View from Mount Tam

With the full fury of winter upon us, warmer environs beckon, promising to pamper our body, nurture our soul and help us forget that spring is still weeks away. Spas provide just the right remedy for the wintertime blahs, whether it’s a weeklong retreat at a destination resort or a few hours’ respite at a closer-to-home day spa. Contributor Julie Keller takes us on a tour of five western desert spas and shares the benefits of dry climate treatments. Learn about the full-body feng shui at Mii Amo in Sedona, chakra balancing at Qua Spa in Las Vegas and how to have a personalized iPod playlist assembled for the needs of your body at Spa Avania in Scottsdale.  

Sausalito architects J. R. Roberts and John Boccardo have also gone desert, choosing the quintessential California desert destination, Palm Springs, for their second home. In our ongoing Here and There series by P. J. Bremier, Roberts and Boccardo share how they divide their time between Sausalito (where they mostly work) and Palm Springs (where they mostly play) throughout the year.

It’s February and that means Valentines. For inspiration on choosing the perfect gift for the one you love, check out Looking Back and the story of Mill Valley’s Ralston White Retreat, which was a very generous gift more than 90 years ago from husband Ralston White to wife-to-be Ruth Boericke. A nonprofit organization now runs the property as a popular venue for spiritual and educational retreats.

In Journey, we encounter the other side of New Zealand—the one that goes beyond heli-hiking and bungee jumping. We were “wowed” by the World of WearableArt—the incredible art extravaganza held in Wellington for two weeks in September—immersed in Maori culture in Auckland, and surrounded by comfy
hotels and enticing shops in Nelson.

Local Gifts takes you on a tour of public art in Marin, featuring the striking new sculpture in Tiburon, Coming About. Made in Marin introduces you to Susan and Brad Black, founded of EO Products, a Corte Madera all-natural beauty products manufacturer. In Dialogue we chat with Doug McConnell, the popular host of Bay Area Backroads.

As always, our wish is for your good reading. Enjoy Marin Magazine, as we continue to celebrate this
extraordinary place!

Lisa Shanower, Publisher
Nikki Wood, Editorial Director
Jim Wood, Executive Editor