There was only one thing our driver Shawn Shannon’s heart desired to do before our seven-week jaunt across the United States was over:  take a dip in a hot springs.

In the midst of our intercontinental trek, we had nearly forgotten about Shawn’s wish – until he mentioned something outside of California that he really wanted to do it.

Right, right! – we exclaimed, and got busy trying to find the best-looking hot springs we could find in Northern California. Up popped Stewart Mineral Springs Resort, secretly tucked away in Mount Shasta, located in the town of Weed, California.

However, reading the website confused us – were mineral springs the same as a hot springs? What was the difference? What was the bathhouse, exactly? How did the whole thing work?

Our questions were quickly answered by Rowena, who explained that what we wanted to sign up for – a soothing, purifying mineral bath. It was not a simple soak-and-enjoy; it was three-step process. If we signed up, we would need to do the following:

• We would be assigned a one-person bathhouse – a closet of a room with just a huge Victorian tub, a chair, and clothing hooks.
• Hot mineral water would come through the tap, and we would have to relax in the tub for five minutes.
• After getting out, we would need to wrap ourselves in a towel, and go to the dry-wood sauna, where we would veg in the hot room for five minutes.
• After the sauna, we would have to head outside and take a thirty-second plunge into the below-freezing creek.

This proved to be one of the most relaxing things any of us ever tried. We all left feeling cleansed, like we had just taken an hour-long shower that had somehow managed to steep way past our pores.

Photos were prohibited at the resort, so the only thing we can provide you with is the link http://www.stewartmineralsprings.com – and the gorgeous scenery on the way to/from the resort!