Issue Date: November 2, 2003

TRAVEL BRIEFS

Spa kids

Prodded by health-conscious parents, children are the newest resort spa-goers, taking advantage of pampering regimens and twists on traditional treatments designed just for them.

At the Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Va., grade-schoolers go for pedicures that plunge their toes in chocolate milk and manicures that soak their fingers in strawberries and cream. Teens relax with facials and scalp treatments at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Golf and Spa Resort in Bonita Springs, Fla., while kids as young as 5 chill out by trying yoga with their folks. Along with mini-makeup sessions, the Sugar & Spice Kids Spa at Orlando's Holiday Inn Family Suites Resort also lures girls with glitter hairdos and glamour photos. Boys can opt to dress like pirates or rock stars.

During holidays and in summer, the Grand Wailea Resort and Spa on Maui in Hawaii offers teen coed nights, complete with hydrotherapy, saunas and loofah scrubs.

Ski toys
Going downhill is getting funkier at ski resorts, which offer a whole new range of sliding tools.

At Northstar-at-Tahoe in Truckee, Calif., teens tear up the terrain on snowbikes -- bicycle frames mounted on skis. Straddling these, never-evers generally can navigate downhill the first time by dragging their feet for balance. Snowscoots, also popular at Northstar and at New Hampshire's Waterville Valley, marry a long snowboard to a tall, handlebar-like shaft. Riders rave about the gizmo's great carving abilities.

Snowskates, or snowdecks, are the most popular new toy -- and the most affordable, at about $100. The bindingless skateboards (minus the wheels) feature a raised platform for the rider plus a lower board that slides on the snow. It's easier to learn than snowboarding, which binds your feet to the board so you can't step out of a fall.

-- Candyce H. Stapen