This past weekend my wife and I visited Berkeley Springs, WV, the country’s “first spa,” whose hot springs drew George Washington to bathe in the mineral waters. I’m far from the “spa type,” but one day I had to try a Roman Bath, a 30-minute soak in a private ceramic tub in with 750 gallons of mineral water drawn fresh for each customer. And, oh yeah, the water is heated to 102 degrees.
Going in, I figured it would be nice and relaxing and I’d come out feeling invigorated. Oh, I did, but let me tell you: after 30 minutes, 102 degree water is mighty warm. My face was flushed, my heart was beating fast, and I even had a little trouble catching my breath for a couple minutes. But after a few minutes back out in the cool air, I felt excellent and was in top form the rest of the day. Still, I was glad I didn’t opt for a 60-minute time slot.
I imagine it’s one of those things where you build up a tolerance as you do it more and more. I’ve never been in a sauna or anything like that, so this was really my first time in anything like this. Anyone here a frequent (or even one-time) spa-goer? Do you enjoy the theraputic qualities of a good soak in mineral water from hot springs?
Posted in Everyday Life