Spas, golf courses and zero-entry swimming pools are staples at today’s resorts. The fact is, that you typically don’t have to venture far from the resort lobby for a Swedish massage or seaweed wrap. A select number of U.S. resorts, however, offer one-of-a-kind amenities that transcend the predictable. Here are some resorts I’ve visited that feature some of America’s most intriguing and interesting amenities:
Callaway Gardens Resort in Pine Mountain, Georgia has one of the largest glass-enclosed tropical butterfly conservatories in North America. Designed to recreate a rain forest environment, the complex houses 1,000 tropical butterflies representing 50 species as well as tropical plants and birds.
Photo Courtesy of Callaway Gardens
Thrill seekers should consider Grande Lakes Orlando in Orlando, Florida, which recently opened an adventure course, a multi-level structure consisting of poles, cables and platforms with 25 traversing and climbing elements. Additional elements include two 600-foot zip lines and a 40-foot giant swing.
The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia is arguably the king of recreation amenities with a line-up that includes an 8-lane bowling alley, off-road driving school, falconry program, trap and skeet shooting complex, horseback riding and whitewater rafting.
Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, North Carolina, site of the 2003 U.S. Lawnbowls Championship, is not just about golf. Besides its eight golf courses, it has two impeccably manicured croquet courts and one lawnbowling court located in front of its magnificent, legendary golf clubhouse.
The Lodge at Koele in Lanai City, Hawaii has a multi-sport facility with a 14-station sporting clays course, skeet field, 6-station air rifle range and 12-station archery range. Beginners are introduced to the various sports with a 45-minute lesson by a certified instructor.
For wine connoisseurs, Chateau Elan in Braselton, Georgia has a winery a few hundred yards from its front lobby. The 75-acre vineyard and winery grows French and French-American hybrid grapes and produces thousands of bottles of award-winning wine every year. The winery hosts daily wine tours and tastings as well as weekly cooking classes. You can even have a custom wine label made to celebrate a personal special event.
Serious stargazers should consider Sunriver Resort near Bend, Oregon, which has a phenomenal on-site observatory.
For more resort tips, check out www.thegolftravelguru.blogspot.com
