chinati hot springs
Chinati Hot Springs
Near Ruidosa, Texas
March 10, 2008
After my brief foray into Mexico, I returned to the U.S. entering the country at Presido, Texas. There are some other stories to be told about my time in Mexico, but I will save them for later.
I arrived in Presidio around 10:30 PM and having passed through the area on my way into Mexico I had already planned a place to stay for the night. The motel options are bleak in Presidio, but there is a very nice state historical site, Fort Leaton, just outside of town. There really isn't any camping allowed there, but the parking and picnic area suited my needs just fine. As I expected, the place was deserted and I probably wouldnât see anyone around until the site opened in the morning.
I got a good nightâs sleep, woke up and made some cheese quesedillas with fresh blue corn tortillas that I had purchased in Mexico. Went into Presidio and got gas, did some laundry, bought groceries, checked my email.
I needed to make a decision about which direction to head from here. Big Bend National Park was a couple of hours away to the east, but to the west about an hour was the town of Ruidosa, and not far from there, a place I had read about called Chinati (not chianti) Hot Springs. I didn't know much about the place, but I decided to drive up there and check it out. If it was a dump I could turn around and go back towards the park without a major loss of time.
The drive followed a paved road to Ruidosa where I turned onto a gravel road leading into Pinto Canyon. It was about seven miles to Chinati and the drive was pretty easy. But as I approached the turn into the hot springs, I had a sinking feeling. It sure didnât look like much. I pulled into the little parking area and got out to look around. There was a very conservative looking couple standing by their car and I asked them if they were coming or going.
"We're leaving" said the man.
"How did you like the place?", I asked.
"We didn't stay. We were just checking it out. It's, uhh, interesting"
By the way he talked, I could tell he meant he thought there was something weird about it. Maybe there were new age crystal gazers, or worse yet nudists!
Their dismissal of the place was enough to pique my interest.
There is another couple sitting on a bench with a young boy. They tell me they have been here for two nights and they love it. There names are Mark and Jan and their son is Nika, or maybe Niko, and they are from Austin.
I start to wander around to look at the premises. The most obvious structure is a building that houses a communal kitchen with a variety of tables and chairs, all kinds of cooking utensils, a couple of refridgerators, stoves, everything one would need to cook for a large group or just fix a sandwich. There are board games, books, etc. scattered about. Itâs a very comfortable looking place with large porches for outdoor dining as well.
Walking up to the old adobe office building, I look inside the screen door, and thereâs a guy about 35-40 with dreadlocks who is the manager. He explains to me about the hot springs. There is a communal bath outdoors under a large cottonwood tree that all guests can use. It maintains a temperature of 98 degrees. In addition there are two private bath houses that are also available where a hot bath can be drawn from the springs. The submerged tubs are located in cool old adobe buildings and are and formed of concrete and tile and they are huge. Also available are cabanas or motel style rooms, once again all old adobe structures. There are trails leading down the canyon along the stream bed, or up on the ridge above. And a groundskeeper is working on a garden plot that is water by a series of irrigation canals fed by the spring like something out of "the Milagro Beanfield War". My initial impression about the place has changed from skeptical to enthusiastic. I opt to continue on the cheap, using one of the comfortable camp sites to park the van. The camp site with the use of all facilities will cost me $15 a night.
About the time I am getting settled in, another family arrives, this time it is the Jensen family from San Marcos, Texas. Craig and Ann are traveling with their college age daughter and her friend, as well as Ann's father and stepmother, Doug and Betty.
And not long after, one other guest arrives, a fellow named Colin who is from Nova Scotia, but lives in L.A. He is on a road trip that will take him to the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin. Now the evening's guests have all arrived.
Very quickly, the group gels into a very friendly bunch. There are overlapping areas of interest and even common friends. I learn that Craig and Ann's son has studied with a guitar maker that I know in Phoenix. Dinner items are shared all around and we have a very pleasant evening of conversation. Grandpa Doug leads a lively game of hearts at one of the dining room tables.
Before I turn in for bed, the desert air has gotten chilly, and a hot bath seems in order. One of the bath houses is unoccupied, so I take in my things, light one of the candles that is in the room and start to fill the bath. The springs at Chinati are known to contain lithium, which of course is a mood stabilizer often used for people suffering from depression. There is no sulfur in the water, or any other minerals to impart an unpleasant smell. There is only one valve to turn to fill the tub and it comes directly out of the spring. The water is just hot enough for a perfect relaxing bath and I linger until I am almost asleep in the water.
