Glen Ivy...

A while ago I went to visit some friends of mine who live out in Indio.  They are getting married in October.  When I went to visit, the future hubs said to me “Please get her to do SOMETHING for a shower or bachelorette!”

My girlfriend isn’t a big partier, drinker, what have you so she hasn’t anything planned.  The boys of course are having a bachelor weekend and I know he just wants her to have something too. 

“What about a spa day?” I ask thinking of lunch and mani/pedi or something.

She’s down.  She makes sure it’s planned around so I can come.  I get the invite via email from her Maid of Honor saying we are doing a day at Glen Ivy Hot Springs Spa.

Awesome I think.

I went once before like 100 years ago when I was 17 or 18.  It was like $10 to get in and there’s a cool mud bath thing.  I’m really really short on cash right now, but figure it won’t be too bad.

“I’m in!” I email back.

I trek to the website to check it out.

$64 TO JUST GET IN THE PLACE NOW!

Holy shit have things changed!  I look around the website and the place is huge now!  It’s like a Spa City!

I fall into a slight panic mode trying to figure out how to make this work.  After a bit of hemming and hawing I suck it up and decide to just charge it.  F it.  It’s for my lovely friend, they planned it around me I heard, and hell it was sort of my idea.  I just don’t plan on getting any of the “treatments” that’s for damn sure.

After email trains back and forth with the gal putting this on they say I don’t need to help or bring anything, just pretty much show up.

Dope.

I put together a little spa gift for my friend and set the day aside.  It’s open 9-6.  Oh I’ll be there 9-6!  $64.  Mutter.  Grumble.

The gal told me they were arriving right when it opened to stake a spot and decorate.  Decorate?  I didn’t think you could really decorate there, but ok.

The day comes and I have my tote ready, full of multiple towels, a change of clothes, my hair products (Don’t you think I’m not taking advantage of the showers with the free nice smelling soap!), Dea’s gift, a magazine, sunscreen and my floppy hat.  I feel like a professional.  Like I totally do Spa Days all the damn time. Ha!

I arrive right when it opens at 9am.  I take a deep breathe; I’m always a little nervous to hang out with a bunch of people I don’t know, and get out of my truck.  I look around at the parking lot filling up with cars and gaggles of women chatting and laughing all with giant totes.  I also notice most of the cars are expensive cars.  Oh lord.

I notice all of the rocks around the place are set up like this.  Very Zen.  Nice.

I head up the walkway and into a line forming out of the place.  I realize you check in with a cashier and if you are new probably have a lot of questions so it wasn’t a fast moving line.

I get sent to my cashier and she hands me a map of the grounds, shows me where the lockers are and charges me the $64.

“Would you like to keep your credit card on file to use throughout the day?”  I’m tempted but know my willpower or lack thereof and say no.

I decide to take a stroll of the grounds since I have no idea who these girls are or what they look like. 

Cool water spout thing here:

Then I find this AWESOME little area.  It’s under a gazebo, two rocking chairs and so lovely and quiet.  I look around and the place is still pretty empty and there is no one around me so I sit and practice mindfulness for about 10 minutes.  Perfect way to start the day.

As I walk around, the place has multiple hot tub/spas, a mud bath area called Club Mud, mineral hot tubs, a saline spa, a hot and cold plunge, a lounge pool, two other pools and a lap pool.  There is also a bunch of small buildings that the treatments are held in, a large café, some cabanas and a few gift shops.  Not to mention the just really pretty little areas all around.  I mean the place is friggin gorgeous!

On my way to the lockers I spot two girls decorating a little nook with Tiki themed stuff.  This has to be them.  Dea loooooooooves Tiki.

“Sarah?” I say.

“Yes!”

We found each other.  Rad.

Sarah and her roomie had found the perfect little nook for us.  It was right behind Club Mud, very shady and quite private.  It was perfect!  She had also set it up so very cute!  She had our lounge chairs all set up for us as you see here:

She had tiki lanterns strung across the area, a huge sign, leis for all of us and a bouquet of flowers.  I was very impressed!

