Emma @ theweekendabroad.com on A Birthday Weekend Featuring Mud Baths in Calistoga
It was a bittersweet birthday for me last month. It fell on a Wednesday and I decided to celebrate with friends the Saturday before and had a great night with familiar and friendly faces. Then I was hit with a two week long sinus infection, which got increasingly worse over the next few days. Sweatpants, tissues, and pillows were my best friends during this time. Roger actually surprised me with a weekend to Calistoga, California the weekend following my birthday, and of course I still went despite having to breathe through my mouth the majority of the time. The focal point of his birthday weekend plan was a couples mud bath, which is a big draw for the town given its proximity to volcanic activity. The spa getaway was actually just what my congested sinuses needed! Unfortunately the wine tastings we attended did just the opposite, but it was really hard for me to resist a Napa wine tasting. Here’s a look at our weekend in northern Napa Valley and what to expect from mud baths in Calistoga.
Weekend in Calistoga Basics
- Accommodations: EuroSpa & Inn (just outside downtown Calistoga). I really enjoyed our stay here. Our room and bathroom were very spacious and I absolutely loved waking up with an outdoor continental breakfast.
- Weather: Incredibly pleasant! It was about 20C on this last weekend of January.
- Location: Calistoga lies on the northern tip of Napa Valley. It’s a ~45 minute drive from downtown Napa and a ~35 minute drive northeast of Santa Rosa.
- Main attractions in Calistoga: Wineries, tasting rooms, restaurants, spas, and its famous Old Faithful Geyer.
- Demographics: Most visitors are couples and groups of friends.
Our incredibly relaxing continental breakfast at EuroSpa & Inn
Our Weekend in Calistoga Itinerary
Day 1:
- Old Faithful Geyser of California: The quaint town is home to 1 of 3 Old Faithful geysers in the country! The fee is $15 to enter the grounds and the geyser erupts about every 10-15 minutes. The grounds are filled with educational tidbits on the historic significance of the geyser and friendly farm animals! Definitely take some time to feed and say hi to the many fainting goats on site.
- Afternoon wine tasting at Huge Bear: Our hotel gave us a two for one tasting at this welcoming downtown Calistoga tasting room. It was just a short walk from the inn. Huge Bear is a relatively new winemaker and we really enjoyed the service and atmosphere there.
- Stroll along downtown Calistoga: A relaxing walk through the town’s main street on this sunny afternoon was incredibly relaxing. You’ll find gift shops, restaurants, bars, art galleries, and a random labyrinth here.
- Dinner at Bosko’s Trattoria: We were torn between numerous dinner offerings downtown before we landed on Bosko’s, and we were so glad we did! We were really pleased that they do happy hour everyday (even weekends!) until 6:30pm. We ordered the burrata, Brussels sprouts, the polenta stack, and the basilicata pasta and were very happy.
- Couples mud bath package at Golden Haven Hot Springs & Spa: Definitely the highlight of the weekend. More info on this experience below…
Day 2:
- Wine tasting at Castello di Amorosa: I am so glad we arrived early because this beautiful seven-story Tuscan castle gets busy! This was probably the most pricey tasting I’ve paid for at $30/person, but you can’t enter the castle without paying for a tasting or tour. Despite the cost, this is a must-see in Calistoga. A tasting will allow you to see many parts of the castle, but most parts of the winery are only accessible with the $45/person tour fee.
- Wine tasting at Beringer: Our hotel also gave us a handy two for one tasting for this historic winery. Service was excellent here.
- Lunch at Gott’s Roadside: Stopped here as we made our way down Napa Valley’s main road. It’s a great alternative to the expensive sit-down Michellin-starred food offerings in the area.
- Wine tasting at Heitz Cellar: I think we stop by Heitz each time we’re in Napa for its generous free tasting and scenic outdoor vineyard views.
The courtyard at Castello di Amorosa
What to Expect from Mud Baths in Calistoga
- You’ll arrive at the spa and have to sign some liability papers and read a pamphlet informing you on what is about to happen. My #1 tip for your mud bath experience would be to HYDRATE like crazy while in the waiting room. The whole session is very hot so you may get light-headed if not hydrated sufficiently. Roger made this mistake.
- When ready, your ‘guide’ will lead you to a change room where you will undress and put all your belongings into a bag. You’ll be supplied with matching robes. Note that you don’t have to go naked into the mud bath, but we did.
- You guide will lead you to the mud bath room and teach you how to slide into the extremely thick mud bath. Whatever you do, you don’t want to touch the bottom of the tub because it’ll scald the bottom of your foot off! Once in, you’ll see that you just float peacefully in the top layer of mud.
- After you’ve finished fully submerging your body, the guide will come in and help submerge anything that needs help submerging (for instance, your shoulders). She may apply a kale clay mask on your face and lay a wonderfully refreshingly cold towel on your forehead and then leave you in bliss for 20 minutes.
- After the mud bath session, the guide will instruct you on how to use the showers in the same room as the mud baths.
- For our package and spa, we spent about 20 minutes (to be honest, I lost track of time here) in the hot mineral bath located in the same room. This helped to wash off any mud we may have missed too.
- The final step of our package included a towel wrap in a lavender-misted dark room.
- The last part of our stay at Golden Haven is totally optional for spa guests. We decided to take a swim in their mineral water swimming pool and hot tubs. Why not?
Mud Bath Specifics
- What does it feel like? I’d say it’s a softer and “jelly-er” mud than what you’d find in your backyard. I personally loved it.
- Did I feel different after? Because of my horrible allergies, I love anything that can clear up my sinuses. The steam was great, but what the mud did for my skin was even better. It felt incredibly soft after the treatment.
All smiles in the mud baths
Birthday Weekend in Calistoga in More Pictures…
Entrance to the Old Faithful Geyser of California grounds
The grounds at Old Faithful Geyser of California
Adorable little goats at Old Faithful Geyser of California
With one of the old goats at Old Faithful Geyser of California
Glimpse into our room at EuroSpa & Inn
The delicious polenta stack and Brussels sprouts at Bosko’s Trattoria
The high walls at Castello di Amorosa
The entrance into Castello di Amorosa
The great hall at Castello di Amorosa
View into the courtyard at Castello di Amorosa
Rooftop chilling at Castello di Amorosa
Lunch at Gott’s Roadside
The vineyard at Heitz Cellar
Thoughts or questions on Calistoga? Let me know in the comments!
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