Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Winter 2012 - (Page 64)

FA M I LY T R AV E L QUALI TY T IME From left: The author sipping champagne after a couples’ massage; onboard the pirate ship at AquaNuts. Joanna and I held a surreptitious poolside conference and decided to carve out a few much-needed hours for ourselves. like a giant waterbed that with the touch of a button suspends you in a warm, undulating cocoon — was able to erase my worries completely. The spa’s literature claims that 10 minutes in the device yields the beneﬁts of 10 hours’ sleep. That may be so, but when I emerged blinking into the light I found Joanna sipping an orange juice in a lounge chair and told her that I was going to rescue Annelise. Mommy-Daddy time was over. Remarkably, my services weren’t required. I walked heroically into AquaNuts only to ﬁnd Annelise smiling in a smock and a felt pilgrim hat, carrying an aluminum tray on which she and her counselors had constructed a papiermâché volcano that they were just about to “explode” with the help of some baking soda, red food coloring and vinegar. Annelise beckoned me to kneel down and then whispered a sentence I didn’t think I’d ever hear coming from her mouth. “Daddy,” she said. “Could you please go away?” I acquiesced gladly. Later, after we had all reconvened and taken naps, we strolled together to the main terrace, where we were told that a nice thing to do as a family was to order s’mores to cook over the hotel’s large ﬁre pit. Unfortunately, the previous night’s storm had made the pit too wet to use, but the tiny cast-iron burner they set on our table was a perfectly ﬁne replacement and a lovely accompaniment to the cool breeze now coming off the water. After two gooey, decadent servings each, I thought we were all sated and ready for bed. But that just goes to show how much I still have to learn about children, for with a mischievous smile that suggested she knew the score, Annelise turned to me, cocked her head, and said, “Can I please have my pixie stick now?” PA L M B EAC H AT NI GHT The iconic glamour of Palm Beach extends beyond its sun-ﬁlled day and into the night. A wealth of cultural and entertainment choices will have no trouble keeping the entire family busy. WI T H LI T TLE ONES When signing up the little ones for Kids Night Out, available on most Fridays and Saturdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., parents can get some downtime. The kids can enjoy night hikes, Pajama Jam theme nights, plus movies, pizza and ice cream socials. FOR T EENS Teenage guests will love the club-like feel at Coast Lounge, complete with music, dancing and even DJ mixing. Outside of the resort, they’ll want to check out the Clematis by Night concerts, which take place on Thursdays near Centennial Square Fountain. JUST FOR PARENTS Adults will want to spend an early evening exploring famous Worth Avenue and its bevy of posh boutiques, then dine on lobster and Bloody Marys at Ta-boo, which has seen the likes of Frank Sinatra and Woody Allen stop by. Also, be sure ask the concierge about current performances at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, as it features a regular roster of opera, ballet and theater events. the pelicans as they dove beak-ﬁrst into the waves, looking for lunch. “Look, Daddy!” she said. “Look! He caught one! He caught a ﬁsh!” Then … the inevitable snag. Much as we were enjoying family time, Joanna and I had held a surreptitious poolside conference and decided to carve out a few much-needed hours for ourselves. The hotel had an underwaterthemed child care center — a veritable wonder world, from a grown-up’s jealous perspective, complete with mini-pirate ship, climbing wall and pixie-stick-making station — and we agreed that it was the perfect opportunity to sneak off to the spa for what we presented to Annelise as “Mommy-Daddy time.” We may as well have told her that we were putting her up for adoption. As I led Annelise into AquaNuts to meet the young women who would be taking care of her for the next three hours, a pall of anxiety came over her face and she clung to my leg like a tick. “I don’t want you to go,” she whined. I nodded guiltily, mumbled my apologies and sat down with her to make eye patches and pirate swords out of construction paper. Ten minutes later I gave her a kiss on the head and, covered with sparkles and feeling like a heel, left to meet Joanna at the spa. We had an appointment for a couple’s massage. It takes hard work to relax when you’re worried about your child’s emotional well-being. Not even the “Travelers Tonic” — an apparatus 64 W W W. R I T Z C A R LT O N . C O M http://WWW.RITZCARLTON.COM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Winter 2012

Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Winter 2012
Contents
Contributors
Editor’s Letter
President’s Letter
Falling in Love With ... Hong Kong
Design
Auto
Technology
On the Boulevards
Shopping
Jewelry
Watches
Palm Beach
Wellness
Santiago

Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Winter 2012