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Spa stay on the cheap

On a Duluth girlfriends getaway, a frugal duo indulge themselves.

In winter, a spa vacation sounds like just the thing.

Relax, rejuvenate and renew. Cleanse the skin, clear the mind. Get rid of stress and enter a portal to tranquility.

Like a lot of women, I thought a spa vacation would make a good girlfriend getaway, a relaxing break in routine. And I figured that somewhere there must be a nice little spa for working-class folk.

But even in the Midwest, destination spas charge $350-$500 per person for basic packages. What to do, if you want a little coddling but cash is tight?

So I looked and looked. That's how I found a do-it-yourself spa vacation in a brewery.

In 1882, Fink's Lake Superior Brewery in Duluth was a working-class kind of place, with a saloon and sleeping quarters for workers. Soon, brewmaster August Fitger acquired a half-interest and renamed the big brick brewery for himself.

Fitger's was a mainstay in Duluth, surviving Prohibition but not industry consolidation. It closed in 1972 and almost was  razed, but the sprawling building reopened in 1984 as a hotel, restaurant and shopping complex.

It struggled until tourists began to converge on Duluth in the 1990s. Now, the complex also boasts a day spa, a nightclub, a dinner theater, a brewery and a coffeehouse — everything anyone could want for a little getaway, all under one roof.

My friend Judy and I drove up on a gray Wednesday in November, stopping first at the Depot for the free monthly antique appraisal. Appraiser Dan Sershon couldn't muster much interest in the plates Judy had brought, but when we asked him to tell us the most interesting thing he'd seen, he looked over our shoulders and said, "That lamp that's going to come up next.''

It was an Arts and Crafts lamp, with acorn finials and a forest scene painted onto a glass shade that sprang to life when lit.

"These things didn't sell for that much money then, but this generation is much more interested in them,'' he said, estimating a value of at least $1,500-$2,500.

After stopping to shop at Catherine Imports on Superior Street, we dropped our bags at Fitger's. Then we walked down the hall to the Brewhouse and treated ourselves to a turkey Cobb sandwich and a Greek salad with zucchini-stuffed phyllo turnovers.

"That was really restorative,'' Judy said. "I'm the queen of the Cobb, and that was one of the best I've had.''

Then we walked downstairs to Shear Katz Salon & Day Spa, where Judy went off to have a manicure and pedicure and I eased myself onto a heated massage table, where young masseuse Steph Bergeron began digging the stress out of my shoulders.

"Can you feel it crackling in there?'' she asked. "It's like marbles under my fingers.''

Kneading my feet, she said it's true that energy forces connect the feet to other parts of the body.

"These are the lungs, and you can tell when people smoke because it's pretty crunchy in there,'' she said. "Yeah, it's crazy.''

Bergeron gave the kind of no-nonsense massage I like, and after 30 minutes with her, I wished I’d asked for 60 minutes. Instead, I went to another nook of the old brewery, where I received an Aveda facial that was competent but lackluster.

Back in the main part of the spa, where a copper vat protrudes from the ceiling, Judy showed me her newly restored hands.

"We've been stripping things at home, and they were a mess, but now I'm on the path to righteousness,'' she said. "Now I wonder how I went out of the house like that.''

As Judy soaked her feet, aesthetician Rachel Hoffmann overheard me ask about the hand paraffin wax and jumped up.

"I'm going to give you one, come on,'' she said, leading me to a tub full of liquid paraffin. She told me to dip my hands four times, then wrapped them in plastic bags and terrycloth mitts. When they were dry, she peeled off the soft wax and squirted Aveda Hand Relief into my palms, leaving the skin as soft as a baby’s.

Judy’s feet had been softened up, too.

"Now I have happy, happy toes,’’ she said. “That was an A plus pedicure. It was so worth it.’’

She left the spa in flip-flops, to let her toenail polish harden, and we wandered through the nearby shops — the Bookstore, which sells Fitger's pint glasses and T-shirts; the Snow Goose, a gift shop and sole survivor of the shops that opened in 1984, and three stores that cater to outdoorsy types — Trail Fitters, Wintergreen and Jake’s Lake Place, with its cheery “Life Is Good’’ logo.

