Resort Offers Couples 20-Hand Massages for $2K

Forbes lists 10 US getaways from Maui to Maine

(NEWSER) - Americans need a vacation—badly—with fewer than two-thirds of workers using their allotted time last year, reports Forbes. But not everyone's idea of fun is vegging out . Here are top-notch US getaways for those who like active travel:

• Kapalua Resort, Maui, Hawaii: Golf, bird-watching and a marine-life preserves.
• Golden Door Resort, Escondido, California: Feel revived at the nation's top stand-alone spa.
• Walden Country Inn and Stables, Aurora, Ohio: Ride horseback on 32 acres of trails.

Ninth Circuit conference would include full-service spa

(NEWSER) - US senators are scrutinizing a planned Maui getaway for circuit court judges that could cost more than $1 million in taxpayer dollars, Fox News reports. Scheduled for August, the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference would allow judges, attorneys, staff, and "special guests" to stay at a Hyatt Regency resort spa with a per diem baseline of $289. Activities such as golf, paddle-board lessons, and a floral design workshop would be available but not on the taxpayers' tab. More»

PJ World yacht like a floating mansion

(NEWSER) - Mansions are cool and all, but wouldn’t they be better if they floated and came with submarines? That seems to be the idea behind the PJ World yacht, an upcoming 269-foot, $150 million super-yacht designed by Rolls Royce and Palmer Johnson. Its coolest feature: A six-man submarine that can exit and enter through what one Palmer Johnson executive describes as “a James Bond door that opens to the water.” More»

Learn to appreciate food, wine, and bread in style

(NEWSER) - There's no better time than autumn or winter, the harvest seasons, for foodies to embark on a luxurious gastronomic adventure. Consider these premier gourmet trips, rounded up by the Wall Street Journal :

• Wine: Spend 3 days refining your palate as you learn to taste, select, and pair top wines at the annual Wine Geek 101 event at Blackberry Farm , nestled in the foothills of Tennessee's Smoky Mountains. $1,200 per person.

Everything that can be gold-plated has been gold-plated

(NEWSER) - If you've never wanted to hear the phrase, "And here we are in Mr. Trump's bedroom," then turn back now. Dropping $100 million to retrofit a 757 jet that used to belong to that pauper Paul Allen apparently wasn't enough for the Donald. He also had to show off said luxurious space by posting this over-the-top video tour on YouTube . Buckle up your 24-karat gold-plated seatbealts and watch. Hat tip to the Atlantic. More»