San Francisco Chronicle Hotel Review

Shedding Workday Stress – And Maybe Clothes
San Francisco Chronicle | Sam Zuckerman | 4/22/07
Article Link - SFGate.com

Wilbur Hot Springs inspires relaxation in isolated haven... As I lowered myself into the water in the redwood bathhouse at Wilbur Hot Springs, the acrid smell of sulfur filled my nostrils and a steamy mineral broth enveloped me.

Taking shallow breaths, I squinched down closer to my wife, closed my eyes and felt the water's buoyancy. Slowly, the moist heat penetrated my muscles and I began to relax. It wasn't long before the tumult of the office, where I had been just a little more than three hours before, was all but unimaginable.

Relaxation is what Wilbur Hot Springs is about -- not just taking it easy, but among the most profound sheddings of tension, stress and mindless busyness I've ever experienced. As the sign on the road in says: "Time to Slow Down."

In the 19th century the site was a spa on the stagecoach road between the Sacramento Valley and Clear Lake, with a croquet lawn and a formal dining room. During the 1970s it morphed into a retreat inspired by the human potential movement. Today, Wilbur consists of a rambling old inn, a bathhouse and 1,800-acre nature preserve, a place whose quiet ambience and hot mineral waters draw an eclectic mix of visitors.

The location is a near ideal balance of isolation and accessibility, in the Coastal Range between the Sacramento Valley town of Williams and Clear Lake, about 140 miles from San Francisco. After leaving the main highway, a 5-mile drive on a dirt road takes you into Wilbur's private valley, a classic California mix of woodland and rangeland.

The concrete and wood inn, with its wraparound veranda, was built in 1915 and remodeled in the 1970s. Propane powers refrigerators and stoves. Electricity comes from the solar panels on the hillside, enough to power the lights, but not much more. That's about it for electronics -- no TVs, no telephones (except for a public phone outside the inn; most cell phones don't have reception here), no Internet connection for guests.

The roofed, open-air redwood bathhouse overlooking the creek, with its attached sundeck, pools, sauna and bathing flumes, functions as a kind of a village square -- if you can imagine a village where most people go naked.

In Wilbur's singular culture, that nudity is quite modest and respectful. Only the bathhouse is clothing-optional, and house rules call for silence in the three long flumes. With just 17 guest rooms, Wilbur is not big, so there generally aren't many people crowding the flumes. Courtesy prevails, with bathers giving each other wide berths and avoiding ostentatious displays.

My wife, Judy, and I had the place to ourselves when we arrived on a Friday night. As we plunged in after the obligatory pre-bath shower, we had only the stars shining under the eaves of the roof and the rushing sound of the creek to keep us company.

The flumes range in temperature from a mild 98 degrees to a near-scalding 110. As a spa wimp, I kept pretty much to the coolest flume, sinking blissfully in for about four or five soaks during our weekend stay.

Between baths, Judy and I opted for two of our favorite getaway activities: hiking and reading. Dirt paths leading from the inn take walkers past abandoned mines, through grassland where cattle sometimes graze, up into hillsides thick with oak, pine and bird life. The place can become dry and swelteringly hot in the summer, but during our March visit the temperature was in the low 70s during the days and the hills and valleys were still brilliant green.

For those inclined, organized activities at Wilbur include yoga and massage.

The inn itself is a defining part of the Wilbur experience, and it's decidedly not for those who want to be pampered. After unloading, you must park your car one-fifth of a mile from the main building. Rooms are cozy but spartan. There are no private bathrooms, only well-tended lavatories on each of the building's three floors. And there's no restaurant. Guests bring their own food and whip up their meals in a spacious, well-equipped communal kitchen, cleaning up after themselves.

As you enter, you must take off your shoes and listen to a recitation of house rules from the person who registers you. I told Terrye, the outgoing staff person at the front desk, that I was a veteran of many visits and knew the drill. So she tested me. To my shame, I flunked a question or two.

The kitchen is a hub in the evenings as carnivores hauling cuts of beef and bacon almost literally rub elbows with vegans. The display of tolerance is admirable, as guests swap recipes and offer gracious comments about their neighbors' cooking.

The activity then shifts to the large dining and common room, furnished with Tiffany lamps and arts-and-crafts-style sofas and chairs. Sometimes the common room is a social center with guests playing guitars and a lively scrabble game going. The cast of characters is varied, representing a wide range of ages and ways of life. I've met eminent scientists and San Francisco street performers at Wilbur.

But every visit is different. On our latest stay Judy and I kept to ourselves, exchanging little more than pleasantries with others.

Maybe the toughest thing about Wilbur is that just as you get into the rhythm of the place, it's time to leave. Two days is the longest I've stayed. I wonder what a week would do?


If you go...

Getting there

Wilbur Hot Springs is 140 miles from San Francisco, or about a 2 1/2 -hour drive. Take Interstate 80 west to Interstate 505 north. At Esparto, take Highway 16 north to Highway 20 and turn left. Head west for 100 feet and turn right onto Wilbur Road. After 4 miles, turn left over bridge and follow sign to Wilbur.

Where to stay and eat

Wilbur Hot Springs, Wilbur Springs. (530) 473-2306, www.wilburhotsprings.com. 17 rooms: doubles $185-$205 (two-night minimum on weekends), singles $139 (Sun.-Thurs. and non-holidays only). Private apartment, $289 double. Bunk room, $87 for single bed. Except for occasional guest-chef weekends, guests prepare meals in fully equipped kitchen; refrigerator and storage space provided.
(*Prices updated 2009)

What to do

Facilities include deck, sheltered bathhouse, three hot mineral flumes, large cool-water pool, hot sitting pool and dry sauna; day pass $45 for non-guests. Yoga instruction and massage often available. Hiking in Coastal Range foothills in private nature preserve. Nearby Bear Valley offers one of Northern California's best spring wildflower displays.