May 29, 2007

US & Canada | US | New York

Adventures at Turning Stone

By Nicole Cotroneo

Life at this posh lodge may be leisurely, but they've got one thing guaranteed to make you sweat.

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The world slips away and the earth widens beneath you as the rainbow canopy of your hot air balloon climbs higher. You see the PGA-level fairways of Shenendoah Golf Club at Turning Stone, where you played 18 holes this morning. You see the elegant, modern exterior of the Lodge at Turning Stone, where you’ve been staying for five nights as part of the resort’s new adventure package. But here, adventure doesn’t mean high-adrenaline; it means embracing the outdoors — alongside four-diamond dining and your own four-person hot tub. As for the outdoors part, guests at the all-suite lodge can also enjoy horseback riding, salmon fishing, and hiking through the Adirondack foothills — all included in the package, available through October 15.

Set in New York state’s bucolic Mohawk Valley, the three-year-old Lodge has already reaped a clutch of awards, including Conde Nast Johansens’ “Most Excellent Resort, USA & Canada” (their words, not ours, dude). Golf lovers can choose from five courses of varying difficulty, including Atunyote, the first stop on the PGA Tour’s upcoming Fall Series. Atunyote (“uh-DUNE-yote”) means “eagle” in the language of the Oneida Indian Nation, proprietors of the 1,200-acre Turning Stone resort, which also includes a casino and several other hotels (all neatly sheltered away from the main lodge). The Oneida culture is artfully woven throughout the lodge experience — nowhere more so than at their Skana Spa. Opened seven months ago, the 33,000-square-foot space features mineral whirlpools, a VIP spa suite (dual soaking tubs), and a sweat lodge that will be operational in June. Which reminds us: you may as well make this a detox adventure — the Lodge is still waiting on its liquor license (though you can bring your own).