Where to begin...first of all, if you have never experienced natural hot springs, then you haven't lived. Words cannot not describe how much I love the place we discovered. On a whim (and recommendation/clipped magazine article about it from Raf's aunt) we decided to stop at Umpqua hot springs on our way to our campsite on the coast. It was probably one of the best decisions ever made. It was a bit hard to get to (winding dirt and gravel roads and wooded areas), but oh so worth it. Once we parked, we walked across a bridge over a flowing river. The view was spectacular. The sun was casting magic on the water and surrounding woods and the temperature was just right. We started up the steep trail, through the woods until we came to a ledge that had a number of soaking pools. The one at the top was the hottest (too hot!) and they gradually got cooler until you got down the river. We found our sweet spot, the pool right in the middle, not too hot, not too cold, and overhanging the ledge with a view of the river below. There were 3 other people there, and everyone was clothed (there were warnings of frequent nude bathing). We jumped from pool to pool, getting hot, then cool, and then we just stayed and soaked in our favorite for a while, taking it all in. It was so peaceful and perfect. Finally, the other people left, and just because I could, I took off my suit! And no one could stop me--back to nature and all things wild! :) Raf thought it was pretty funny, and humored me while I soaked a bit more. That lasted about 10 minutes, as it was starting to get late and we didn't want most of our drive to be driving the winding roads in the dark. We said goodbye to our peaceful oasis, and headed to the car to continue on our adventure...
No comments:
Post a Comment