Finally I spotted a tiny light in one of the cabins and knocked. The man who came to the door said nothing about getting shot creeping around in the dark. He did explain that up the main road a bit was a community called Pine Flat which had a restaurant and a little motel.
I drove through Pine Flat a couple of times without seeing restaurant or motel. I did spot a couple of boys on bikes. They were not easy to spot because they had no lights. My eyesight may also have been a factor. Among us we decided that I had been looking right and the restaurant was on the left(and visa versa).
They pointed behind me and I saw nothing. However, when I turned the Suzuki around I found two persons waiting patiently in the doorway of a closed restaurant just as though I were important and had a reservation.
I never did find a sign for a motel, but behind the bar/restaurant was an older two story four-plex. I was shown to a spacious, clean, and comfortable room. It had a large coffee maker and a small refrigerator and I was given enough coffee to make twenty or more cups. The Lady of the couple made me a substantial snack, which included restarting and reheating the the deep fryer. Then the couple the couple prepared to leave for their days off. I showered and slept well.
In the morning I woke to find no one around, but did find a sign on the closed restaurant that said that they had lobster on the menu.
I drove the short way down to California Hot Springs and had a decent breakfast. The glass of water I had with breakfast reminded me of the wondrous, fine, fresh taste of the Spring water.
After commenting on swimming right after eating I went down to the change room, put on my trunks, and showered. Before going to the pool it is now customary to pay $10 for a day of bathing. Spent joyful, relaxing hours in the large swimming pool and two hot tubs. I was there just long enough to get too much sun on my nose and forehead. My fellow, mostly female, bathers were casual, courteous, and friendly.
click on www.cahotsprings.com for more info.
I believe the phone numbers were as follows:
661-548-6582 for the spa
611-548 6130 for the motel
Showing posts with label California Hot Springs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label California Hot Springs. Show all posts
Monday, August 22, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Peak Experience Seven
I'm not sure why I am spending so much time writing about this little trip. Can it be that I now easily imagine the end of trips? Am I giving myself permission to savor experiences I more quickly put behind me in earlier times?
I like to understand my motives, but I don't have to provide a rational for anything I do; not even to myself.
In my last post the movement of the earth had moved the Sierra between my sight and the sun. I could still the beautiful countryside well as I drove up the good, narrow, winding road. The light golden grass, dark green oaks, and dark cattle on steeply rolling hills was beautiful. I was already well above the worst of any smog. As the driver, I found myself giving the road abundantly of my attention. A passenger could have savored the countryside more. I if you make this short intimate drive as a passenger, I suggest that you bring a camera.
I recognized the California Hot Springs building when I got to it in the dusk.
I felt myself empathizing with the woman I had talk with about the room. I imagined her as being one of those who had experienced little serious illness, but was now fairly certain that she was experiencing one now.
As I remembered, she had told me that the room was to be found at the first exit, past the Springs, on the right. I turned into the first exit and found myself behind a little post office in front of a darkened house. Didn't look promising. The next right was more promising. It was like a little community. I made out signs offering cabins for rent. Saw lights on in one that seemed to have been recently refurbished, but found one there. Drove to the end of one drive and found a place that looked like it had a second story, but now lights were on and it did not look welcoming. I kept checking, getting out of the car from time to time.
It was dark and I was feeling a bit of apatite rising.
I like to understand my motives, but I don't have to provide a rational for anything I do; not even to myself.
In my last post the movement of the earth had moved the Sierra between my sight and the sun. I could still the beautiful countryside well as I drove up the good, narrow, winding road. The light golden grass, dark green oaks, and dark cattle on steeply rolling hills was beautiful. I was already well above the worst of any smog. As the driver, I found myself giving the road abundantly of my attention. A passenger could have savored the countryside more. I if you make this short intimate drive as a passenger, I suggest that you bring a camera.
I recognized the California Hot Springs building when I got to it in the dusk.
I felt myself empathizing with the woman I had talk with about the room. I imagined her as being one of those who had experienced little serious illness, but was now fairly certain that she was experiencing one now.
As I remembered, she had told me that the room was to be found at the first exit, past the Springs, on the right. I turned into the first exit and found myself behind a little post office in front of a darkened house. Didn't look promising. The next right was more promising. It was like a little community. I made out signs offering cabins for rent. Saw lights on in one that seemed to have been recently refurbished, but found one there. Drove to the end of one drive and found a place that looked like it had a second story, but now lights were on and it did not look welcoming. I kept checking, getting out of the car from time to time.
It was dark and I was feeling a bit of apatite rising.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Peak Experience Six
In my previous P.E. post I was getting some satisfaction in an attractive antique shop.
The intelligent, soft-spoken lady with large brown eyes and full wavy hair quickly found the correct website for California Hot Springs. There she got a phone number for the Springs and dialed it on her gem-like cell phone. She talked, then I talked and she took notes, then she talked again.
We found that the closest city to the Hot Springs was Porterville a useful piece of information!
