We’re home with my folks and one of our regular things we do is go to the Berkeley Springs State Park Bath House. Berkeley Springs used to be called the Town of Bath back when George Washington was president. They call themselves the Country’s first Spa because of the healing mineral springs here and George and friends would come and relax and heal with the waters. The fact it’s so close to DC ( 90 minutes) has made this little town home to a number of B&B’s and day spas, all extolling the benefits of the springs! The State Park was built n 1930 and been in use ever since.
For those of you who are spa dogs like me, you’d be laughing like I was during my massage experience . This is not a place of soft lighting, relaxing music, lit candles and soothing voices. A place where they practise the art of making the over worked and over stressed feel better about paying so much to “relax”. This spa is where the women all wear white outfits and the building looks like a 1930’s sanatorium . You almost feel like you’re in the mental facility from “One flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest”. Yet I love it because it is so basic and that alone is very soothing because you do feel like you’ve stepped back in time! No lush fluffy robe, you’re given a sheet to wrap yourself up in and then led to the massage table. Did I mention it’s 8 degrees outside and because of that, it’s just darn cold inside? No matter, you’re on the table, and the massage starts. Again this really is fun, the massage is not laying of the hands over your heart to feel your chakras, it’s slapping and rubbing and moving you around like your a big ole pile of dough to be kneaded. The room is one big room and you can see and hear the others – who are all tourists mostly from DC, having the same experience. I can almost hear the suppressed giggles because I know we’re all feeling the exact same way…
The funniest is the old fashioned heat cabinet! Do you remember the I Love Lucy episode where Lucy sat in the heat cabinet to lose weight? The spa has one of these and I’ve actually sat in this! Your head sticks out and you truly feel like you and Ethel are on another crazy adventure! I tried to find a picture of what that looks
I do love this little town and I highly recommend the “spa” experience. They are in the 21st century with their website http://www.berkelyspringssp.com/ and if you’re ever in the area, I please visit!
PS- the icing on the cake for me was when I was finished being kneaded, the little massage lady looks at me when I get up and says ” You’re a tall one ain’t you!” I promise, you won’t get that type of praise at Canyon Ranch!!!
PPS- if anyone can find a picture of Lucy with her head stuck out of the heat cabinet- please email to me! I can’t find it anywhere on the web and I’d love to see!
