I followed a great tradition this morning, celebrating the first day of the year with a plunge into wintry waters. However wintry waters in Desert Hot Springs for me consisted of 94 degree F crystal clear spring water in the lower pool at Catalina Spa and RV Resort. Not a bad way to start the year. I floated silently on my back watching the stars and then swam a slow breast stroke while seeing the sun brighten the skies to the east.
It was only 5:45 am or so, and Mo slept peacefully back at the rig with Abby and Jeremy while I ventured the short walk to the pool. By 6:30 other folks appeared in the pool and spa area for a morning soak. These pools are my favorite part of coming here in the winter. The water is exchanged at a rate of some 35,000 gallons per day, with no sulfur but plenty of healing minerals for achy bones. The swimming pool is cooled from the springs temperature of 130 degrees by adding cooled water, and the spa tub is kept just hot enough at 104 degrees or so. Gotta watch out for the exchange jets, though, that water coming in is HOT!
We love the desert, the silence and emptiness of it all. This part of the desert isn’t exactly silent and definitely not empty, but the air is still desert fresh and the skies are blue and cloudless most of the time. As much as I love being alone in the wild, I also love being tucked into a spiffy spot in a pretty park with goodies all around. It is a completely different experience, yet just as wonderful.
There are more than a dozen different parks in this area, all of them with springs and pools of some sort. Some are expensive and elegant, some are members only resorts, some are just trailer parks and others filled with manufactured homes. It is definitely a snowbird haven with open desert to the east and Palm Springs and shopping south and west.
Catalina Spa and RV Resort seems to be the one we have settled on, and neither one of us has much interest in looking around for anything else. Since this is a members only resort, we can only stay here for seven days with our CampClub USA card, now converted to Passport America, although the folks at Catalina are as yet unaware of the shift. We taped our old CampClub card back together when we realized that maybe we would still need both cards. Good thing. The rate here is fifty bucks a day plus internet without some sort of discount.
There are two areas, the older section called the “lower” park and the newer section called the “upper”. The Upper has a bigger pool, a fancier clubhouse, and 50 amp spaces for the big rigs. The lower section has a funkier adults only pool and only 30 amp sites. It also has older eucalyptus trees and big shady tamarisk rows with oleanders that have to be cut back every year to keep from taking over all the space. Perfect for us since the MoHo is a 30 amp rig.
We stayed up until midnight to watch the ball fall last night, but since that was midnight eastern time, I got plenty of sleep before my early swim this morning. Yesterday we spent a long day driving around the Salton Sea and visiting The Slabs, but that is a story for another day. Today will be a quiet one, with a trip to town for groceries and washing the Tracker, an afternoon of reading and knitting, and finished by a movie trip tonight to see “Warhorse” on the big screen.
Perfect. Just Perfect.
The MoHo and Other Traveling Tales 
Wishing you a year that brings good friends,good health, good luck, good things & safe travels!
Happy New Year
Donna
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I could use a polar plunge like that right about now! 🙂
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Not sure whether I'll get wet, I mean go swimming this year. So much rain one hardly needs to go swimming although a dip in the hot pools see at http://www.polynesianspa.co.nz/polynesianspa/home/ would have been nice if they were more budget friendly.
Blessings for 2012.
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Sounds like a wonderful place to take a plunge 🙂
Happy New Year!
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That is my kind of polar, happy new year!
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That is my kind of polar, happy new year!
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Happy New Year to both of you. Sounds like a nice place to stay, and enjoy the hot springs pool.
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You want a real polar bear plunge, you are invited to come jump in our pool lol!! Don't think it would be as much fun though. Glad you are having a good time and that 94* water sounds really good about now.
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Oh my this sounds wonderful! I love being up before dawn and watching the skies brighten and your spot sounds perfect. Definitely writing this place down for a future New Year's Eve. Maybe I'll see you in the warm Polar Waters. 🙂
Sherry
http://www.directionofourdreams.blogspot.com
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Now that's my kind of polar plunge. Sounds like you started off the new year just right. I'll be curious to read your post on The Slabs. We've been there.
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great polar plunge..in a nice warm pool!!..enjoy the ammenities..it sounds like heaven!!
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Oh boy, what a big softie you are, Sue! That can't be considered to be a “real” New Year's Day plunge!! Desert Hot Springs is a great place to be, though. So happy you made it there safely. Enjoy the sunshine and the warm water. We'll look forward to you sharing lots more sunshine photos!!
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That simply sounds awesome and makes my body ache for the heat of the pool and springs…. j.e.a.l.o.u.s. but happy for your new year experience!!!
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Love the looks of the pools at your resort… will have to check it out! Happy New Year!
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If I were to take a polar plunge it would have to follow your style. We brought the New Year's in with others in an earlier timezone too :-)))
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Beautiful pictures! Happy New Year! One big New Year's resolution: monitor my mifi usage every couple of days; turn the mifi completely OFF when not using…Enough of those $700 monthly bills!!
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Well, believe it or not but I would really like all that pool and spa stuff too if it wasn't for so many darn people around. I always enjoy the looks of those types of resorts with all their nice landscaping, palm trees, great creative colors and southwest architecture. Many, many creative photo opportunities. All the best to you guys for the new year:))
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I am a new follower of your Blog and wanted to thank you for all of the information you supplied.
We are presently in Gulf Shores and headed west and then up to the Pacific Northwest. Being the only driver and also never have driven in CA, I am somewhat jittery. ..
I keep telling myself…I can do it!
Sue
Just BS ! (Bob and Sue)
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HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Sounds so good. Take a plunge for me tomorrow.
May this year be full of great things and great health and more wonderful and safe trips.
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