Gideon Putnam Resort and Spa

Saratoga Springs, New York
(518) 226-4790, www.gideonputnam.com

Founded in 1935, Gideon Putnam Resort and Spa sits amid towering oaks and pines in the 2,300-acre Saratoga Spa State Park in northern New York. Sixteen thousand bathers a year flock to the stately brick Georgian Revival property to soak in “nature’s champagne,” water from the region’s naturally effervescent, mineral-laden springs.

History & Lore

The name Saratoga derives from the Iroquois word Sarachtogoe, meaning “place of swift waters.” The Iroquois were the first residents to appreciate the medicinal benefits of Saratoga’s cool fizzy waters. In the mid-nineteenth century, the upper echelons of East Coast society embraced both drinking and bathing in these springs as cures for everything from circulation and digestive problems to respiratory ailments and skin diseases.

Springs Style

The old-fashioned ambiance still tends to draw a genteel crowd, though things liven up during the thoroughbred horseracing season (late July through Labor Day) at the nearby Saratoga Race Track. Be sure to reserve one of the refurbished guest rooms on the fifth floor of the hotel, as the historic bathrooms in the standard quarters are in less than pristine condition.

Spa & Soak

The sanatorium-like Roosevelt Baths and Spa is located a ten-minute stroll from the hotel. Its forty-two treatment rooms are each outfitted with an ultra-deep porcelain tub, massage table, and private toilet. An attendant brings the silky-feeling, rust-hued, carbonated mineral water to body temperature by mixing it with heated tap water. Aromatherapy oils, such as a blend called Adirondack Woods made from local fir, spruce, and white birch may be added to the water. Massages, facials, scrubs, and hair and nail services are also available.

While You’re There

There are two dining venues: the Saratoga Grille, which serves hearty pub fare and local microbrews, and the elegant Georgian Dining Room, where fine wines and continental cuisine grace the menu. Saratoga Spa State Park boasts an eighteen-hole championship golf course, nine-hole executive course, and eight tennis courts, along with two outdoor swimming pools and twenty kilometers of hiking, biking, and (seasonal) cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing trails.

– Gina Hyams

The Springs Resort

Pagosa Springs, Colorado
(970) 264-4168, www.pagosahotsprings.com

Entering Pagosa Springs, you’ll first be struck by the smell of sulfur. But after your nose adjusts, you’ll be struck again by the almost surreal setting in which this small springs town rests. Nestled in the San Juan Mountains with the San Juan River coursing through it, and dotted with quaint Victorians, Pagosa Springs immediately invites you to both relax and explore.

History & Lore

Legend has it that Native Americans who were suffering an incurable plague, came to the river to make a plea to the gods. Through the night, they danced, lit fires, and prayed. Upon awaking, they found bubbling water gurgling up from beneath the fire embers. Interpreting this development as a sign from above, they soaked, prayed, and were healed.

Although the first bathhouse was erected in 1881, it wasn’t until the mid-1950s that Pagosa Springs became a tourist destination, drawing visitors by the hundreds in search of the mineral springs cure.

Springs Style

Pagosa Springs is a true mountain town. You won’t find visitors donning fur or overpriced ski lifts here. Local restaurants proliferate and at least one even features live music seven days a week. And while the Springs Resort boasts the best address in town – right on the river, encompassing several natural springs – it still maintains the Pagosa, no frills, mountain town vibe. That is, the springs are hot and the riverside setting is majestic, but your soaking experience essentially depends on you and your state of mind.

Spa & Soak

At the Healing Waters Spa & Salon, a variety of services are available, including Watsu set in one of their natural mineral pools. From the Bathhouse, visit one of the soaking pools, which range in temperature from 83 – 114 degrees. (Start cool and work your way up for the best transition.) Two pools are designed for adults, one of which is the Serendipity, which also features a small waterfall and one of the best views of the river.

While You’re There

Pagosa Springs is just an hour from Durango, a not-to-miss old western town. In the warmer months, The Springs offers Float & Soak packages, while in the winter, their ski packages include lift tickets at Wolf Creek and unlimited soaking in their mineral pools. If you’re up for a full-day adventure, head to Mesa Verde National Park and tour the Anasazi Cliff Dwellings.

– M.B.W.

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