Hot Springs, NC is home to a breathtaking resort and spa. The hot spring water is piped directly into giant jacuzzi tubs which makes for quite the experience. Each tub is housed in a cabin-like structure with 3 walls providing privacy and the fourth wall is non-existent. The fourth wall is left open so the occupants can enjoy all the natural scenery this 100 acre resort has to offer. We went at night which was certainly sleep-inducing (the stars were gorgeous) but I would love to go in the daytime in order to see all the trees and more of the property. You could even go in the fall when the leaves change. Pumpkin. Spice. Mindgasm.
I would suggest changing before you get there if you’re only going to enjoy the hot springs. We walked through the grass in the dark in order to get changed into our bathing suits. The changing rooms were simple stalls with curtains so nothing fancy. I would, however, be interested to try any number of their spa services and would anticipate those facilities being a little more upscale.
The white box on the wall in the photo above turns on the cold mister. In case you get too hot it’s there to cool you off. We loved having the cold mister on. I felt like I was transported somewhere in between the rain forest and the produce section of the grocery store. Either way it was relaxing.
I was taking pictures of all of us so I shamelessly selfied to prove I was there.
Britton wasn’t so sure about the water. Everyone has their own preferable temperature for bath water but let’s just say they don’t call it “warm” springs. It took even the adults a second to get acclimated but imagine how good this would feel in the winter.
There are 4 different options for relaxing in the hot springs that are completely dependent upon the size of your group and whether or not you are staying at the resort. The group mineral bath was perfect for us since we had 7 (and a quarter) people. We each paid $10 and I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that they are open until midnight on weekends. Usually, the Friday night of a bachelorette weekend is considered a bust because you are waiting on everyone to arrive. In this case, we got to kick the weekend off right treating ourselves to a late night mineral soak. I’m not going to lie, I slept hard when we made it back to the house. Baby Britton slept hard before we even got out of the tub.
P.S. If anyone is a fan of Miyazaki’s “Spirited Away” definitely go at night. I felt like I was going to visit Yubaba’s bathhouse with my fellow spirits.
P.P.S. If you haven’t seen “Spirited Away” it is visually stunning and Miyazaki is an exceptional storyteller. This tidbit will seem less irrelevant once you’ve seen the film.
Until next time,
Carly