So you are in Paso Robles for the night or maybe you are just passing through. You want to stop and enjoy some local flavor and unwind for a bit. You are looking at things to do in the area and you think, "what if I found some hot springs to hang out in for a while?"
The search on Google maps turns up a few places and some fairly ritzy locations. You find Franklin Hot Springs and read the reviews, a lot like I did. There are some strangely negative ones that I just don't understand. Like, who goes to Hot Springs expecting them to not smell like deep earth minerals? Also, you are paying $10 a person and filling out a safety waiver to go in. What exactly are you expecting? Poolside cocktail service? Freshly paved roads for you to drive your showroom-quality car on? For $10?
OK, here it is. I enjoyed my time at Franklin Hot Springs today so much, that I had to thank the owner. He has been given one of the most incredible gifts on the planet and has made it accessible for what practically amounts to couch cushion change. The joy this place brings is irreplaceable. Families with kids were having the time of their lives in this warm water in the golden California sunshine.
The vista includes rolling hills and Live Oak trees that you would expect from the North American plate of California. The sunset was incredible. For $10, I shared in this incredible gift, this little slice of heaven that many people would overlook or pishaw for its lack of someone's definition of refinement.
Don't get me wrong, I've stayed at $600 a night hotels around the world, had spa treatments that Hollywood stars couldn't even imagine, and had dinner with princes in the Middle East. I understand the scope of experiences, both rustic and opulent. I feel incredibly fortunate to have been able to visit this place even once.
Franklin Hot Springs is something so genuine that the wealthiest sheiks would yearn to own so they could try to even come close to something so real and authentic. Go visit this place and be yourself. Be around other people. Commune the way we were meant to. Go early, bring lunch and stay a while. You'll be grateful that you did.