Fun at any age, a mud bath delights a guest at Glen Ivy Hot Springs Spa in Corona, California. Photograph by Ken Kochey

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At its best, travel changes your life. With a trip to a spa, change is pretty much guaranteed.

Spring-fed waters fill the 19th-century pool at The Homestead Spa in Hot Springs, Virginia. Photograph by Ken Kochey

In 1980 there were less than three dozen spas in the United States; today there are more than 1,600—from day spas to resorts with spa options to all-out destination spas. All offer the possibility of expanding your personal awareness and the opportunity to discover the therapeutic value of seeking your balance. But how to choose from among all the spa options out there?

The TRAVELER staff enlisted the help of eight spa experts to come up with a rundown of America’s top spas. Our list of 24 includes spas at every price, with a careful look at the telling details and the bottom line. An entertaining “he said, she said” look at a couple’s spa weekend rounds out this special 21-page package.

Read “The Spa Life” in the September 1999 issue of TRAVELER.

CORRECTION: Our print edition gave an incorrect phone number for the Homestead Spa. The correct number is 800 838 1766.