Wilbur Hot Springs — Hotel in Clearlake

I'm writing separately for two groups: people like me who haven't been here since the fire, and those who've never been.||First, for the old-timers: I first went here 30 years ago. I was heartbroken when the two upper floors of the lodge burnt down a decade ago, and the place was sold. I was afraid to go back and find it ruined. It's not ruined! My experience was delightful, calming restful, restorative, and much the same. The entire downstairs main lodge, with its wide verandah, communal commercial-grade kitchen, high-ceilinged dining room shuttered against the heat, pool table, guitars, piano, game corner, puzzles, oriental rugs and club leather armchairs -- all survived the fire intact. It’s like being invited to an English Victorian house party in a country house, sans the shooting, except you pay and there are no servants to clean up after you.||You now stay in spartan cabins up the hill: small, clean, Scandinavian modern, with a small ensuite bathroom (no shower, they are at the tubs). ||Now for the newcomers: the joy here is what isn't here. No internet or cellphone service. Not much light: you can see the stars. Quiet. No radios, very little talking.||Tips: Don't bring too much stuff! There's little space to put it! I was alone in a cabin. I think it would be tight for 2 but not impossible as you have the whole grounds.||One loose hot weather outfit, a sunhat, books, art supplies, a water bottle, flashlight, bug spray (they sell a very nice eco kind in the store) long sleeves against the sun, flip flops, a towel (yes, your own towel!) a pool robe or sarong, a couple of warmer things like a sweater or jacket for cool nights and early mornings. Shoes to hike in. All your food. They sell only coconut water etc. and there are communal spices and cheap oils, but no olive oil.||Bring a big bag for schlepping stuff to the pool and tubs for the day, or resign yourself to climbing up and down the stairs multiple times. The Solar House does not look appealing, though I've never stayed there. The 2 rooms in the Lodge itself are right off communal areas and I predict noisy.||Wilbur is prone to temperature extremes and insidious no-see-em bugs. I got thoroughly bit and never heard a one. Bring bug spray and sun tan lotion.|| Bring a quilt if you go when nights are cool. (Their bedding is minimal.)||I went alone to be quiet and reset. I got through three quarters of Jane Eyre. The masseur on duty (Liam) was rumored to be excellent, and I wish I'd tried him.||There was minimal but friendly conversation in the kitchen, and silence was respected in the hot springs soaking tubs, which are of 3 Goldilocks heat intensities. The cool swimming pool is not huge and cool enough to swim in for a while - perfect for washing the intense mineral salts off your body.||Guests were a mix of old boomers and younger people with tattoos, singles, couples, and a reunion of 3 sisters. Staff and guests were of all genders, gay and straight and in between, the vibe is relaxing and not sexual. Definitely not a pickup vibe like the old Harbin, or Esalen. Great staff: I interacted with Jennifer, Adeline, and Terri, and all were welcoming, responsive, kind and competent.||Okay, more for those who've never gone: This is probably a place people either love or dislike. You’ve got to love being completely free from internet and cellphone to be happy here. (There’s one small landline phone booth for brief outgoing calls paid for $1 on the honor system, otherwise you wiill be traveling miles out for a connection.) This is a place most notable for what is absent: no distraction, no bad news, no chatter, noise. ||Kitchen etiquette, Do your own dishes, and put away a few extra dishes for other people who forgot, because at some point in the weekend, you will forget too.||On this past trip, I had wonderful encounters with a wild hare with huge upright ears like big spoons, and I witnessed a daunting conflict between a small rattlesnake and a squirrel, which chattered like a madman and threw gravel at the snake, without effect. ||(Yes, there are rattlers. Stop and wait if they cross the road in front of you, don't approach, and tell staff. Most people who get hurt by rattlers have approached them aggressively, been drunk and stupid, or else not seen them.)||Downsides: the temperature around Solstice in June oscillated from quite cool when it was overcast, to blindingly too hot to hike or move outside the cabin. The stars are beautiful. The mineral waters are very intense, salty and drying. I wish I'd brought a body lotion. To me, the price is reasonable (especially when you compare to the upgraded Calistoga and Indian Springs) and the getaway astonishingly total. I love bringing my own food -- some people clearly delight in going gourmet up here, while others cook ahead of time and bring something minimal. There is a giveaway shelf or two and I was lucky to pick up the few things...

