I spent last weekend at Chinati Hot Springs, Texas, with three of my girlfriends. I thought if I listened closely I might come away with a few ideas for my column. As it turned out, I did not come away with a single translatable thought! What did we do down there? We talked, we laughed, we soaked in the hot springs, we drank, we cooked and we ate. We hiked and visited and met some interesting new people. What didn't we do? Get serious about anything, wear makeup, talk on the phone, surf the internet or check our e-mail.
Chinati Hot Springs is a very rustic place located in the Big Bend area of Texas just a bit north of the Texas - Mexico border. To get there, you take a beautiful, if rough, two hour drive down through Pinto Canyon, south of Marfa, Texas. You must bring in all your own food as there are no restaurants, nor much of anything else. There is a large communal kitchen with two refrigerators and signs warning you to put your name on all your supplies. Everyone gets a little cabin-like room with a half-bath. Some of the rooms come with attached hot springs-fed tubs and outdoor showers and some do not. There are two enclosed, individual, public baths and one large outdoor communal bath. There is also a cold pool. This is hot country and Chinati Hot Springs is designed for maximum comfort in hot weather. They weren't quite as well equipped for the cooler weather of February. Having said that, we were pretty comfortable.
Well known Santa Fe artist, David Loren Bass had a room there, having just ended a two-week stint of painting in Pinto Canyon and he fit right in with our little group. He had some beautiful Texas landscapes with him and some of my friends were lucky enough to be able to purchase one. We counted ourselves fortunate to have made his acquaintance. If you ever have a chance to see his work, jump on it! I'll certainly look him up the next time I'm in Santa Fe.
What a great girl's weekend. I was sorry I wasn't in Austin this week to join in WomenBloom's social mixer, where I know I would have made some good new friends, but I was glad to have a chance to run off and share a couple of days with my old friends. There is something so restorative about getting away from technology and having absolutely nothing to do but relax!
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8 comments:
OW! Girl! I LOVE Chinati Hot Springs! A couple of girlfriends and I went there over Easter last year and it was the longest 2 days I have ever spent. SO relaxing. You're right though, cool weather is a bit tricky as the 'hot' tubs aren't THAT hot. The community kitchen was just great, we met some very cool people too.
Sorry you couldn't make it to Austin either but there will be other opportunities!
It's great to get away with women friends. We can always talk. A German friend of mine is single and invited me to Sedona,(for free) using her frequent flyer miles in April or May. Can't wait.
@WomenBloom - it's a neat place but I have to say, 2 nights would be about my max! Easter would be about perfect - weather-wise.
@GutsyWriter - Have a wonderful time! I've always heard Sedona is beautiful. Women trips are great.
I'm a big fan of hotsprings- such a cool natural asset! In the past year, we've done hikes to ones in Arizona and snowmobiled to ones in Wyoming. I'd love to check out Chinati Hot Springs next...
How wonderful! I love places like that. Every year my sister-in-sin and a bunch of her Seattle friends go to a vacation home one of the women owns up in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. To get there, you have to cross a lake.
In Arizona there's a place called Cave Creek hidden in the Chiricahua Mountains. To get there you have to drive in to New Mexico and then circle back into Arizona. At some times of year, the place reminds you of Bali Hai -- a great towering mountain above you, shrouded in misty clouds. The Chiricahuas have the greatest diversity of hummingbirds in the United States, because they sit on the northern edge of the tropical birds' range and the southern edge of more typical U.S. birds. Spectacular place, and hardly anyone knows about it. It's a fantastic secret getaway, with similarly rustic accommodations.
Cave Creek sounds fabulous. I'll have to take a look. I'm always up for a getaway!
Not to step on anyone's toes here, but it's also a great getaway for couples / families and friends period, male or female. I've been going to this place for 30 years - does anyone know the current owner? For a while this artist owned it and the jerk closed it to the public.
@JHoskins - You're right - it is a great place for couples! The current owner's name is Fox. It's actually for sale for $1.2M if you're interested! There's very nice couple who live down there and look after things.
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