October/November 2016 67 TK TK TK TK TK TK TK TK TK TK TK TK Springs State Park (3415 Hot Springs Road, Markleeville, CA) for a revitalizing dip. Or head just outside the High Sierra town of Bridgeport, to start your amateur balneologist journey (preferably in a four-wheel drive vehicle) at Travertine Hot Springs, which boasts toasty temps of 105 degrees. Other nearby bucolic bathing spots include Wild Willy’s and Hilltop Springs. Not sure you want to rough it while getting your soak on? Treat yourself to a day at local full-service spa. If you’re settled in on Tahoe’s North Shore, take a 30-minute drive to remote and scenic Sierraville, CA, where Sierra Hot Springs is both a historic landmark (complete with a hotel) and geothermal treasure. Closer to South Shore, the nearly century old Steamboat Hot Springs and Resort boasts hot mineral-water soaking tubs, which can be rented by the hour, plus health treatments such as aromatherapy, massages, and facials. 16 RELAXED REVELERS Soak Up the Scenery Everyone deserves a hot tub soak after a day on the slopes. In the Sierras, there’s no need to book expensive spa treatments or ritzy accommodations. The greater Lake Tahoe region is pocketed with pristine places to lounge in a natural hot spring beneath a canopy of stars. Follow the steam just South of Lake Tahoe to the warm waters of the Sierras is at Grover Hot RELAXED REVELERS Hooked on History? Dig into California Gold Rush history while strolling the streets of Nevada City. The historic downtown corridor has changed very little over the last 100 years, and visitors can treat themselves to handmade ice cream, local chocolates, local artisan gifts as well as wine. Genoa, another Tahoe-adjacent small town gem, is not pronounced like its Italian counterpart. It’s Juh-NO-ah rather than JEN-o-wah. This tiny hamlet has a lot of charms to entertain day-trippers; including western antique stores, the Mormon Station historic monument and 1862 David Walley’s Hot Springs Resort (2001 Foothill Road, Genoa). In the evening, hang with the locals at Nevada’s oldest thirst emporium, the Genoa Bar (2282 Main St., Genoa). 18 RELAXED REVELERS Get a Clue Add the thrill of the hunt to your Tahoe trip by trying your hand at the global sensation of geocaching. Let your handheld GPS device (aka your phone) be your guide as you dig into hightech treasure troves in the snow. Several resorts are in on the game, including Squaw Valley (1960 Squaw Valley Road, Olympic Village) and Northstar (5001 Northstar Drive, Truckee), but the truly hidden gems are off the beaten path. Get a head start by logging onto Geocaching (geocaching. com) before you commence your quest. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: JAMES MAGDALENO; MATT PALMER; COURTESY OF NEVADA CITY; OPPOSITE PAGE: JEFF CURTES WILD WILLY’S SQUAW VALLEY 17 NEVADA CITY
South Bay Accent - Oct/Nov 2016
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