Saturday, November 14, 2009

NorthPointe Revisited



As I promised in my previous blog post regarding NorthPointe, I took my camera with me on my visit on Friday. I took over 100 pictures and then was faced with the daunting task of narrowing that number down to a reasonable amount to post here.

NorthPointe Health and Wellness Campus is an amazing facility and its employees are exceptional as well. I asked for and was given permission to take photographs as long as I promised to avoid including members in the pictures.

The individuals who staff the NorthPointe campus are the cream of the crop. When I asked a young fitness director upstairs in the fitness center if I could take some pictures for my blog, she was very friendly and gave me the go ahead. I was amazed to see that she went up to each person in the area and explained that I wasn't photographing them, only the fitness center. How considerate is that!

As I moved between the two floors and from the locker room to the spa and back upstairs again, I met the same friendly fitness director whom I had spoken to earlier. During our conversation, she asked me the name of my blog. She recognized it and told me she'd seen my previous blog regarding NorthPointe. You can imagine how happy that made me. One of her co-workers had searched NorthPointe on the internet and ended up at my blog. Yes!!!












When I enter through the revolving door at the main entrance, I'm awed by the spacious and beautifully designed and furnished lobby.







Mary's Market and Cafe offers salads, sandwiches, bakery items, sports drinks prepared with your health in mind. Tables and seating are available for enjoying a snack and relaxing.
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Clothing and exercise accessories can also be purchased from the adjacent mini-sport shop.
















NorthPointe Spa is located just off the main lobby. I recently enjoyed a relaxing manicure in this tastefully appointed full-service spa.
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I experienced a minor inconvenience when I arrived at NorthPointe for a routine medical test earlier this year. The x-ray machine wasn't functioning properly at the time and I was asked to reschedule my appointment. When I returned a few days later for the test, the technician gave me a gift certificate to compensate me for having to reschedule my appointment. I used the gift immediately in the spa for a manicure and couldn't have been happier.














































I like this. Water runs between two sheets of glass built into this wall in the spa area.







**************NorthPointe Wellness members check in at this desk.














Activity based childcare is provided in this room, the Fit 'n Fun room.





























The hallway that leads to the men's and women's locker rooms is artfully decorated. Note the awesome "watcha-muh-callits" suspended from the ceiling.




































************I followed verbal directions and made a left turn here, at the green tiled opening. The opening to the men's locker room is tiled in blue.

My dad was color-blind; fortunately, I'm not. Although, even if I was, on good days, I'd "probably" notice the life-sized WOMEN sign. Do you think??








Hey, hey, the YMCA locker room doesn't look anything like this.











When I saw these contraptions on the lockers, my first thoughts were: What in the world? I don't think I want to be here anymore. Actually, locking and unlocking a locker is easy and convenient. Really! After selecting a locker from the hundreds available and getting a few simple instructions from a tour guide on my first visit, I pressed the C, entered a four-digit number (any four numbers), pressed the key symbol and the locker door locked. To open the locker, I did the same thing with the same four-digit number. Voila. No padlocks and combinations to hassle with. Another YES from me!

















Hey, lady. I'm getting dressed here! Other than this one of myself, I was extremely careful that I steered clear of everyone when I snapped pictures in here in the locker room.









































A whirlpool, steam room and sauna are in an enclosed area adjacent to the locker room.






















***************I swam some laps in this seven-lane pool during my first workout here.















A warm-water therapy pool has to be the best thing since hot chocolate. On a super cold winter day, I could handle hanging out here.




















**************This is NorthPointe's spinning studio. The yoga studio is also located on the first floor.

















Stairs or an elevator are available for getting upstairs. Normally, I avoid elevators but after a hard, long workout, the elevator may be very tempting and/or necessary.

















************I love these wallhangings.
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It's tempting to skip my workout and just stroll around the campus, appreciating the artwork.
























































*************I chose mid-afternoon on a Friday for my photo shoot. That's the reason it's quiet around here.

















More than 100 pieces of cardiovascular and strength-training equipment are ready and waiting to be used.



















Oops. I'm not supposed to include members in my pictures. What the heck, I've got their backs!





































This is a section of the walk/jog track. With all the glass, it's the next best thing to running outside.






















**********A view of the pool is available from upstairs.














***********A 2,000 square-foot Group Exercise Studio has more than enough room for a super big class.




















































These exercise machines have their own television sets to entertain you while you workout. After you program your vital statistics and what type of workout you want, it tells you everything you need to know about your what you've accomplished. Unfortunately, you have to do the exercising part yourself.



















