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Mom and Dad Time

Confident that the kids would be happily occupied, my husband and I decided to indulge in side-by-side massages at the Ritz-Carlton Spa, Amelia Island. This state-of-the-art facility is justifiably rated one of the top new spas in the country. The calm atmosphere was immediately medicinal. We were each taken to the separate men's and ladies wet lounges that feature a whirlpool, sauna and steam room. We reunited in the coed relaxation lounge, were we could have a refreshing herbal tea or fruit infused water together, while relaxing in comfortable chairs and chaise-longues. The spa is famous for its "Heaven in a Hammock" massage, but the "Time Together" couples massages sounded really special to us. Our two massage therapists, Robyn and Stacy, escorted us into the spacious, private massage room. They asked each of us our massage preferences before they began to expertly soothe our bodies and souls. Employing a variety of massage techniques, the one-hour massage flew by, and was so relaxing that my husband fell asleep!

Feeling calm and tranquil, we opted to change into our swimsuits and head out to the spa's private pool. This peaceful oasis had a lovely outdoor lap pool and Jacuzzi with a soothing waterfall. After our swim, we didn't feel quite ready to part with the spa, so we each returned to the single-sex wet spa, to luxuriate in a last steam/sauna/whirlpool. We both agreed that this luxurious experience was the best spa that either of us had been to, and was well worth the splurge.

Families Together

The rest of our vacation passed all too quickly as we participated in many of the hotel activities. We enjoyed the weekly pirate themed toast, which offered complimentary rum-cocktails for adults and a non-alcoholic punch for kids, complete with pirate hats for young guests. We had fun at the evening beach bonfire, eating do-it-yourself s'mores and drinking hot chocolate, while listening to the crash of the waves.

Many more family-friendly activities were offered, but we often chose to be as close to the ocean as possible. We all agreed that spending time on the nearly deserted beach, relaxing in the padded lounge chairs that face the Atlantic Ocean was wonderful. We had some terrific ocean swims, and even saw dolphins swimming close to shore.