Desert Hot Springs has long been a destination for rest and rejuvenation. Situated 20 minutes from Palm Springs’ expansive golf courses, artistic rows of palm trees and desert estates, rustic Desert Hot Springs feels a world away. It is one of the few places on the globe with naturally occurring hot and cold mineral springs. The Mission Creek Branch of the San Andreas Fault bisects the wellness getaway where one side is a cold-water aquifer while the other a hot-water aquifer, naturally heated to temperatures as high as 180 degrees by geothermal forces thousands of feet below the earth’s surface.

Unlike hot springs that have high sulfur content, Desert Hot Springs’ hot mineral waters are pure and odor-free, so pure and odorless that you can drink it, which increases its medicinal values.  Research told me that  “balneology” – the study of the therapeutic benefits of natural mineral waters – is especially advanced in Europe and Japan, where balneologists have studied the healthful effects of geothermally heated mineral waters which reduce pain, increase mobility, blood circulation, cell oxygenation and stimulates your metabolism, ultimately rebalancing many of your own body’s natural systems. My own scientific study revealed that soaking in a Desert Hot Springs’ mineral water pool was something that I never wanted to leave.
 
Since 1995, the Desert Hot Springs Groundwater Guardian Team has been designated as a Groundwater Guardian Community, with  the nation’s first Groundwater Guardian Campus, taking voluntary steps in protecting its award-winning ground water resources.
 

Onsen Hotel & Spa 

Upon my arrival at the boutique Onsen Hotel & Spa I was surprised by its serene surroundings. Snuggled in a residential neighborhood, this meant little traffic noise which helped to serve my quest for de-stressing. The front desk receptionist, Tracy Ayala, was waiting at the counter to greet me. She explained the history of the property where it had once been a hotel, an apartment building and then vacant until the official christening of Onsen Hotel & Spa on March 1, 2023. After pointing out the hotel’s amenities – the reception area also serves as a breakfast room with complimentary omelets, fruit, cereal and pastries – I was directed to my two-bedroom stylish suite, complete with office and living room. Creature comforts included a big screen TV, coffee makers, and spacious bathroom and shower, refrigerator and endless bottles of water. But it was a dip into the crystal-clear outdoor pool spa that warranted my attention. Along with the on-site Jacuzzi, both fed by a mineral-rich aquifer, and the surrounding simple plant arrangements, the spa achieves a distinctly Zen aesthetic. For those with walking difficulties two ADA lifts offer an easy and accessible way to enter the pool and Jacuzzi. There’s also a 24-hour fitness center and an on-site spa offering revitalizing massages and hydrating facials to cleanse your body and heal your mind.

Later, I conversed with the affable manager John Hopp, a walking encyclopedia on all things Desert Hot Springs. He covered in detail the work required to turn the vacant property into a spa hotel. He spoke how the goal of Onsen Hotel & Spa was to make it like home-away-from-home for guests. He noted that half the travelers arrive from England, Italy, France, Spain and Germany, as well as South Korea and Japan, drawn to its therapeutic mineral-rich waters, pumped directly from beneath the earth. Onsen Hotel & Spa also proves to be convenient homebase for experiencing the splendor of Coachella Valley’s stunning landscapes with its mountain slopes, panoramic views and wide-open desert expanses, all just outside your door. The property is near the Mission Creek Preserve, a protected part of the Wildlands Conservancy that includes lush wetlands, a perennial stream, and native flora and fauna. And the otherworldly terrain of Joshua Tree National Park is only a 40-minute drive away.
 

Cabot’s Pueblo Museum

Just up the street from Onsen Hotel & Spa is Cabot’s Pueblo Museum. This should be an essential component of your trip. In 1914, Cabot Yerxa (1883–1965) was the first person to rediscover and unearth the curative mineral waters of Desert Hot Springs. Then, only 600 yards from his home, Cabot dug a second well,  delivering drinking water. Finding both the hot and cold mineral wells prompted him to name the area Miracle Hill.

Cabot’s Pueblo

In 1941 Cabot began construction on what would be his and wife’s Portia Yerxa’s home. Considered a marvel of engineering and design, the Hopi-inspired building is hand-made and created from reclaimed and found materials from throughout the Coachella Valley. His intention was also to make it into a museum, showcasing Native American art and artifacts, souvenirs of Cabot’s travels around the world, displays on Native American Rights, and his own works of art. Today, 45-minute tours are available where you will visit the rooms of the Pueblo, experience the story of Cabot Yerxa and discover how he built his incredible home. This is also the best place to purchase gifts and souvenirs, with an array of indigenous art, jewelry, pottery, woodcarvings and Navajo blankets.

For further information

Desert Hot Springs: www.VisitDesertHotSpring.com
Onsen Hotel & Spa: www.OnsenHotelSpa.com
Cabot’s Pueblo Museum: www.CabotsMuseum.org

For more on Oceanic’s selection of properties: www.oceanicenterprises.com

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Dear Icelandic-American:

I love the colors of the Icelandic flag. They are so much like my own—the red, white, and blue of the United States of America. But this flag of Iceland also bears a striking resemblance to the flag of Norway. They are identical, except the blue and red parts are reversed. Is this a coincidence? Or did Norway copy Iceland? — Flabbergasted

Dear Flabbergasted (– or should I say Flaggerbasted?):

It is laudable for you to assume Iceland taking the lead. After all, they did invent democracy.

Their flag, however, is one of a series of Nordic cross flags. Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland use a similar style with their own unique colors. All but Finland’s pre-date Iceland’s.

The Icelandic flag was officially adopted in 1944, but it was used unofficially for several decades before that.

Its colors are symbolic. Blue stands for the mountains. White evokes snow and ice. Red represents Iceland’s volcanos.