Midi Restaurant & Wine Bar is the place to go for fine dining, but the Brewhouse is such a convivial place we couldn’t resist returning there for dinner. It serves the beers of Lake Superior Brewing Co., which made Fitger’s a real brewery again in 1994, turning out Kayak Kölsch, Mesabi red, Sir Duluth oatmeal stout and many seasonal brews.

We sampled them in 10-ounce glasses and ate a mushroom-Swiss burger and fish and chips. After a while, musician Charlie Parr arrived and began playing a lively brand of blues.

For a Wednesday in November, there was a lot going on. Across the hall, novice salsa dancers were getting lessons at the Red Star Lounge, a sliver of a room that makes up for its size with its sleek design.

The next morning was mild, so we nabbed some pastries from Fitger’s continental buffet and went strolling along the Lakewalk to Canal Park, where On the Canal day spa operates out of a small brick building left over from Canal Park’s warehouse days.

Judy and I had split our half-day package into two days, so we went back to Shear Katz. Judy turned herself over to Steph for a massage, and I went to get a makeup lesson from Natalie Anderson, newly arrived in Duluth via Seattle, where she’d just graduated from cosmetology school, and Berlin, where she moonlighted as a makeup artist for actors.

"People kept telling me I should get into this, so I did,'' she said. "I've been playing with makeup forever; I was one of those girly girls who’d play with my grandmother's jewelry and then go out to climb a tree.''

Anderson, who looked like a porcelain doll sprinkled with fairy dust, turned out to be thoughtful and articulate. As she brushed color around my eyes, she discussed concepts of beauty.

“I think it's really sad to try to get rid of wrinkles; I'd rather accent what you have,’’ she said. "Only in America do you have this extreme pressure to keep extreme youth. In other countries, growing old gracefully is an art form passed down from generation to generation. We've lost that, but it’s starting to come back. People get tired of Botox.’’

To determine the blush color I should have, she pinched my cheek.

 “Whatever your natural blush is, that's the best blush for you,’’ she said. “That's a trick my grandmother taught me. You want to look like yourself instead of totally different; otherwise, when people see you without makeup, it's shocking.''

I hadn’t changed my beauty routine since I was 12, so Anderson had a lot of tips to pass on. After a while, Judy joined us, relaxed from her massage with Steph.

"Yep, she knew what she was doing,'' she said.

Then we had lunch, watching the arrival of the Canadian Olympic from the picture window next to our table. On our way out, we saw brewer Bob Blair cleaning and polishing the beer tanks, so we asked him what Kölsch is; turns out it’s brewed from a special yeast from Köln, the German town known as Cologne in English.

Our last stop was on Superior Street at Torke Weihnachten, where we looked at blown-glass Christmas ornaments, stocked up on European chocolate for the holidays and got a cappuccino for the road.

It’s almost too easy to indulge yourself in Duluth. Learning how to age gracefully with beer and chocolate — now there's a concept that could take off.

Trip Tips: Duluth spa getaway

Getting there: It's 2˝ hours north of the Twin Cities.

How much it cost: Judy and I paid $250 apiece for our two-day spa getaway, including one night’s lodging, a half-day spa package and three restaurant meals.

Shear Katz Salon & Day Spa: This spa in the Fitgers complex a half-day package for $110 and a full-day package for $190. The half day includes three choices, such as 30-minute relaxation massage, manicure/pedicure and hand paraffin wax; the full day adds either a body polish, body wrap, hot-stone therapy or 90-minute relaxation massage. Guests of Fitger’s get a 20 percent discount on products and services.

On second and fourth Thursdays, Shear Katz offers  Martini and a Manicure Night with the Red Star Lounge, $20. Reserve treatments at 218-720-3688, www.shearkatz.com.

On the Canal Salon & Day Spa: This Lake Avenue spa offers such services as hourlong facials and massages, $70, and a rosemary mint body wrap, $95. 218-279-4000, www.onthecanal.com.

