It's kind of sad the way many of us take vacations: we pick somewhere we've always wanted to go and when we get there we spend the whole time rushing from historical landmark A to tourist attraction B and then on to itinerary item C. These types of vacations are fun and memorable, but are they relaxing? I don't know about you but even though I always have a blast, I also always come back from trips like that more tired than I was when I left. Whenever I can I try to give myself an extra vacation day before I'm due back at work, just to recover from my vacation.

Seeing everything there is to see is a great thing, but maybe you don't have to do that every time you plan a big trip. What about going somewhere exotic on a "de-stressing getaway?" Imagine spending your time getting massages and spa treatments, enjoying gourmet spa cuisine, and doing yoga and meditation in Bali, Zanzibar, Thailand, or if you want to stay closer to home even....Iowa?

Different "de-stressing getaways" offer different things, and although they don't come cheap they all have one focus in common: relaxation.