First Time for Everything...

There's a first time for everything...


Part of my decision to do this Sixty by Sixty list was that I had gotten in a rut and wasn't doing new stuff. I wasn't doing fun stuff. I was just doing the same ol', same ol' stuff.

So while this wasn't on my list, I have to admit my trip to the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs Resort probably should have been.

My friend Liddy came into town to see me. She has a house a couple of hours away from me in Colorado. We grew up together, first meeting at church in Houston. My parents helped cement the friendship by suggesting that Liddy come with us to San Miguel de Allende for a few weeks when we were just out of 6th grade. Liddy's aunt and uncle lived there while my parents had recently discovered the charm of that little mountain town. That was the beginning of my love affair with San Miguel and the beginning of one of my best friendships.

San Miguel de Allende at dusk.

Forty five years later we are still playing together.

Me and Liddy doing what we do best:

Traveling and ...ummm...Drinking? 

Two years ago, but some things never change. 

While Liddy was here we decided to try the natural hot springs outside of Salida.  My kids have been there before but I never had.

I will be back!

A lovely funky old entrance leads to two large traditional pools, one at a temp of 96 degrees, one at 103 degrees.

You walk into some boring traditional pools.

Not for us!

 We sashayed past those boring cement ponds and headed down the steps to Chalk Creek. There we found shallow pools of varying temperatures fed by the natural hot springs. Depending on where you stepped it was either VERY hot, warm, VERY cold, or Goldilocks Just Right.

Just like a natural hot tub.

Our only mistake was not taking (adult) beverages with us. There is no food or beverage service available, only a water bottle vending machine.

We almost had the river to ourselves. It was DIVINE.

A few hours of soaking and we could barely climb the stairs back to the car. Our legs were jelly and our stomachs were rumbling. Tension and stress were no longer our companions.

We weren't out of the parking lot before we were plotting a return. Maybe in the winter?  With a snow flurry or two floating gently down into the steaming river? Or in a few weeks while there is still a chance to get a little tan?

Soon.