Luxury is playing hooky as an adult and taking a weekday off to spend it relaxing at a day spa. Not any day spa, but Glen Ivy Hot Springs – a location long known to local Native American tribes for the mineral water sources to have spiritual powers to heal the body, mind and spirit. And my partner Richard and I really needed a boost to our bodies, minds and spirits. Glen Ivy is located in Temescal Canyon about an hour and a half north of central San Diego. For us, it was a day only, the wineries we passed by in Temecula will have to wait for another weekend. And the beauty of taking a weekday trip – no traffic! When you arrive at Glen Ivy, you’ll be given a map of the resort and a general idea of the best order on how to take the various waters. But since we did have to do a touch of work before hitting the road, we arrived at lunch time and headed first to their onsite restaurant, the Ivy Kitchen, since we were starving. Even though we were “hangry,” we still had leftovers from our fish tacos and grilled chicken quesadilla orders. And you can taste the delicious freshness in the dishes, because although Glen Ivy is known for the mud baths and mineral waters, they practice a strong farm-to-table philosophy. Glen Ivy actually has an onsite orchard growing orange, grapefruit and avocado trees. I’ve already lost my handy dandy map with the suggested order of activities, oh well…let’s play in the mud! San Diego had been in the midst of rain storms, so playing in the mud seems like a natural activity now that us San Diegans have experienced weather. We enter Club Mud and delve into the spring water mud pool. We grab clumps of their soft silky mud, made of California red clay mixed with the mineral water, and slather it all over – our arms, legs, backs, chests, and our faces. (Sorry no photos of that, our hands were too muddy.) And you want the mud to dry on you before washing off. And since we really couldn’t get dry soaking in the mud baths, we head over to the “Wafa” cave. I have no idea what Wafa stands for, but it’s basically a sauna built like a cave with a skylight and it helps dry up the mud – you can watch how the slippery mud on you slowly starts creeping into an elephant-like hard dry leathery skin. I can barely move my face to smile, but hey that means it’s time to wash it off. We scurry to the cave-like showers and wash it all off. We could take a shower together in public, how special. And I must say whatever was in their complimentary bath wash and shampoo smelled delightful. (Note to self: next time buy products.) Ahh, but the day is not over. In our comfy robes, we slowly saunter our way to the Massage Village for massage treatments. I’ve been waiting for this for weeks and I was not disappointed. My massage therapist Valentina provided an hour of pure bliss. I had the Aromasoul massage…plus the CBD enhancement (no THC folks, you do not get high). I’ve had lots of massages in my lifetime, but I can truly say I think this was the first time I fell asleep and started snoring. The CBD is supposed to help reduce stress, anxiety, and pain and it sure relaxed me. While the massage was over, our day was not. We continued to leisurely partake of the other pools and saunas. My favorite was sitting in the mineral baths. The waters are naturally heated to 103 degrees and you sit in personal sized outdoor pools. They’re lined up in a row so you can still hang out with your fam. The rain sprinkles were getting bigger, so we spent the remainder of our time in the indoor spas and steam rooms, then showered and dressed. We headed over to Lounge 1860, the outdoor gazebo bar where I hosed down a yummy Pina Colada. Until next time, Glen Ivy! Before heading home, I gently demanded that we stop by Tom’s Farms. A trip to Temescal Canyon is somewhat of a nostalgic trip for me, because in my younger days, my family would make treks to Tom’s Farms to stock up on their fresh breads, baked goods, fruits and veggies (avocados from the Glen Ivy orchard), and burgers. Yes, we loved those juicy burgers and we did this time too, paired with their thick steak cut fries equals true comfort food. And we did load up at the Cheese & Wine Shop with onsite baked sourdough bread, banana bread, and cheeses. I’m already planning to stock up more on a return trip to Tom’s Farms, because all our provisions were eaten within a couple days.
Do we recommend taking a day off to play hooky at Glen Ivy – absolutely! And you know the day was worth it when your son tells you the following morning that your skin looks really nice. Aww, what a sweet son. Looks like I’ll have to get to Glen Ivy more often – girls trip ladies! Info:
Drive about one and a half hours from central San Diego, north on Interstate 15. Exit Temescal Canyon Road, head left and follow the signs to Glen Ivy Hot Springs, you’ll pass by Tom’s Farms on the way. Glen Ivy Hot Springs has 19 pools, saunas, fitness classes, Massage Village, Club Mud, the Grotto, onsite food and beverages. Admission includes all amenities, except Massage Village treatments and the Grotto. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; May to October hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday-Sunday.Check their website calendar for more class and special event info, including Twilight Nights with DJs, live music and entertainment. Rates are $52/Monday-Friday, $72/Saturday, Sunday and Holidays, Twilight Nights admission – included with day guest admission, after 4 p.m. entry – $40. Note: On popular summer days, Glen Ivy often reaches capacity, and only those with pre-booked Massage Village treatments are guaranteed admission.
glenivy.com Tom’s Farms includes a number of dining, shops, and attractions, including: Tom’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers, Fudge & Gourmet Popcorn, Cheese & Wine Shop, Furniture & Décor, Farmers Market, Garden and Nursery, and on weekends the Craft Fair, Carousel, Pony Rides & Petting Zoo, Live Music and much more. Hours vary. Online store available. tomsfarms.com Road Trip Tip: Turn your day trip into a weekend by staying overnight in the Temecula area and go wine tasting in the Temecula Valley Wine Country. Also check out Temecula Olive Oil Company, and the many shops and restaurants in Old Town Temecula. visittemeculavalley.com