This week's Great Escape, The Boston Rock Gym, could leave you feeling a bit sore the next day – but climbing is exciting and challenging, and possibly scary, yet safe. Let’s face it, winter’s not entirely over, so getting in the gym is a new and interesting way to heat things up until spring is here. Who knows, maybe by then, you'll want to try climbing outdoors. Those new to climbing may want to consider taking the Intro to Indoor Climbing Course. This three-hour class teaches students the basics of equipment and safety, and how safe belaying and top-roping is. Experienced teachers who lead…

This week’s Great Escape offers you two peaceful, rejuvenating options – visit a greenhouse and surround yourself with plants at nearby Russell’s Garden Center or at The Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston. Russell’s is a large garden center for purchasing plants, garden materials and gifts. The center has several greenhouses where plants are thriving. There are sections based on what kind of sunlight and humidity in which the plants grow. Russell's is, in fact, so big it will probably take you a few trips there to learn your way around. See the variety of succulent plants, desert cacti and…

This week’s Great Escape is The Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Lenox, about 2 hours west of Weston. Hopefully the name doesn’t scare you away if yoga and meditation are not your thing. A retreat center on beautiful grounds in the heart of the Berkshires, Kripalu offers weekly and weekend specifically themed courses or daily drop-in offerings in yoga and meditation, as well as on a large selection of other topics that may surprise you: running, kayaking, anatomy, creativity, spirituality, sexuality, gardening, weight loss … even boot camps. It’s truly a world away but just a short drive …

Before you think it is too cold to be outside, let alone outside at night, remember that in cross country skiing you propel yourself forward with your own work, and the result is a total body workout that really heats things up! And it’s probably more exhilarating than the Nordic track from the 1990s (anyone remember those commercials?). Weston Ski Course (a golf course in the summer) is beginner friendly, with only a few, small hills (which you can avoid), trails with tracks for your skis (parallell lines for you to ski in), as well as clean air, trees and the Charles River.  With …

These days, even NBA players practice yoga in the offseason. The meditative and physical practice is something suitable for all kinds of lifestyles. At its most basic, yoga helps you increase blood flow to all areas of the body and calms the nervous system with its focus on breath. As many yoga practitioners will tell you, sometimes the effects are far-reaching. For this week’s Great Escape, take advantage of a spare hour or two and stop by Walden Wellness in Sudbury to try yoga for yourself. This wellness center, in a LEED certified building off of Route 117, offers acupuncture, nutrition …

This week's Great Escape asks you to click three times and go where the music takes you (by buying an album or two songs online). The result? The music of Pink Martini.   This current day "mini-orchestra" has players on harps, violins, pianos, congas, trumpets, and many more instruments. You’ll most likely think you've heard their songs before, even though most tunes are originals. Some will remind you of Rio de Janeiro in the the 60s with bossnova rhythms. Other songs, like "Anna (El Negro Zumbon)" are sung in Spanish with Cuban riffs. Their popular tune "Sympathique" sounds like an Edith …

Your tweens are both at ballet rehearsal. Your cousins have offered to invite the little ones to New Hampshire for the weekend. Your teens are at a soccer tournament in California. Each week, we’ll tell you about one great idea, something that can last from one hour to a few days, to help make make the most of well-deserved time to yourself. To kick it off, we look no further than Sudbury’s own ever-creative Invidia Salon & Spa. As a Valentine’s Day treat, Invidia offers five specials (purchase by Feb 28, redeem by April 1). Our favorite is the Lava Shell Massage. Normally $100, now only $75…