Winter’s big chill shouldn’t leave you out in the cold. From hot tubs to hot springs, here are a few places for soaking yourself silly in soothing suds.
Hidden Orr-iginal
Historic, clothing optional (read: almost everyone wears their birthday suit), and well off the beaten path, Orr Hot Springs Resort 12 miles west of Ukiah is a retreat like few others. Sprawling across 27 acres surrounded by redwoods, lush gardens—and more than a few full moons!—oases include communal soakers at 107 degrees, private porcelain tubs, and a spring-fed swimming pool. Visitors can make it a day trip or spend the night; among the options are campsites, yurts, and cabins. Night-trippers are allowed to slip into the suds as late as they’d like, making for some nice winter stargazing. A communal kitchen has the pots and pans for preparing a meal to enjoy in the lodge’s dining room or outdoors at a garden picnic table. Speaking of, the garden-variety here applies just as much to the people as to the plants. Orr attracts everyone from bohemians to hipsters, to “Oh hell, let’s give it a try” types. Ready Orr not…!
BONUS: Not far up the road from Orr you’ll find California’s most isolated redwood state park, Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve. Take a short hike among some of the tallest trees in the world.
Orr Hot Springs, 13201 Orr Springs Rd., Ukiah; (707) 462-6277. Reservations required for both day use and overnight. Day use of hot springs is from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and costs $30. Overnight prices vary depending on which accommodation you choose, and price includes all facilities; there is a two-night minimum with the exception of camping, where a one-night stay is allowed—call for information. Overnighters get 24-hour access to the hot springs. No dogs.
Activity: Hike ,Water ,Relax ,Overnights
Region: Points Beyond
Hot in the City
Sinking into a steaming redwood tub set in the privacy of a tranquil courtyard, leaning back to let three super strong jets massage your muscles, looking up to the sky…you’re not in a dream…you’re in Albany Sauna and Hot Tubs, a tiny East Bay outpost just north of Berkeley where three private outdoor soakers can be rented for up to 4 people, at dips ranging from 30 to 60 minutes. Temperatures are kept at a cozy 104 to 105 degrees, and tubs have massage jets: one for the lower back, one for the shoulders, and one overhead pipe jet for the old noggin. The facility also has four brick-chimney-heated saunas—originated in 1934 when a group of Finnish immigrants wanted to recreate their old-world steam saunas. In the '70s, new owners redesigned the space to make it a spa mainstay. Albany ahhhwesome.
Albany Sauna and Hot Tubs is open seven days a week and is located at 1002 Solano Ave. in Albany, just past the Solano-San Pablo intersection. Tub appointments run from noon to 10:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and until 11:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Call ahead for appointments: (510) 525-6262 (phones open at 9:00 a.m. daily). Cost per person is $16 for 30 minutes; $21 for 45 minutes; $25 for 60 minutes. Two-person minimum for Friday and Saturday nights. Facials and other spa treatments are also available. No dogs.
Activity: Water ,Relax
Region: East Bay
Advantage Point
The big bonus for staying overnight at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel? Access to one of the best hot tubs on the West Coast! The secluded soaker sits above the bluffs facing the ocean, and is an ideal oasis for warming head to toe after an afternoon exploring the area, which also happens to be one of the best places for spotting migrating gray whales (see the tip below). Pigeon Point's four guesthouses, salty and weathered with white and blue trim (don't mind the flaking paint), each have a private room, and are situated next to the old lighthouse built in 1872. Whale watching followed by Jacuzzi jets—hot combo!
TIP: The best vantage point for spotting grays from Pigeon Point is a short stroll away on a boardwalk overlook. Or walk a few minutes in the opposite direction toward Whaler’s Cove, a fine little beach recently saved by POST (Peninsula Open Space Trust).
The hot tub is available from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and is open only to overnight guests. Cost is $7 per person for a half-hour session, with a two-person minimum and a four-person maximum. Hot tub reservations are available at check-in. Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel, 210 Pigeon Point Rd., Pescadero; (650) 879-0633. Private rooms start at $73. Shared dorm rooms start at $25. Dogs are not allowed at the hostel.
Activity: Relax ,Overnights
Region: Peninsula & South Bay
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