June 17^th is Flag Day in Iceland. A perfect time to visit because the days are long, the flowers are in bloom, and the whales are Instagram-ready.

Stay for the summer solstice and you are guaranteed to find a groovy, if not pagan, kind of love. — Icelandic American

Dear Icelandic-American:

I know the Blue Lagoon is famous, but concerned if it’s 100% safe? I’ve seen photos with smoke, and wonder if it’s from the tectonic plates. — Brenda

Brenda, my concerned friend:

They say Iceland is a land of fire and ice. But, as I sense you intuit, it is also a landscape of smoke and mirrors.

Geothermal energy heats the seductive waters of Iceland’s Blue Lagoon. This heat, plus the aroma of sulfur, arouses the senses like an aphrodisiac.

Although Vikings believed this foggy lushness rising from the spa to be animal passion made flesh, it is just ordinary steam, the kind you can make yourself when you boil an egg. As for tectonic plates, I suggest you pour yourself a gin and tonic and remember that we pay professionals to deal with things such as geology and shifts in the earth’s crust. We go on vacation to clear our minds of this clutter. — Icelandic American

Meet our Icelandic-American: Kelly Hughes

Seattle-born Kelly Hughes has embraced his Icelandic heritage by writing for his local Icelandic Club newsletter, singing with an Icelandic Men’s Choir, leading a Viking History discussion group, and sharing his mother’s homemade “Vínarterta” at Scandinavian events. Today, he channels these Nordic impulses exclusively through Traveling Boy, preferring the intimate relationship between reader and sage.

Readers note:

Feel free to send questions about any form of travel that you like.  Please contact Ed****@Tr**********.com and you’ll receive a speedy reply. – EB

The post Dear Icelandic-American: Travel advice on Iceland appeared first on Traveling Archive.

The luxurious spa features natural spring mineral baths, a large therapeutic mud pit, 19 pools, Jacuzzi’s, saunas, fitness classes, and a host of traditional and exotic massages and body treatments. There is also a gourmet restaurant, quick stop café, gift shop and acres of lush gardens that inspire relaxation and inner peace.

My recent getaway to Glen Ivy began when a friend and I checked-in at the front desk and were led to the Bath House, where we changed into swimsuits and plush Glen Ivy robes. The men’s and women’s Bath House features lockers, showers, toiletries, an indoor Roman Bath, Jacuzzis, a steam room and lounge areas with TVs. The women’s area has an indoor pool.

After changing we headed for a soak in the historic mineral baths. First used by local Native Americans, the naturally flowing waters from Coldwater Canyon in the Temescal Valley have been a source of relaxation for hundreds of years. Rich with minerals, the sulfurous hot water comes up from the ground into a series of tubs, where guests soak in 104-degree pleasure. The minerals in the water are absorbed through the skin, while the heat soothes the muscles.

After 20 rejuvenating minutes in the mineral baths we ventured to Club Mud, a unique outdoor mud pit where a mountain of red clay rises in the middle of a large warm pool. Here we meticulously covered our bodies and face in mud and then sat in a cave-like drying chamber with other guests as the substance dried and caked on our skin. Once the mud dried, we stepped into an outdoor shower and washed it all off with Glen Ivy’s lavender-scented body cleansing gel.

Since ancient times, red clay has been used as a purifying agent for the skin. Glen Ivy says the mud draws impurities from the pores, while releasing waste and dead skin cells and tightening and revitalizing the skin. All I know is that when I left Club Mud, my skin felt clean and very soft.

Our next stop was lunch at The Ivy Kitchen, the resort’s signature restaurant. Blending market freshness with stylish dining, the eatery offers tasty and healthy sandwiches, wraps, burgers, soups, salads and more. While dining on a serene patio surrounded by trees and the sound of trickling water, I enjoyed an seared rare Ahi tuna burger with wasabi and sesame soy aioli and cucumber Asian slaw on a toasted brioche bun. My friend had a Greek chicken lavash wrap with herb-marinated chicken breast, Kalamata olives, organic greens, red onion, cucumber, tomato, grilled artichoke hearts and yogurt spread.

After lunch we grabbed a couple bloody Mary’s from Lounge 1860, the hip pool side bar, and then relaxed by the water, with an incredible view of the Santa Ana Mountains towering above. Next, my friend headed to her massage and I tried the hot and cold cycle pools.

Hot and cold hydrotherapy pools are a quick-fire health boost. Experts say that switching between these hot and cold plunge pools will charge your immune system, flush out toxins, reboot circulation, and wake you up and calm you down.

While I was jumping between the hot and cold pools, my friend was experiencing the Warm Stone Ritual Massage. This soothing and detoxifying treatment uses heated basalt stones and therapeutic essential oils to massage your body. It relieves muscle tension and boosts metabolism.

Another soothing massage takes place on Glen Ivy’s new quartz table. Based on the Ancient Greek concept of psammotherapy, the warm quartz sand ergonomically positions the body, offering extreme relaxing effects to the body and soul. The deep, dry heat of quartz sand will aid in reaching maximum relaxation while alleviating muscle and joint pain.

General admission to the resort, also called “Taking of the Waters,” is $50 (Monday – Friday), $70 (Saturday – Sunday; holidays). This includes access to Glen Ivy’s gardens, lounge areas, pools and mineral baths, a hot and cold plunge, saline pool, and lap pool, in addition to Club Mud, saunas, steam rooms, showers, and fitness and wellness classes. Individual body treatments and massages are extra.

Glen Ivy Hot Springs is located at 25000 Glen Ivy Rd. Corona, Ca. 92883. Current hours: daily 9am – 6 pm Sunday-Wednesday, and 9am – 9pm Thursday-Saturday For more information on treatments, current specials and appointments, call 888.453.6489 or visit: Glen Ivy Hot Springs

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