Lively Liv: {utah, part I}

I have so much to share about my trip to Utah I had to split it into two posts! Today I'll tell you about where we stayed & what we did. Tomorrow's post will be ALL photos.

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My mom, sisters & I decided to meet up in Ivans, UT for a girls weekend, & quite possibly had one of our favorite vacations ever. We stayed at the Red Mountain Resort, which I lovingly nicknamed "healthy girls fat camp" because that's...what it was? I kid, I kid. It's not that.

The website sums it up best: Red Mountain offers a "unique diversity of health, fitness, nutrition, cooking, stress management, anti-aging, and wellness classes and programs designed for life-enhancing changes".

My suitcase was 95% workout clothes, 3% photography gear, & 2% shoes {sneakers & hiking boots}. My mom gifted us all Camelback backpacks for the hikes, which the resort requires, & that's about all you need.

Here's what we did:

Thursday
Check-in
4pm - Cardio Strength Circuit
5pm - MELT® Hand & Foot Treatment
6pm - Photography Workshop (me) / Restorative Yoga (them)
Dinner

Friday
7am - Breakfast
7:50-10:50am - Challenger Hike
Noon - Lunch
12:30-3pm - Horseback Riding
4pm - Hydro Challenge
5pm - Intense Stretching
Dinner

Saturday
7am - Breakfast
7:50-10:50am - Challenger Hike
11am - Active Yoga
Noon - Lunch
4pm - Bootyque 47 {focused on glutes, abs, & legs}
5pm - Sports Training
6pm - Intense Stretching

Dinner

Sunday
6:30am - Breakfast
7:10-10:10am - Endurance Hike {a hike just short of a run}
11am - Full Body MELT®
Noon - Lunch
5pm - Spa time
6pm - Massage
Dinner

Monday
Flew home

As you can see, it wasn't a sleep in, hang by the pool, lounge-all-day type of vacation. {I think we all started limping somewhere between Bootyque & Sports Training.} But we felt amazing. We didn't go there to lose weight or come back ripped; it was really just a weekend to inspire a healthier lifestyle, to get us outside, & to spend time doing something fun together.

The resort was a gem. The rooms were amazing, the staff were knowledgable & supportive. This was also the first vacation where Dylan & I didn't need to worry about having celiac because everything was labeled & everything was separately prepared. Even at the buffet! It was heaven. All of the meals were balanced & delicious & they did this fun thing where they served everything on side-dish-sized plates so you tricked your mind into thinking you didn't need as much food.

The weather was perfect - the morning hikes started in the 50s and then climbed up to high 70s during the day. There was no humidity & the sky was completely cloudless. It was dreamy.

So was it "life enhancing"? Yes.

Here's what I learned:
Hiking is my workout of choice.
Having a four day break from my laptop makes a huge difference.
That side-dish-sized plate trick is genius & works.
I can run! {*proof below}
My body needs to be challenged.
Drinking tons of water is the most important thing, followed closely by stretching.
I am stronger than I think.
My mom & sisters are the best.

We hiked every day with this woman who goes twice a year for two weeks. While that's crazy expensive & impossible for most people to commit to, I totally get why she does it: It's addicting. I can't wait to go back. It's an easy place to go on your own, with a few people, or with a large group. I want to make it a annual trip with my mom & sisters. It was perfect.

Here are some photos from the hikes...