Still More "Peak Experience"

Number One Niece, knowing that I like to get into hot water, took me to a place, close to Atascadero, called Sulfur Pond. The bouquet of sulfur was scarcely notable. Upon arrival I promptly noted, come would say complained about, the loudly amplified music. My niece promptly took me home, fed me, and put me to bed. I did find time to have the owner turn down the amplification and have him tell me some interesting things about the geology and hydrology of his spa.

I feel the spa would be worth another visit. The pond is stocked with catchable, cookable, eatable fish. The waters of the adjoining pool have some fame for curing or alleviating certain skin problems. The facilities are modest, but there is place to change and there is shade. It was one of those places that you can bring a chest of cold beer to drink without hassle, within reasonable limits.

There is a web site for Sulfur Pond, but I haven't located it yet. If you know a web-site that seems right, please put it in "Comments."


Being a Sulfur Pond reminded me of another place I had gotten into hot water. In my imagination it was one of those place built before the war with a kind of frontier gentry in mind.

The place I was reminded of was California Hot Springs. I Knew it was in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada somewhere south of Yosemite. My niece pointed me toward the Central Valley of California and I followed her directions. The Central Valley, for those who don't know it, is one of those great, fantastically fertile and productive agricultural areas sometimes referred to as bread-baskets of the world. The valley runs north and south(and visa versa). It is bordered on its east by the Sierra and on its west by The Coastal Range. Much of it was quite beautiful, but now its air has been fouled.

My niece's directions got me to the valley, but there, I promptly got lost. I was lost in the middle of the valley for many hours and many miles. The air was so foul that I could see neither the Sierra Nevada nor the Coastal Range nor locate the sun very well.

I'm usually pretty good at getting unlost, but I have limitations which have improved little with age. For example, for some of my early years I confused New York with California (and visa versa).
Perhaps my confusion was due to their both being similarly illustrious and both being contingent to ocean.

‪Saving Valentina.6.8.11.h264.mov‬‏ - YouTube

‪Saving Valentina.6.8.11.h264.mov‬‏ - YouTube

Whale saving off Baja California in the Sea of Cortez

Thanks Don. Thanks Rex.

Trip: Reno Portion

Interesting guy in the room next to mine here in Reno rebuilds high-end English cars. He just rebuilt and sold a '36 Cord and has started on another. His main thing seems to be refurbishing antique English shoot. He and some friends took the Cord out before he sold it and shot their limit in pheasant. It seems he also has a collection of well refinished hand guns that are very nice. He showed me a beautifully finished, large bore revolver and the nicest automatic I have ever handled. He lived for a number of years around Los Cabos and had learned things about the locals that  I did not know and many that I did. Enjoyed his company.

Found a good place to get into hot water in Carson City. Stayed in the outside pool long enough to get my first sunburn in a long time. Great bathing and swimming. Good water. Guess the place has been here since around 1890. The main pool has been grandfathered in so that it does not have to follow all the modern treating laws. Fresh water is coming in all day and the pool is completely refilled each night. Makes for great water quality. The smaller outdoor hot tub is subject to modern treatment and so a bit stale. Should I be lucky enough to return I'll take one of the private rooms. The tubs are handsome and the water is fresh and hot. The rooms do duty as private dressing rooms and an escape from the sun. Women using the facilities great outnumber the men. I suspect that the woman who runs the place enjoys the ladies as much as I. Part of the day women bring children and the private facilities provide an escape from them too.

I enjoyed talking and listening a lot at the spa. Met a young brother and sister there who came from a small lumber town with a good size paper mill. Both have suffered from something similar to ADD. They told me that they weren't the only ones from that tiny town to so suffer.
Talk with an intelligent and interesting Norwegian woman who had traveled a bit. We had both been to some of the same places. She also traveled in  cultural immersion ways similar to mine. She loves the States and enjoys Mexico. Here she found the inability or reluctance to carry on a political conversation surprising at first, but figures with things so good here we have little reason to discuss our politics. I remember that early in my travels I was surprised at how easily the people discussed politics intelligently and in depth.

Back in Reno in the bar of a nice Thai restaurant I met a couple who had found each other recently. They have been doing some yachting and were just about to leave for Aruba via Florida. The woman was from Las Vegas and had recently recovered from thyroid cancer. Her doctor said that it is particularly prevalent in LV. Her doctor is from Santa Barbara and has 'rights' at the Sansum Clinic there and also has offices in Las Vegas!

I'm about ready to begin my drive home. I'll take a couple of days to do it.

I do love the hot mineral water and interesting conversation.