It has now become a tradition! Wauneata Waller, a member of our Board of Directors for the Bolton Chamber of Commerce, Inc., has been the guiding force for the Girlfriend’s Getaway at the Sagamore Resort Hotel, certainly an elegant venue. To check out this years’ guests, schedule and pictures, go to: http://www.girlfriendsgetawaybolton.com 2014 was a great success, and there are plans for 2015 happening now.
Each year Wauneata has chosen speakers, presenters and vendors with care; and has designed a wonderful format for great food, interesting workshops and vendors, with time and space for a lot of fun. Many women come from nearby areas just for the events, however, most attendees stay at the Sagamore even if they do live close by, just to enjoy the scenic surroundings and take advantage of the discounted rooms and spa packages.
I love that the Girlfriend’s Getaway happens on Mother’s Day! Since the Getaway is not themed for Mother’s Day, if you want to get away from the traditional kinds of celebrations, this is the place – however, the Getaway is also a very special way for mothers and daughters to be together and have fun! Think about it – no shopping (for groceries, anyway), no cooking, and no dishes to wash (although plenty of fabulous dishes will be served) – consider the concept of using time to go for a mani-pedi together, a massage, a facial, a yoga class, a walk on the scenic grounds, an exotic coffee and dessert, a terrific glass of wine, a lovely dinner — the possibilities abound!
One attendee told Wauneata that she considered that her mother was her best friend, how could she possibly come to the Getaway without her? Wauneata also said that a 93 year-old mother came from Montreal with her 70-ish daughter for the weekend just for fun and a little adventure – they stopped in Plattsburgh for the nights before and after the Getaway, making it a leisurely trip. How fantastic is that!
Some of our local shops participated in the Getaway – Kelly from Serendipity Boutique did a presentation on how to wear a scarf (I know about three ways, she had a lot more! Stop in the store and she will be happy to show you a few!) Fashions for the luncheon show were provided by the Adirondack Cotton Company, Happy Jack’s, the Indian Tepee Gift Shop, Lake George Kayak Company, Serendipity Boutique, the Sagamore’s Emporium, and Trees Adirondack Gifts and Books. Saturday’s guest speakers were the Fabulous Beekman Boys – best selling authors (The Bucolic Plague about moving to a farm in upstate New York) and wonderful speakers – who have been featured on the Food Channel and many popular TV shows, including Martha Stewart, Rachel Ray and Dr. Oz; as well as being recent winners on The Amazing Race. The shared their view of helping small businesses to succeed, bringing prosperity to the towns which support them.
About 150 women attended the Girlfriend’s Getaway in all, making this year’s event the largest so far. There were approximately 30 presenters, demonstrators, lecturers and vendors, everything from local authors, a health coach, jewelery from sea glass, a live artist creating paintings before your eyes, and one of my favorites – the square foot gardener. 
I looked up “Girlfriend’s Getaway” on Google, and was really surprised to see there are over nine million possibilities to research! The 50 Best Girlfriend’s Getaways is actually a book by Marybeth Bond, now in its second edition. It seems that Getaways are centered on events, festivals, and destinations; are run by private concerns, travel agencies and tourist locations; and are a wonderfully affordable way to sample luxury resorts, hotels and spas that you might not ordinarily consider. Who knew?!
What would be your favorite kind of Getaway? What companions would you choose? What kinds of things would you like to do? (There are all kinds of choices, from extreme sports to dude ranches to cruises to the ever-popular “Whole day at the spa, please, and room service for dinner.”) Do you remember when “A Day at Elizabeth Arden” was the ultimate in a “Lady’s Day Out” treat?
Penelope Jewell
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