'Spiritual Destinations' Are The New Spas

'Spiritual Destinations' Are The New Spas

PORT MATILDA, Pa. -- The walk down a hill at the St. Joseph Institute ends at the Forest Chapel, nestled in the woods between two streams. Only the sounds of chirping birds and a breeze blowing through leaves pierce the silence.

It's a serene setting where co-owner Michael Campbell hopes visitors experience a spiritual reawakening -- regardless of whether one is seeking a religious retreat or a personal wellness break.

Frazzled Americans look to such destinations increasingly to decompress from their mile-a-minute lifestyles, redefining the concept of "spiritual travel." State tourism gurus in Pennsylvania in recent years have produced literature promoting what they called "growing interest in spiritually based retreat destinations."

Popular in the Community

Close

HuffPost Shopping’s Best Finds

MORE IN LIFE