Presenting

recently planned a special treat, a Girlfriend Getaway at TradeWinds Island Grand Resort on St. Pete Beach for me and my best friend. We had anticipated this long-awaited retreat from work and family for months. We had everything lined up: her flight from Houston, a wonderful suite on the beach, kids away at camp—it was perfect! Until I got the text at 4am the day of her arrival. An evil stomach bug was making its way through her family and had stricken her in the middle of the night. Sadly, she had to cancel, so now my Girlfriend Getaway became a MeCation. I did have a friend meet me for the special double spa treatments we had planned, TRAVEL need a but I must admit the alone time on the beach reading my novel at leisure with no one to watch, take care of or entertain was a cherished luxury. My stay began with a wonderful deep tissue massage and desperately needed mani-pedi in the resort's conveniently located spa (right next to the bar), which we of course visited post-spa. After a couple of fruity cocktails, I retired to my room where I had plenty of space to spread out. e beautiful, newly renovated, two-room suite had the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in at a hotel, and that's saying something. I have stayed in some swanky places in my day, but the beds at TradeWinds Island Grand win hands down. I also had all the conveniences of home right at my fingertips, with a full kitchen and elegant living room with a view of the spectacular sunsets over the Gulf. While I skipped the massive 20,000-square- foot water park and playground floating on the Gulf of Mexico this time around, I will certainly return with my two little rascals who will do it justice. Instead, I lounged by one of the two adult pools on site—there are six in total around the resort. For dinner, I enjoyed a delicious meal at RumFish Grill at the Guy Harvey Outpost. I was mesmerized by the massive 33,000-gallon aquarium as I indulged in grilled jerk swordfish. e resort has a mini- Disney feel with a plethora of amenities and opportunities for entertainment for children— even a pirate show to delight the little ones. My MeCation was a much-needed respite from deadlines and parenthood. It's easy to let daily life take over and forget all that we have right at our back door. I highly recommend a few days at TradeWinds Island Grand with your friends, partner or entire family. e best part about taking the kids to TradeWinds is that they will be hard pressed to say, "I'm bored"...the benchmark of a great family vacation. D TradeWindsResort.com 800.360.4016 TradeWinds Island Grand Resor t TradeWinds RumFish Grill Getaway I Grilled Jerk Swordfish 64 | GRAVITAS MAGAZINE GravitasMag.com

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