There was also our own private waterfall/pond it seemed.

After we set everything up, we took our stuff to the lockers and waited for the Bride to Be.  We ended up waiting quite a while so we got ourselves some drinks and got to know each other.  The gals were rad.  Yay! 

Dea showed up and was beyond thrilled.

We started off with food.  It was nearing noon and we were starving.  Everything of course was waaaaaaaaaay overpriced but I have to say – I ordered the sushi and it was delish and so pretty!

I was also told my iced tea was refillable all day.  Hells yes.  This was my drink the rest of the day.

We decided to do Club Mud first.  Sarah whipped out a bottle of grape seed extract oil and explained instead of paying $25 extra to go to the “Grotto” and get painted up with oils (They advise you do this before the Mud because it can dry out your skin) she brought her own.  A girl after my own heart.

So we all lathered up and headed to Club Mud.  You walk into a waist high pool with a giant clay thing in the middle and basically rub it all over yourself.  I put it everywhere.  Face included.  We all looked like aborigines when we were done.  You then hung out in the sun to “bake”.  They also had a little sauna area you could go in as well which we did.  Once dry you take these towels they give you and scrub off the mud (This exfoliates you) and then you shower in the outdoor showers lathering up with the yummy lavender body wash.

Your skin feels like silk.  One of the girls and me kept joking that we couldn’t stop touching ourselves.

We then lounged a while.  Then went into the mineral pools.  These smell like sulfur.  They are also way hot.  I wasn’t much of a fan of these.  We went into a random hot tub.  We got some drinks.  We went into the saline spa.  I loved this one.  We then rested some more.  Then out to the lounge pool which is about a 1 foot deep pool and you just float on these rafts.  So relaxing.  We then did the hot/cold plunge.  You soak in the hot tub then plunge into the cold one.  You’re supposed to do this 5 times.  It was actually kinda cool.

That was pretty much it!  None of the girls got “treatments”.  Dea opened her presents.  We lounged around talking and chatting and laughing.  They offered free classes throughout the day that we talked of doing but never did.  It’s almost like the relaxing nature of the place just drugged you into doing nothing.  It was bliss.

The people watching was kind of fun too.  Mostly upper class folks it seemed.  Not surprised.  They probably come all the time.  There were also lots of groups, birthdays and showers I'm sure.  I have to admit, a lot of the guests were kind of snooty but again, not surprised.  We did get a lot of compliments on our decor though.  I think everyone was jealous.  Go Sarah.

A bit before 5 we were all getting somewhat water logged and decided to call it a day.  We hit the locker rooms.  In here we tried out the Roman Bath.  A hot tub that was way too chlorine-y.  Then we sat in the steam room awhile.  I love steam rooms!!!!  I always feel like I’m just sweating out all my bad stuff.  Then we hit the showers.  I over-used the lavender conditioner and body wash and took my time getting together and getting everything gathered.  It was a bit nutty in the locker room by this point but still very cool.  They also have this awesome spinner thing you throw your suit in that helps dry it a bit before you head out.

We all walked out together and hugged and headed home.  

I stopped at Toms Farms on my way out and re-lived memories from many camping trips out this way and always stopping here.  I of course picked up a French baguette, freshly baked and still warm, some honey butter, turkey jerky and homemade cookies.  All my favorites!

All in all it was a lovely lovely relaxing day.  The $64 is a bit steep but it was such a nice day it made it all worth it.  I was told you can go for free on your actual birthday so I would love to bring my mom.  I think she would really enjoy it and we would do it a bit differently.  Maybe actually do the free classes and explore it a bit more.  Below are some shots of all the girls and my favorite shot of me and the Bride to Be, my awesome friend Miss Dea!  All the girls were very cool.  It was a perfect sized small group and we had a wonderful time.  Congrats to Dea!  Can't wait for the big day!