the Spa
The spa is incredibly peaceful, the stellar staff loaded with genuine Southern hospitality, and the location in Georgia’s lake country idyllically serene. It’s a retreat within a retreat, with extras of saunas, steam rooms and cold plunge pools. On that cool spring weekend we visited, I couldn’t imagine a better place to take a break, unplug from the world and rejuvenate our souls.Among the spa’s feature treatments, besides my vitamin C facial, are the utterly soothing marine hydrating facial with ultra-moisturizing hyaluronic acid and marine algae and the stress relief massage. The menu also includes custom, age-defying and organic facials, as well as deep muscle, hot stone and couples massages.
Dining With a View
Four restaurants and a coffee shop dot the resort, with a strong emphasis on Southern flavors and menus. If you want the decadence, richness and flavor that explodes in a cloud of buttery goodness, the must-try is the lobster grilled cheese at Gaby’s by the Lake. Loaded with Havarti cheese and plenty of lobster on brioche bread, it’s the Ferrari of grilled cheese sandwiches. If the spiny crustacean isn’t to your liking, other menu items are barbecue, burgers, sandwiches and salads. If the weather is good, sit on the patio and watch the pastel colors of the lake meld with the vibrancy of the setting sun.For a fancier meal, think white tablecloths and a roaring fire; Linger Longer Steakhouse features prime cuts of beef tenderloin, Australian Waygu striploin and grass-fed bison New York steak. But it was the appetizer menu I flipped over. It included a country ham deviled egg, steak fries with truffled aioli and Parmesan cheese, pimento cheese, a wedge salad and stick lamb ribs made with Georgia peanuts — and which I handed off to hubby, as eating baby animals isn’t my thing. That deviled egg, though. Oooh, yum. While the appetizer menu changes from time to time, and you may not get Southern staples of deviled egg and pimento cheese, it will still be filled with local delicacies.