Need a hug?


















**************How could anyone pass by this rack of hand weights without hefting a couple? In fact, they look good enough to eat.

Sorry about the huge spaces between some of the pictures. They aren't there when I create my blog posts. When I click on "Publish Post," everything shifts.
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Thanks for tagging along with me on my stroll upstairs, downstairs and all around the NorthPointe Wellness facility.

19 comments:

LenoreNeverM♡re said...

I see why you love this place!
Love the natural elements they used, yet they keep them very contemporary...Rustic Modern~Beautiful!

Anonymous said...

This is a marvelous facility and I imagine you are thoroughly enjoying your time at NorthPointe.

Anonymous said...

I can understand why my brother-in-law could not find his way around this facility his first time there,one would sure need a personal guide to maneuver this place. It sure does look fabulous. Going there for fun would be great otherwise no. My brother in law had a rather bad experience there.
Auntie will use Beloit Clinic .

Cheryl Peters said...

Lenore: Natural elements is right! You've described it beautifully.

darksculptures: If I wasn't in the middle of writing a "bestselling novel," I'd be able to enjoy NorthPointe even more.

Auntie: If you'd ever like to see it, I'll take you and Allen there. It's well worth the trip.

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful place. You're ahead on your word count, surely you can a a couple of visits without getting behind.

Cheryl Peters said...

dayner: Darn it, you're right. I'll get there again on Tuesday afternoon. Thanks for the kick in the pants; I needed it.

Talk about being ahead in my word count. You're on fire.

Natasha said...

Oh, WOW, this is fabulous! What a great place. Thank you for taking us on the tour. We are all ready to sign up!!

Cheryl Peters said...

Natasha: Come on down!

GUllible said...

Shaddy,
I've been getting my best ideas for stories while "swimming" laps in the pool here in Mexico. Keep on writing. You're almost there, and the month is only half done.

Cheryl Peters said...

Gully: Aw, come on. You're all wet, girl!

Actually, me too. Unlike getting ideas when I'm walking and can take notes, getting ideas while swimming poses more of a problem. Now that I think of it, I've got a small notebook that's got erasable vinyl pages. Look out pool, here I come!

I'm glad to hear you're not just lying around and taking it easy in Mexico. Heaven forbid you should be a slacker!!

Linda Yezak said...

What a place! It looks like a perfect place to go and get spoiled--and sore. It's cool that your blog name was recognized!

Cheryl Peters said...

Linda: When she asked me the name of my blog, I hesitated and laughed because it's kind of strange. After I told her and she recognized it, I couldn't believe it. I thought it was definitely cool.

I guess I don't give much thought to the fact that people often end up at my blog for one reason or another.

I've got my bag packed and ready to take with me tomorrow. I'll head to NorthPointe after working my normal Tuesday hours from 8-12 noon. I can go five more times before the end of the month with my holiday pass.

Annie said...

Ok, I am packing my bags, getting on a plane and heading toward this piece of heaven on earth. It is absolutely beautiful!!!!! Geez...I think I would be so overwhelmed I may not even exercise :) What a great way to spend some 'me' time...thanks for the sneak peek...

Cheryl Peters said...

Annie: Like I said to Natasha, "Come on down."

Walk said...

Only thing I can see wrong with the place is that it centers too much on that nasty word: exercise.

Cheryl Peters said...

Walk: You've got it backwards, Walk.
Not exercising is nasty.
Exercising is nice and very good
for what ails you.

Got any aches and pains, my friend?

Unknown said...

You better watch it on the invites, Shaddy, otherwise we're all gonna be there, laptops and NaNoWriMo be damned!

When I lived in WI, there was NOTHING like this around in Madison. I swam at the UW natatorium, where the water was kept barely above freezing, and it was right after Title IX had passed and they were breaking thru the matchbox-size women's locker room into the football field-size men's locker room to give us a little more room to turn around while drying off. NorthPointe is in a whole nuther planet!!

Natasha said...

Whoops, got my various personas mixed up.

Nancy = Natasha in previous post.

Joe said...

Thanks for posting this Shaddy

As part of the project team it was inspiring to work for this owner/team. Please keep passing this on. The connection of health and wellness needs to be shouted from every mountain top.

Health should never be endured but savored!

Joe

http://joeheinowski.tumblr.com/