I'm writing separately for two groups: people like me who haven't been here since the fire, and those who've never been.||First, for the old-timers: I first went here 30 years ago. I was heartbroken when the two upper floors of the lodge burnt down a decade ago, and the place was sold. I was afraid to go back and find it ruined. It's not ruined! My experience was delightful, calming restful, restorative, and much the same. The entire downstairs main lodge, with its wide verandah, communal commercial-grade kitchen, high-ceilinged dining room shuttered against the heat, pool table, guitars, piano, game corner, puzzles, oriental rugs and club leather armchairs -- all survived the fire intact. It’s like being invited to an English Victorian house party in a country house, sans the shooting, except you pay and there are no servants to clean up after you.||You now stay in spartan cabins up the hill: small, clean, Scandinavian modern, with a small ensuite bathroom (no shower, they are at the tubs). ||Now for the newcomers: the joy here is what isn't here. No internet or cellphone service. Not much light: you can see the stars. Quiet. No radios, very little talking.||Tips: Don't bring too much stuff! There's little space to put it! I was alone in a cabin. I think it would be tight for 2 but not impossible as you have the whole grounds.||One loose hot weather outfit, a sunhat, books, art supplies, a water bottle, flashlight, bug spray (they sell a very nice eco kind in the store) long sleeves against the sun, flip flops, a towel (yes, your own towel!) a pool robe or sarong, a couple of warmer things like a sweater or jacket for cool nights and early mornings. Shoes to hike in. All your food. They sell only coconut water etc. and there are communal spices and cheap oils, but no olive oil.||Bring a big bag for schlepping stuff to the pool and tubs for the day, or resign yourself to climbing up and down the stairs multiple times. The Solar House does not look appealing, though I've never stayed there. The 2 rooms in the Lodge itself are right off communal areas and I predict noisy.||Wilbur is prone to temperature extremes and insidious no-see-em bugs. I got thoroughly bit and never heard a one. Bring bug spray and sun tan lotion.|| Bring a quilt if you go when nights are cool. (Their bedding is minimal.)||I went alone to be quiet and reset. I got through three quarters of Jane Eyre. The masseur on duty (Liam) was rumored to be excellent, and I wish I'd tried him.||There was minimal but friendly conversation in the kitchen, and silence was respected in the hot springs soaking tubs, which are of 3 Goldilocks heat intensities. The cool swimming pool is not huge and cool enough to swim in for a while - perfect for washing the intense mineral salts off your body.||Guests were a mix of old boomers and younger people with tattoos, singles, couples, and a reunion of 3 sisters. Staff and guests were of all genders, gay and straight and in between, the vibe is relaxing and not sexual. Definitely not a pickup vibe like the old Harbin, or Esalen. Great staff: I interacted with Jennifer, Adeline, and Terri, and all were welcoming, responsive, kind and competent.||Okay, more for those who've never gone: This is probably a place people either love or dislike. You’ve got to love being completely free from internet and cellphone to be happy here. (There’s one small landline phone booth for brief outgoing calls paid for $1 on the honor system, otherwise you wiill be traveling miles out for a connection.) This is a place most notable for what is absent: no distraction, no bad news, no chatter, noise. ||Kitchen etiquette, Do your own dishes, and put away a few extra dishes for other people who forgot, because at some point in the weekend, you will forget too.||On this past trip, I had wonderful encounters with a wild hare with huge upright ears like big spoons, and I witnessed a daunting conflict between a small rattlesnake and a squirrel, which chattered like a madman and threw gravel at the snake, without effect. ||(Yes, there are rattlers. Stop and wait if they cross the road in front of you, don't approach, and tell staff. Most people who get hurt by rattlers have approached them aggressively, been drunk and stupid, or else not seen them.)||Downsides: the temperature around Solstice in June oscillated from quite cool when it was overcast, to blindingly too hot to hike or move outside the cabin. The stars are beautiful. The mineral waters are very intense, salty and drying. I wish I'd brought a body lotion. To me, the price is reasonable (especially when you compare to the upgraded Calistoga and Indian Springs) and the getaway astonishingly total. I love bringing my own food -- some people clearly delight in going gourmet up here, while others cook ahead of time and bring something minimal. There is a giveaway shelf or two and I was lucky to pick up the few things...

