Naked Southwest

And then on to the tiny crossroads of Ojo Caliente. We had long planned on coming to this rustic hot mineral springs spa for some therapeutic R&R which was obviously indicated after our stressful wanderings! I had decided to try out a small inn, The Inn & Mercantile at Ojo along the road to the spa since it seemed to be more charming and in better repair. Situated on the right hand side of Hot Springs Road, catty-corner to the church, the Mercantile part of the equation, a small boutique selling everything from antiques and knickknacks to clothing, jewelry and sculpture, served as our check-in. We were directed to our room, one of several occupying a wing tucked behind a coyote fence that separated the courtyard and parking area from the road. The room, described later by our hostess as New Mexico Territorial style, was simple and clean, furnished with a king bed, an attractive antique wardrobe, a reading chair and a private bathroom. We dumped our bags, grabbed our swimming suits, set up our breakfast time and headed off to the spa.

Some four plus years have elapsed since my last visit to Ojo Caliente, and I was surprised to discover the many changes that have taken place in my absence. The biggest change is ownership, from the family that had run the mineral springs forever, or near to forever, to a new, obviously more commercial minded operator. Ojo is going upscale. That seemed to be the bottom line based upon what I experienced and what people told me. First of all, there are a couple of new baths, Cliffside, tucked beneath the cliffs at the rear of the spa, and the Mud Pool, allegedly good for removing toxins. There are also plenty of renovations inside and outside that generally amount to tidying up and beautifying the spa. The best change was in the restaurant, but more on that later.

We started with a soak in the private tub for two, followed by a mineral wrap that, as always, turned into a nap for me. Then off to our massages. Long, deep, powerful and totally relaxing. Heaven. Once we had been kneaded and rolled and bent, we headed back out to the Arsenic, Iron and Soda Pools. We finished with a nice leisurely float in the Cliffside Pool. By dinner, we were quiescent and grinning ear to ear. After our showers we ambled on over to the Artesian Restaurant, still located in the original inn building, but with some interior design improvements and an improved menu and kitchen.

We ate a healthy, tasty meal and enjoyed pleasant service. But by this point we were already sliding in and out of a dream-state without much ability to discern between the real and the not so real. The afternoon had worked its magic, and we floated back to the inn and to our beds for a quiet, deep rest.

We awoke earlier than we had expected, premature for the 9:00 AM breakfast we had scheduled, but rather than trying to change our mealtime, the sunny day invited us outside for a walk. We grabbed our cameras and headed out. Our first stop was at the pair of churches across the street. One is clearly the older of the two, the historic Chapel of Santa Cruz. The second is newer and slightly larger. We wandered down to the river that flows alongside the spa, and then we turned back up Hot Springs Road and walked out to the intersection with the highway. Several businesses, mostly dining establishments are clustered around the intersection. We were pleased to see that someone had spread a bedroll on the floor of the defunct Gordo’s café. Recycled; re-inhabited.

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