Hot Dips
No matter the season, but especially when winter grips, there’s something undeniably soothing about slipping into a steamy pool of water. But beyond the pure leisure of it, hot soaks are said to promote circulation, ease muscle tension, and reduce stress — just what you need as another hectic holiday season approaches.
With an average of 300 days of sunshine annually, Oregon’s high desert is an ideal place to relax and recharge, especially at the recently remodeled Kah-Nee-Ta Hot Spring Resort (kahneeta.com). Owned and operated by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, the resort is two hours from Portland and best known for its mineral-rich geothermal waters and riverside tubs that simmer between 94 and 104 degrees. Stay the night in one of the 30 guest rooms, 20 teepees (brisk in the winter), or 70 RV sites.
If offbeat is more on point, Mystic Hot Springs, in Monroe, Utah (mystichotsprings.com), is a no-frills but oh-so-Instagrammable spot, where eight cast-iron tubs and cement pools are scattered across the desert terrain and filled with 100- to 111-degree naturally flowing mineral water. Stay the night in a pioneer cabin or converted school bus and enjoy live music and art exhibitions that regularly roll through.
If an indoor soak with a side of American history appeals, head to the appropriately named Hot Springs, Arkansas, and its surrounding national park of the same name, peppered with geothermal springs that have attracted health seekers for centuries. Its hiking trails and scenic beauty draw nature lovers, but Bathhouse Row is the hot ticket here. A string of eight 19th- and 20th-century bathhouses runs through the center of downtown; they were once social gathering hubs for “taking the waters.” While most of the buildings have been repurposed, Quapaw (quapawbaths.com) and Buckstaff (buckstaffbaths.com) still invite visitors to steep in the local tradition by booking a soak session and other add-on spa treatments. Pro tip: Check into Hotel Hale (hotelhale.com), formerly the Hale Bathhouse, where nine contemporary rooms feature tubs with Hot Springs H₂O piped directly in.
RV-ing Redefined
Love RV overnights but hate the white-knuckle driving? Outdoorsy.com recently rolled out Outdoorsy Escapes (outdoorsy.com/escapes), a premium addition to their platform that combines recreational vehicle travel with resort-like stays. Enter your travel dates, peruse available RVs, motorcoaches, and campervans, complete payment, and you’re done. Upon arrival, your host will have your RV home set up, chairs out, and fridge stocked on request, leaving you more time to explore or just relax. Best of all, never worry about navigating narrow roads or dumping the gray water tank again.
Nature’s Light Show
The Geminid meteor shower is a stargazer’s annual delight, painting the night sky with bursts of multicolored fireballs between November 19 and December 24. This year, the celestial show peaks on December 13 and 14, with the best viewing in the Northern Hemisphere. With up to 150 meteors per hour observable under ideal conditions, the display should be nothing short of spectacular. No telescope or fancy gear needed. Just head to an open space far from city lights, lie back, and watch the cosmos dance.
This article is featured in the November/December 2025 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Subscribe to the magazine for more art, inspiring stories, fiction, humor, and features from our archives.
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