I went to Wilbur to celebrate my birthday, after all there isn't anything better than celebrating your birthday swimming and sunbathing in your birthday suit. Getting there wasn't too bad, it is somewhat remote but GPS got me there with no problems but I had printed out directions just in case. I stayed in the Cabin, which wasn't anything that special. It was nice to have my own bathroom, the cabin has lights, but no power outlets and the room was smaller than a typical hotel room. I would definitely recommend bringing a warm blanket, especially if you are coming in the winter time. The kitchen is great, everything I needed was there, everything is very well labeled, and although it gets busy during meal times, it never felt crowded. There are plenty of spots to eat both outside and inside. There are games and a library near the kitchen, which I probably would have taken more advantage if I was staying there for more than two nights.||Wilbur has lots of bikes, but I didn't use them since they looked difficult to ride on the gravel road and I generally prefer to walk. Walking along the road and creek was nice. I also hiked some of the trails, but did not enjoy the large number of bugs that seemed to constantly pester me.||The real reason to come to Wilbur is the hot springs. The swimming area is set up nice, although ideally the main gravel road wouldn't be located so close to the hot springs. Some guest seem to leave towels on some of the better spots which can be annoying, but there were plenty of seats and benches. There are three showers, and a changing room and plenty of hooks to hang up your towel. The showers have soap, shampoo, hot and cold water. There is a cold plunge near the showers, which consists of a bathtub, and definitely qualifies as cold. There are three flumes in the covered area, and outside of that below the main deck, there is a large pool and a smaller conversation pool. There is also "pool #6" in their nature preserve next the geyser, which is about a 15 minute walk from the main pools.||I tried all the pools, and overall, I was disappointed in the temperature of the pools, because of how hot they were, and unfortunately you don't get to change their temperatures. The coldest flume (100 degrees) was good and I can see how some people can handle the middle flume (105 degrees), although I saw one woman's back bright red after getting out of it, but nobody was ever sitting in the hottest flume. Pool #6 was also too hot for me and I couldn't last more than 5 minutes in it. The conversation pool is also on the hotter side, but some guests seemed to enjoy it. The big pool is where I spent a lot of time, even though it had a considerable amount of bugs. During the hotter times of the day, I wish the big pool was colder, but in the early morning and at night it is terrific. At one end of the big pool, the hot water is pumped and it gets colder near the other end so you can relax in the spot you feel most comfortable in or just swim around.||At night, the lighting is nice (not too bright, but not too dim) both around the pool and along the pathway from the cabin, although some people may want to bring a light with them, but it isn't really necessary. The pools are open 24 hours for overnight guests and I took advantage of a middle of the night swim with the place all to myself and the stars as my company. ||The swim area is clothing optional but almost everyone is nude (I only saw one couple keep their bathing suits on and some women just went topless). You will see naked people, so if that bothers you, you should not visit. I can understand if you are nervous about being naked around strangers, but it really isn't a real big deal and going at night or taking your bathing suit off after you get in the pool might be an easy way for a first timer to try it out. I enjoy sunbathing and swimming naked, and I felt comfortable being naked, but nobody really cares if you are naked or not. Everyone was respectful of each other and I never felt like anyone was staring at my naked body. The pools seemed busiest just before lunchtime but it never felt crowded.||||The biggest negatives for me were that the pools were on the hotter side, the price is pretty high, and there were a fair amount of bugs. I wouldn't want to visit here during the summer or do a day pass, but I may try this place again in a few more years during the...