The main activity for the day would be a day trip car-ride to the nearby Castle Rock Hot Springs, an 1890s-1950 health spa that was now listed forlornly on a ghost towns web site. We proceeded down 10 or so miles of unpaved, caterpillar track-washboard road, the last mile or so driving through a not –so-dry wash, and actually driving through desert streamlets coursing through the road. Adding to the adventure was that the day had started with a flat tire. We were riding on a tire that had been revived by a shot of ‘spare-in-the-can’, my first such usage of this miracle gunk.Finally arriving at the location of the Hot Springs, it was evident that this once glorious place had fallen on hard times. Still, you could feel the ghosts of history about the place, though we were only able to view it from outside a fence.
The parcel, over 200 acres, is now for sale for a paltry $10.5 million, but I’d bet you could get it for considerably less.
These grounds, site of a 500,000 gallon per day hot spring, became Arizona’s first resort about 1896. Soon thereafter, the railroads were delivering fat-cat clients to a nearby town, where they hopped a ride on stagecoaches (and later ‘motorcoaches’) to bathe in the claimed curative waters. Clientele were a ‘who’s who’ of the American elite: Rockefellers, Cabots, Vanderbilts ,Wrigleys... . Even JFK recuperated here from his war injuries when the Air Force took it over during WWII as a health center. In its hey-dey, the nation’s financial gurus could get teletypes direct to their rooms from Wall Street.
Guests would escape the harsh east coast winters playing tennis, swimming, horseback riding or playing the one golf hole on the grounds. It was staffed on a one-to-one guest/staff ratio, which meant a lot of pampering.
A promotional brochure claimed: "an ideal spot for at least nine months of the year, for rest and pleasure, and general recuperation of health,” going on to claim, “the bathing is delightful as well as curative. Many suffering from rheumatism or kidney troubles have been permanently cured and the Springs are becoming famous on this account.”
Clark Gable and Carole Lombard honeymooned here. Zane Grey built a cottage on the grounds.
After WWII, it reopened as a resort, but never achieved the prominence of its glory days.
The main guest quarters burned to the ground in 1977. It has been occupied by a caretaker for the last 20 years, and is now being marketed as a potential private retreat or exclusive health spa. There’s a lot of rehab to be done here. It’s just one of those historical gems we occasionally stumble upon off the beaten path.
Returning on the washboard road, the suspect tire was sagging at less than 10 lbs pressure. Spare-in-a-can was not designed for use on rocky paths such as Castle Rock Hot Springs Road.
The parcel, over 200 acres, is now for sale for a paltry $10.5 million, but I’d bet you could get it for considerably less.
These grounds, site of a 500,000 gallon per day hot spring, became Arizona’s first resort about 1896. Soon thereafter, the railroads were delivering fat-cat clients to a nearby town, where they hopped a ride on stagecoaches (and later ‘motorcoaches’) to bathe in the claimed curative waters. Clientele were a ‘who’s who’ of the American elite: Rockefellers, Cabots, Vanderbilts ,Wrigleys... . Even JFK recuperated here from his war injuries when the Air Force took it over during WWII as a health center. In its hey-dey, the nation’s financial gurus could get teletypes direct to their rooms from Wall Street.
Guests would escape the harsh east coast winters playing tennis, swimming, horseback riding or playing the one golf hole on the grounds. It was staffed on a one-to-one guest/staff ratio, which meant a lot of pampering.A promotional brochure claimed: "an ideal spot for at least nine months of the year, for rest and pleasure, and general recuperation of health,” going on to claim, “the bathing is delightful as well as curative. Many suffering from rheumatism or kidney troubles have been permanently cured and the Springs are becoming famous on this account.”
Clark Gable and Carole Lombard honeymooned here. Zane Grey built a cottage on the grounds.
After WWII, it reopened as a resort, but never achieved the prominence of its glory days.
The main guest quarters burned to the ground in 1977. It has been occupied by a caretaker for the last 20 years, and is now being marketed as a potential private retreat or exclusive health spa. There’s a lot of rehab to be done here. It’s just one of those historical gems we occasionally stumble upon off the beaten path.
Returning on the washboard road, the suspect tire was sagging at less than 10 lbs pressure. Spare-in-a-can was not designed for use on rocky paths such as Castle Rock Hot Springs Road. Made it back to camp for some serious Arizona relaxation.
1 comment:
Hi guys, thanks for including me in on your list. You are so modern. This is the first blog I have used. You are in my old stomping grounds and I see you are traveling at the right time of year. That was probably Janice's idea! Some great desert golf courese. Stay safe.
Claudia
Post a Comment