Porteville is a fair drive from Coarse Gold and it had taken me most of a day to get that in mind. I remembered that the spa had been far from most other facilities and that was confirmed. My helper suggested that I reserve a room and I declined. My helper got the number of a possible room source near the mineral spa, dialed it, and passed me the phone. I talked with a ill older woman who said that she was waiting for a call from her doctor. I didn't take the hint and chatted on. I found out that she wasn't accustomed to illness and just begun to feel serious symptoms that very day. She said that they were closed and that even the people who ran the restaurant were leaving for a couple of days out of town. She said that it was the first place on the right after leaving the spa and that if nothing else she would have a key left at the door of number eight upstairs. I t had begun to seem like a reservation!
At the Antique shop I was told to hit the road and that they had been waiting to eat. I'm sure I thanked them. I headed south and managed to get lost several times. If you make the trip I suggest that you take 99.
I arrive in Porterville I the late afternoon supposing that everyone would know were the Hot Springs are. They didn't. One kind store manager called his boss and home and had me ask him. The 'boss' gave me clear and accurate directions and suggested that I not call him at home at dinner time.
Following the directions of the man whose dinner I had interrupted for some distance south without entering the hills, I began to wonder if I had gone wrong. I pulled off at the last house in view and found a man about my age in the back yard with his great grandson and a number of animals. He told me to stay on the road and I would find it difficult to get lost.
The sun went down.
The intelligent, soft-spoken lady with large brown eyes and full wavy hair quickly found the correct website for California Hot Springs. There she got a phone number for the Springs and dialed it on her gem-like cell phone. She talked, then I talked and she took notes, then she talked again.
We found that the closest city to the Hot Springs was Porterville a useful piece of information!
Porteville is a fair drive from Coarse Gold and it had taken me most of a day to get that in mind. I remembered that the spa had been far from most other facilities and that was confirmed. My helper suggested that I reserve a room and I declined. My helper got the number of a possible room source near the mineral spa, dialed it, and passed me the phone. I talked with a ill older woman who said that she was waiting for a call from her doctor. I didn't take the hint and chatted on. I found out that she wasn't accustomed to illness and just begun to feel serious symptoms that very day. She said that they were closed and that even the people who ran the restaurant were leaving for a couple of days out of town. She said that it was the first place on the right after leaving the spa and that if nothing else she would have a key left at the door of number eight upstairs. I t had begun to seem like a reservation!
At the Antique shop I was told to hit the road and that they had been waiting to eat. I'm sure I thanked them. I headed south and managed to get lost several times. If you make the trip I suggest that you take 99.
I arrive in Porterville I the late afternoon supposing that everyone would know were the Hot Springs are. They didn't. One kind store manager called his boss and home and had me ask him. The 'boss' gave me clear and accurate directions and suggested that I not call him at home at dinner time.
Following the directions of the man whose dinner I had interrupted for some distance south without entering the hills, I began to wonder if I had gone wrong. I pulled off at the last house in view and found a man about my age in the back yard with his great grandson and a number of animals. He told me to stay on the road and I would find it difficult to get lost.
The sun went down.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Peak Experience Post Five
In the last Peak Experience Post I had stopped at a gas station to ask for directions. I was told that California Hot Springs was straight up the vary road I was on. I was told to stop at the Community of Coarse Gold. Now coarse gold is good news. Every placer miner finds coarse gold a pleasure. He might want nuggets as big as quail eggs and he knows that 'fines' hide in heavy black sands. He also knows that coarse gold pays for beans and may even pay-off the mortgage.
I headed for Coarse Gold. I was hungry when I arrived and ordered a carne asada meal. Such a whole meal could be produced without being pulled apart to accommodate my dietary restrictions. The meal was a peak experience. It was the simplest of Mexican meals: beans, rice, vegetables, and beef. It was well prepared. The corn tortillas did not come up to quite the standard of the rest of the meal, but they were good enough to ask for a second helping.
Before I ate, while I ate, and after I ate I spoke with many about California Hot Springs. We spoke of many ways to get into hot water, especial of those close to where we ate and of some all time favorites. No one knew of the California Hot Springs.
After eating I ask at a couple of more establishments on my side of the road and then crossed over to the other side. I the near distance an antique store took my eye. I entered that attractive shop and saw that it wasn't all glass and china and that there was no dust. There were also three or four well-dressed mature ladies.
The youngest of them offered to use their computer to help me find my hot water goal.
I headed for Coarse Gold. I was hungry when I arrived and ordered a carne asada meal. Such a whole meal could be produced without being pulled apart to accommodate my dietary restrictions. The meal was a peak experience. It was the simplest of Mexican meals: beans, rice, vegetables, and beef. It was well prepared. The corn tortillas did not come up to quite the standard of the rest of the meal, but they were good enough to ask for a second helping.
Before I ate, while I ate, and after I ate I spoke with many about California Hot Springs. We spoke of many ways to get into hot water, especial of those close to where we ate and of some all time favorites. No one knew of the California Hot Springs.
After eating I ask at a couple of more establishments on my side of the road and then crossed over to the other side. I the near distance an antique store took my eye. I entered that attractive shop and saw that it wasn't all glass and china and that there was no dust. There were also three or four well-dressed mature ladies.
The youngest of them offered to use their computer to help me find my hot water goal.
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