Like all good set-ups, Gucci’s introduction to her best girlfriend started with some skillful matchmaking. “Years before we crossed paths, people were always saying, ‘you’ve got to meet Ashley!’” recalls Gucci, remembering the day she finally bumped into her now nearest and dearest of 20 years in Los Angeles.  “From that minute on, we were just always together.”

Now that both friends are married with kids—“we were maid of honor at each other’s weddings, we’re godmother to each other’s children”—family vacations together are an annual ritual. But the chance for an extended solo hang is a relatively rare luxury. So when their husbands teamed up to gift them with a surprise girls trip to the Mayflower Inn & Spa in nearby Washington, Connecticut, “we were so excited!”

On the agenda at the property's 20,000 square foot spa, with its unparalleled five-star aestheticians: Deep tissue massages, a quick session in the Moroccan-style steam room, and time spent in the white-washed main space, with its overstuffed chaises and enormous windows. “We both fell asleep in the relaxation room because we had rosé with lunch,” admits Gucci with a laugh.  

Antiquing off-property in Washington filled the afternoon before dinner at Arethusa Al Tavolo. The popular restaurant by night (and high-end dairy farm by day) was started by two former Manolo Blahnik executives and is known for its seed-to-table seasonal dinner menu. Bedtime face masking capped off the night—made easier by the fact that they were bunking together. “For years, we traveled to France and Italy on vacations and we always shared a bed. We even slept in the car once!” laughs Gucci of their throwback adventures. 

Though the property offers an extensive lineup of yoga and seasonal fitness classes, “we woke up early the next morning and took an hour-long hike outdoors along the lake near the property instead,” says Gucci. “It was so beautiful and the most memorable part of our trip to spend that time together—and we are definitely going back!”