Toweled off, the walk back to my campsite feels great as the retained heat from the bath makes the cool night area seem refreshing. The new moon is making its first appearance as I crawl into my sleeping bag, Rio takes his place on his bed, and I slip oh so blissfully into unconsciousness.
chinati hot springs
Chinati Hot Springs
Near Ruidosa, Texas
March 10, 2008
After my brief foray into Mexico, I returned to the U.S. entering the country at Presido, Texas. There are some other stories to be told about my time in Mexico, but I will save them for later.
I arrived in Presidio around 10:30 PM and having passed through the area on my way into Mexico I had already planned a place to stay for the night. The motel options are bleak in Presidio, but there is a very nice state historical site, Fort Leaton, just outside of town. There really isn't any camping allowed there, but the parking and picnic area suited my needs just fine. As I expected, the place was deserted and I probably wouldnât see anyone around until the site opened in the morning.
I got a good nightâs sleep, woke up and made some cheese quesedillas with fresh blue corn tortillas that I had purchased in Mexico. Went into Presidio and got gas, did some laundry, bought groceries, checked my email.
I needed to make a decision about which direction to head from here. Big Bend National Park was a couple of hours away to the east, but to the west about an hour was the town of Ruidosa, and not far from there, a place I had read about called Chinati (not chianti) Hot Springs. I didn't know much about the place, but I decided to drive up there and check it out. If it was a dump I could turn around and go back towards the park without a major loss of time.
The drive followed a paved road to Ruidosa where I turned onto a gravel road leading into Pinto Canyon. It was about seven miles to Chinati and the drive was pretty easy. But as I approached the turn into the hot springs, I had a sinking feeling. It sure didnât look like much. I pulled into the little parking area and got out to look around. There was a very conservative looking couple standing by their car and I asked them if they were coming or going.
"We're leaving" said the man.
"How did you like the place?", I asked.
"We didn't stay. We were just checking it out. It's, uhh, interesting"
By the way he talked, I could tell he meant he thought there was something weird about it. Maybe there were new age crystal gazers, or worse yet nudists!
Their dismissal of the place was enough to pique my interest.
There is another couple sitting on a bench with a young boy. They tell me they have been here for two nights and they love it. There names are Mark and Jan and their son is Nika, or maybe Niko, and they are from Austin.
I start to wander around to look at the premises. The most obvious structure is a building that houses a communal kitchen with a variety of tables and chairs, all kinds of cooking utensils, a couple of refridgerators, stoves, everything one would need to cook for a large group or just fix a sandwich. There are board games, books, etc. scattered about. Itâs a very comfortable looking place with large porches for outdoor dining as well.
Walking up to the old adobe office building, I look inside the screen door, and thereâs a guy about 35-40 with dreadlocks who is the manager. He explains to me about the hot springs. There is a communal bath outdoors under a large cottonwood tree that all guests can use. It maintains a temperature of 98 degrees. In addition there are two private bath houses that are also available where a hot bath can be drawn from the springs. The submerged tubs are located in cool old adobe buildings and are and formed of concrete and tile and they are huge. Also available are cabanas or motel style rooms, once again all old adobe structures. There are trails leading down the canyon along the stream bed, or up on the ridge above. And a groundskeeper is working on a garden plot that is water by a series of irrigation canals fed by the spring like something out of "the Milagro Beanfield War". My initial impression about the place has changed from skeptical to enthusiastic. I opt to continue on the cheap, using one of the comfortable camp sites to park the van. The camp site with the use of all facilities will cost me $15 a night.
About the time I am getting settled in, another family arrives, this time it is the Jensen family from San Marcos, Texas. Craig and Ann are traveling with their college age daughter and her friend, as well as Ann's father and stepmother, Doug and Betty.
And not long after, one other guest arrives, a fellow named Colin who is from Nova Scotia, but lives in L.A. He is on a road trip that will take him to the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin. Now the evening's guests have all arrived.
Very quickly, the group gels into a very friendly bunch. There are overlapping areas of interest and even common friends. I learn that Craig and Ann's son has studied with a guitar maker that I know in Phoenix. Dinner items are shared all around and we have a very pleasant evening of conversation. Grandpa Doug leads a lively game of hearts at one of the dining room tables.
Before I turn in for bed, the desert air has gotten chilly, and a hot bath seems in order. One of the bath houses is unoccupied, so I take in my things, light one of the candles that is in the room and start to fill the bath. The springs at Chinati are known to contain lithium, which of course is a mood stabilizer often used for people suffering from depression. There is no sulfur in the water, or any other minerals to impart an unpleasant smell. There is only one valve to turn to fill the tub and it comes directly out of the spring. The water is just hot enough for a perfect relaxing bath and I linger until I am almost asleep in the water.
Toweled off, the walk back to my campsite feels great as the retained heat from the bath makes the cool night area seem refreshing. The new moon is making its first appearance as I crawl into my sleeping bag, Rio takes his place on his bed, and I slip oh so blissfully into unconsciousness.