
Where there is water there is wellbeing — and history. Glen Ivy Hot Springs may have been attracting guests who wanted to revel and relax in its healing waters since 1860, but for thousands of years before this the area was a seasonal home and sacred site to three semi-nomadic Native American tribes who were peaceful indigenous hunter-gatherers. Today, Glen Ivy remains a place where people come to congregate, to socialize and to celebrate. It’s leading the way when it comes to nature-based renewal. Glen Ivy’s mission, explains Jim Root, CEO and general manager, is “personal, spiritual, and creative renewal.” The Hot Springs are located on a 17-acre piece of an 85-acre parcel and offer a healing playground of sorts. There’s the Lounge Pool, Saline Pool, Mineral Baths, Roman baths, Club Mud, Grotto, Massage Villages, and an area called “Under the Oaks,” among others. A day pass ($39 to $59) will buy you the ability to enjoy it all at your leisure. “It’s like a buffet,” says Root. “Sometimes it’s nice to know that all of the buffet options are available—the mud or the grotto or a program. People often say they never use Glen Ivy the same way twice.”
Upon arrival, guests are given a printed “Wheel of Wellness,” that explains all of the wonderful opportunities that make up the Glen Ivy Experience, and how to partake of them. They are: connecting with nature; healing treatments and therapies, taking time for good food; keeping our bodies healthy and fit; nurturing relationships, finding a deeper sense of wellbeing; and knowledge to learn and grow. For the past few years, the property has been offering programs and retreats (guests stay at the Glen Ivy Center that’s a stone’s throw to the mineral springs).
Editor’s Note: This feature was published October, 2013.

Mary Bemis
Mary Bemis is Founder & Editorial Director of InsidersGuidetoSpas.com. She is a pioneering spa journalist, most recently honored as one of the "Top 30 Influential Voices Transforming Wellness." She is an inaugural recipient of Folio's Top Women in Media Award, and was honored by ISPA with its distinguished ISPA Dedicated Contributor Award. In 1997, she launched American Spa magazine, and in 2007, Mary co-founded Organic Spa magazine. A pioneer in the sustainable spa and beauty worlds, Mary is co-curator of Cosmoprof North America's Discover Green Pavilion. She is a Global Wellness Day Advisor, and a co-founder of the Washington Spa Alliance.
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