Mineral water, mud and wine

For about 20 years we've been coming to the Napa Valley and staying at the same place in the town of Calistoga. Dr. Wilkerson built his motel back in the 1950's, and along with plain clean rooms they sold health cures like mud baths and steam baths. And other old treatments you probably didn't want all that much. This was long before the Napa Valley was a fancy wine destination. The motel exterior looks pretty much the same and so do the warm mineral swimming pools, but of course the rooms have been updated over the years.

We used to look forward to seeing Dr Wilkerson sitting in the lobby or taking a nap out in the patio. He passed away not long ago and was well into his 90's, which says something about the healthful life here not to mention the chiropractic lifestyle. His family continues to manage the motel, and to be honest not much has changed. How can you improve on perfection?

When we stay here I always make an appointment to have "The Works" package in the spa-- which means a mud bath, mineral whirlpool, steam room, blanket wrap. Saying "mud bath" brings to mind some sort of outdoor wild wallowing, but it's pretty civilized. First of all, ladies in one spa area, gents in the other. The mud "bath" is a large cement tub you lower yourself down on slowly, then the bath attendant piles the steaming hot heavy mud all over your body. There you lie for 10 minutes as "toxins are removed, arthritis is eased and stress is removed from the body." That's how it feels, anyway. When that part is over, you pull yourself out of the sucking mud (not pretty but they've seen it all before) and then lay back to soak in a big bathtub of mineral water. Cucumbers are put on your eyes and an icy cold washcloth on your forehead. After that, you head to the steam bath where you can stay as long as you like-- again more cold cloths and cold water to drink. Finally, the attendant takes you for a quiet rest and covers you with a flannel sheet to "cool off" for a half hour. A final shower and out the door. How do you feel? Extremely clean! Must be the lack of toxins.

(Not me, but could be)

OK, maybe you are wondering does John ever do the mud bath thing? As he will tell you, he was "tricked" once into having a mud bath when I came across a two-for-one coupon and forced him to use it. The attendant at the man spa told him that the coupon thing "happened all the time to husbands." He's never done it again, but if you ask him he will tell you all about it in detail and personally I think he enjoyed it. Now he likes to dash around the county visiting wineries while I have my "treatments."

Oh well, he doesn't do spa treatments but he's one heck of an IT man on the road so I can blog. More later!