Antique appraisals: On third Wednesdays from noon to 3 p.m., free appraisals of one or two items are given at the Depot in downtown Duluth, 218-733-7586.

Accommodations: If you want a room and a spa under the same roof, stay at Fitger's. From November through April, the least expensive rooms are $129 for city views, $149 for lake views. Deluxe rooms with two beds are $159-$169. Suites with a double whirlpool are $249-$299. 888-348-4377.

However, Fitger's doesn't offer midweek specials, it doesn't serve a hot breakfast and it doesn't have a pool, hot tub or sauna. If you don't mind a short walk along the lake, or you'd like to try On the Canal Salon & Day Spa, stay at Canal Park hotels, which frequently offer midweek specials in the off-season. Check web sites or the Hot Deals page of Visit Duluth. If you're an AAA member, be sure to ask for the discount.

In the Northland book, there are coupons for excellent deals on off-season stays at many hotels. For a copy, call 800-438-5884 or pick one up at  the Visit Duluth office at Superior Street and Lake Avenue or at attractions.

Dining: In Fitger's, the Brewhouse is a friendly and cozy pub with good food. Midi Restaurant has lake views and serves Mediterranean fusion cuisine. Baja Billy's Cantina and Grill serves Mexican food.

Next door, the Pickwick Restaurant & Pub, family-owned since 1914, has a big menu of steaks, ribs, chops and seafood. It's closed Sundays.

On Canal Park, the Lake Avenue Cafe, Bellisio's, Grandma’s and Little Angie’s Cantina are good places to eat.

Nightlife: In the dinner theater, catered by Midi, Change of Pace Productions will present "Hot Flashes'' Nov. 1-30. Friday and Saturday dinner shows are $41, and Sunday brunch shows are $31. "All My Murders'' will be staged Jan. 23-Feb. 15 and "Route 66'' April 3-May 3. Reserve at 218-727-4880.

The Brewhouse has live music Tuesdays through Saturdays. The Red Star Lounge has DJ dance music Tuesdays-Saturdays and salsa with free dance lessons. Wednesdays.

Information: For a schedule of events, check www.visitduluth.com; for a visitors guide, call 800-438-5884.

Trip Tips: Other spa destinations

Destination spas: These are spas that cater exclusively to spa clients; typically, the rate includes access to steam baths, saunas and whirlpools as well as yoga and other fitness and health classes.

In the Upper Midwest, they include Sundara Inn & Spa in the Wisconsin Dells, which offers girlfriends’ packages. Guests have unlimited access to the Purifying Bath Ritual and heated outdoor infinity-edge pool. Suites feature king-size featherbed, in-room spa bath and fireplace. 888-735-8181, www.sundara.com.

In eastern Wisconsin, the Kohler Waters Spa offers a two-night package for two in a Carriage House Immersion Suite that includes continental breakfast, afternoon tea, evening beverages and hors d’oeuvres, a body wrap for one and a 50-minute massage and pedicure for two. 800-344-2838, Ext. 700.

West of the Twin Cities, Birdwing Spa in Litchfield offers a two-night package that includes five meals, a 60-minute massage and choice of facial or body wrap. Not all the guest suites are under the same roof as the spa. Call 320-693-6064.

The best value may be Woodwind Health Spa and Wellness Center in Rhinelander, Wis., which was named one of “America’s Top Spa Values’’ by Budget Travel magazine. It’s a B&B-style retreat with five rooms and dorm beds. 

A three-day, two-night package includes all meals, taxes and gratuity as well as a 90-minute massage, 60-minute Reiki session, flotation therapy, body wrap, foot and face rejuvenation, foot and hand paraffin dips and 30 minutes on the aqua massage bed. Call 877-362-8902.

Resort spas: These are spas that are attached to large resorts that cater to golfers and families. Most luxury resorts now have spas, including the Grand Geneva Resort and Spa and Abbey Resort and Fontana Spa in southern Wisconsin and Aspira Spa Salon at the Osthoff Resort in eastern Wisconsin.

The three biggest water-park resort in the Wisconsin Dells also have spas: the Kalahari, Wilderness and Great Wolf.

Last updated on October 21, 2008