Julie's Journal

Michael found this book at REI about a month ago, Touring California and Nevada Hot Springs by Matt C. Bischoff. After looking through it we decided that we must visit the Gold Strike Hot Springs that is only about 5 miles from our house.

After the long, and sometimes treacherous, hike we made it to the hot springs. We set up camp while the boyz immediately jumped in and enjoyed the hot water. Soon after they came back with the look of shock in their faces. Apparently the older couple that was setting up camp next to us had gotten completely naked and got into the hot springs. Their two young children, in swimming suits I might add, soon followed.

It was just too much for three pubescent boyz to grasp so they spent the rest of the trip basically hanging around our camp site which was blocked from the main pool by a large boulder.

Michael and I got in the springs, with swimsuits thankyouverymuch, and really did enjoy being in the middle of this canyon, with jetting rocks reaching hundreds of feet in the air surrounding us. The family was very nice and we soon forgot they were naked underneath the water.

We spent a good portion of the night in the hot springs and eventually decided to try it sans swimming suits after everyone was out of the pool and sound asleep in their tents. We put tea lights all around the rocky edge and it was very beautiful with the flickering candles and the moon above.

I didn’t sleep very good at all, and I have no idea why. The weather was perfect and all, but I just kept waking up all night long about every 30-40 minutes. The sun came up around 6:30 AM and we decided to just get up and stop fighting it. We were all sitting around our camp site eating bagels and cream cheese when this older man came running down the trail all smiling and happy. The other family was already enjoying the pool and he asked them if he could join them. They said sure, hop in! He stripped down naked and got in the water. Not to soon after that the hot springs was filled with naked people.

I looked at Micheal, he looked at me, and we looked at the boyz. All three of them said, it’s time to go mom. We packed up and hiked the two miles back to the car.

I bought a pedometer at Walmart on Friday night before our trip that I wore for the whole trip. According to it I made 18,210 steps that equaled out to 8.60 miles. It was set at a 30 inch stride, so I’m not sure how accurate that is for me. I didn’t notice I could change that until right now when I was searching for it so I could link it. My quads are really feeling it. The walking part of the trail was fine. It was the rock climbing that did my legs in.

Overall I had a really good time, I just wish the boyz would have enjoyed it more.

I hear a lot about how people think books are so much better than the internet, but in this case I would have to disagree. A little bit of searching online would have told me that this was an adult only destination, and a very popular past time for the nudist community.

As usual we took a lot of pictures and you can see them here in Julie’s Photo Gallery.