I always cherish my visits to the Chicago area for the time it affords me with my daughter and her husband. And, since May, it also means time spent with our first grandbaby. We spent a week with all three recently, cuddling the baby, cooking for the exhausted new parents and helping with gardening and chores around the house. Towards the end of our time there, Sarah treated me to a visit to her local day spa, Mario Tricoci, in nearby Oak Brook. After toting heavy luggage, pulling weeds and pruning and (much as I love it) holding little Sean, my shoulders and back were especially in need of some extra TLC. There are 12 Mario Tricoci locations in the Chicago area, with additional Tricoci Too hair salons. All offer $50 annual memberships which translate to $25 off every massage, facial and body treatment, every time — a deal Sarah has found beneficial to both her active and busy lifestyle and her budget. The Oak Brook location, within the Oakbrook Center Mall complex, stretches over two floors and offers clean, sweeping, modern lines in an upscale atmosphere. (Oak Brook village, located in DuPage County, west of Chicago, ranks among the wealthiest enclaves in Illinois. Headquarters for several large corporations including McDonald’s, Ace Hardware and Centerpoint, it also boasts extensive recreation facilities, including polo grounds and a golf course once the venue for the Western Open.) The mall itself covers several acres and offers every kind of shop and dining option one could wish for. We made our way to the upstairs reception desk, where we checked in and were escorted to the ladies’ locker room. After changing into our plush robes and slippers, we settled in the dimly lit relaxation room to await our therapists. We’d each scheduled an 80-minute massage; Sarah chose the deep-tissue massage while I opted for the Signature Massage. My therapist, Valerie, offered me a choice of scented oils from six options, confirmed the amount of pressure I was comfortable with (bring it on!) and settled me on my back with a heated aromatherapy pillow under my neck. First came a foot scrub and a warm, lavendar-infused foot wrap, and then followed one of the best massages I’ve ever had. When I turned onto my stomach, a scented pillow was draped across the whole of my back while Valerie worked on my legs. By the time she removed the back pillow, the muscles there were warm and ready to be unknotted. I discovered that, without being told, Valerie realized my right side needed far more attention than the left, and she persistently unsprung all those deep-seated knots until I felt as limp as a wet noodle. Afterwards, I skipped the steam room, changed and met Sarah in the relaxation room. She, too, found her massage expertly delivered and just the ticket to loosen all her tight muscles. I think we’ve found the perfect mother-daughter (grandma-mommy) outing for all my future visits to Chicago! — Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor