I had just purchased a used large green wall tent. I was concerned that it was a little large. But after setting it up and hauling inside all our stuff - cots, cooking tables, wood stove, picnic tables, my wife said that it was just right….and she couldn’t see staying inside anything smaller.

I am glad we had a wall tent. The first night the temperature dropped into the teens..and every night it was in the 20’s….so the shelter provided by the wall tent and the warm heat provided by the wood stove was welcome.

Half way through the week, we all piled into the van and went to the Summer Lake Hot Springs resort, bathed in the hot mineral springs, then took a warm refreshing shower.

The Summer Lake Hot Springs is a little known secret, but well known to the locals. The hot springs bath house was built in 1927, so the inside is a little funky, but overall, fairly clean. There are changing rooms, but no security, so you best leave your valuables locked up in the car.

The water inside the Summer Lake Hot Springs bathhouse was warm - but not overly hot. The hot spring water comes in through a pipe on the side of the pool. For a special treat just stand in the water next to the hot spring water coming in from the pipe…wonderful!

I did note an interesting sign in the rafters “Stay Off Rafters”. Hmmm, I imagine that there have been some adventurous souls that have climbed into the rafters to drop down into the bath waters below….Also, while letting the tired muscles relax, look above in the rafters and check out the glow-in-the-dark plastic bugs that someone has placed there.

The cost to indulge in the mineral waters at the Summer Lake Hot Springs is very reasonable - $5.00 per person. There are also RV parking spaces, and a couple of cabins that you can rent.

If you are in the Summer Lake area, and want to indulge yourself, stop by the Summer Lake Hot Springs and bath your cares away.