Hard to believe that a little over a week ago I was staying at the very swanky Ojo Caliente and Ojo Santa Fe Hot Spring Resorts. If they are the epitome of upscale resort soaking, this place is the polar opposite.
A quick snapshot of the Ojo Santa Fe resort. But I digress…
This place is much more…er rustic - perhaps even funky? It’s situated on ranch land and consists of a rather large (perhaps olympic size) swimming pool that is very deep. I couldn’t touch the bottom, Ned could.
Within the pool are two more concrete tubs where hot mineral water is being pumped in. The large pool is about 96 degrees the tubs are about 100.
What attracted me here is that it’s about the halfway point to San Diego (Josh’s house) and one can camp here. Okay, I’ll bite.
We are camped in a dirt parking lot next to a small lake. There are maybe 6 or so other rather quirky vans with a hippie vibe. Grateful Dead music was quietly playing from one of the nearby campers.. The best part about this place is how nice everyone is! We were warmly greeted by several people.
As we were soaking in the pool, the owner who was a very friendly guy, pulled some shrimp off the bbq and brought us a plate. I didn’t partake, but Ned seemed to really enjoy it. Yes he dined “poolside”.
There are some really cool people here. I enjoyed speaking with a woman, (originally from France) who is an art teacher in San Francisco. She gave us some great ideas of projects to do with Maddy.
We soaked for several hours, way past sunset. There is another concrete hot tub between the large pool and the lake. We had a great time just hanging out there too. It was a titsch warmer, which definitely helped as the evening got a little cooler.
The great thing about nighttime (and twinkle lights) is that it definitely makes the place look more romantic than it is. This building is the check-in/community room/bar/picnic area.
Actually, I’m really enjoying this place! The people are so nice, the hot springs are just a few feet from our van, and the cost is about the same as renting out a robe at the swanky New Mexico resorts! Looking forward to an early morning soak before we continue on our journey to San Diego.
