Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Harbin Hot Springs

This is great place to unwind...It's located just outside of Middletown, California and called Harbin Hot Springs. I actually lived here for a few weeks during part of 1995 while acquiring my California State License for Massage Therapy.






Located just north of Napa Valley, Harbin Hot Springs is clearly a switch from the trendy. Its the essence of northern California rustic, retaining a distinct bond to the attitudes and culture of the early 70s. They intended to create a community that nurtured an alternative lifestyle, and thirty-five years later, the community is well and thriving!

It offers 1700 acres of wooded grounds, five mineral water pools, hiking trails, a health food store, a restaurant, campgrounds, lodges, and many types of therapeutic massage. Modern amenities are few, and the four-mile hike to the nearest town clearly signals a retreat from civilization. Best of all, most of the Harbin Hot Springs facilities are clothing-optional, offering the luxury of leaving behind even the most basic constraints of the real world.

Awesome concerts, dances, hiking, ceremonies, ect. can be enjoyed here. The hills dance with tiny springs bubbling up, and its of course the water that makes Harbin Hot Springs. Centuries ago, Native Americans considered them as sacred and healing. Today, seven of the springs are used to maintain five mineral water pools at various temperatures. Two hot springs feed the hot/warm pool complex; four cold springs feed the other pools, and one warm arsenic spring (with only a trace of the mineral) flows into the tiny footbath beside the warm pool.

The baths were first developed around 1860 by Matt Harbin, one of the survivors of the Donner Party. After a decline in the 1950s, Harbin was largely abandoned until the early 1970s. Currently the Hot Springs are cared for by over 150 residents with a rich variety of talents and skills. Certified therapists offer massage, watsu, and pampering spa treatment. There are yoga classes, New Age conferences on topics from raw food to tantric yoga, weekly dances, music events and workshops.

The restaurant serves breakfast and dinner daily the guest kitchen is available for self-catering, and the garden, market, and café round out Harbin as a universe unto itself. For a day pass, a weekend, or a week, you can combine the best of Harbin into a pace that spells deep relaxation. Wake up early and look out the lodge window on a collection of pools and decks and greenery. Walk a warm, wooded trail before breakfast. Enjoy wildlife ranging from deer that will eat from your hands to horses...

Soak in deep, quiet pools of hot water flowing up out of the earth, then switch to a cold water swim. After lunch, soak up the sun on a large wooden deck. A massage before dinner and a sauna before bed. Jobs, cars, television, bills, and grocery shopping all seem terribly remote. But the part of the brain that creates memories is working overtime, trying to soak it all in. Harbin is truly a place apart. Map to there is here

Reservations: (707) 987-2477 • California 1-800-622-2477 • www.harbin.org



Direct Links Are Provided Below:

The Warm Pool

The Harbin Stream






Introductory Section
Introduction
Harbin History
Our Spring Water
Frequently Asked Questions
Photo Gallery

Massage, Watsu® &
Spa Services Section

Massage Overview
Massage Styles
Spa Services
School of Massage




Events, Classes &
Workshops Section
Events Overview
Dances
Yoga
Satsang
Events This Week
Special Events
Monthly Calendar
Workshop Listings
Info for Workshop Leaders



Features of Interest Section
Features Overview
Local News
Local Artists
Local Authors
HCC & NACOB
Residency Program
Links of Interest




Rates, Directions &
Information Section
Rates
Gift Certificates

Seasonal Deals
Map & Driving Directions
Things to Know
Food Options
Camping
Weather
Packing List



Photo Pages
Photo Gallery
Dorm Room
Basic Room

Room with Half Bath
Room with Full Bath
Jasmine Cottage
Cedar Cottage
Manzanita Cottage
Tent Cabin
Conference Center
Meadow Building
Mountain Lodge
Temple Construction



Utilities Section
Contact Us
Subscribe
Printable Driving Map
Packing List

Mainside Map



Harbins Home Page







3 comments:

Anonymous said...

yep! thats the place i looked at when i was in massage school...i remember the tepee. but i didn't know it was 17,000 acreas....that rocks. and clothing optional..hehehe

thor

Amanda. Bay Area Photographer said...

I think after reading a TON of online reviews, I'm FINALLY going next week! ~Amanda

Anonymous said...

found your site today and really liked it.. i bookmarked it and will be back to check it out some more later ..