Though only a half an hour from my house, I’d only driven by Glen Ivy Hot Springs, I never experienced it. (Little known fact: It’s been around for an astounding 155 years!) That is, until yesterday, when a group of us girlfriends decided to leave our men behind and come for some rest and relaxation. I’ve got to say, the four of us had the time of our lives!

First, to give you a bit of background about Glen Ivy, it’s located in Corona, California, which makes it about an hour drive from Los Angeles. Prices vary from $46 Monday through Friday to $64 Saturday an Sunday, that amount is just to get you into the spa.

You walk into the grounds and you notice all the lush gardens along with all the pools. There are a total of 19 pools and whirlpools! Included are naturally thermal mineral baths, a hot and cold plunge, saline pool, a lap pool and, of course, Club Mud, which is one of main reasons why you come here in the first place.

After jumping back and forth in the hot and cold plunge, we grabbed a bite to eat (yes, they have food, which is quite good), and then headed to Club Mud. Now for those of you haven’t experienced a mud bath, it’s quite a trip. You soak yourself into the murky looking water and then take a pile of mud and rub it all over your body. You then lay on a lounge chair and let the mud dry off on your skin. (You’ll notice it start to crack.) Then, you brush the mud off using your hands or a towel. Finally, you take a quick body shower to really get all the caked on mud off.

Though I’d like to say that the mud bath was the best part of our experience, what was even better was a free activity they provided, a yoga session. (Yes, the classes are free!) Called Yundalini Yoga with Gong Meditation, its focus is to open up and release the spine and muscles in your back, making you feel energized yet calm and centered. Not only did we stretch and perform yoga poses, we chanted and meditated. After, I felt this overwhelming sense of peace, happiness, and even gratitude.

Overall, I’d highly recommend this place as a nice getaway for yourself, you and your spouse, or with a group of friends. Though I’ve been to Burke Williams and Pelican Hill’s spa before, this was a whole new experience – once, because it was outdoors and two, because of that unique mud bath. As a mother of two, it was wonderful to have “girl time” where we could just relax and enjoy each others company. Don’t we all need a break from time to time?

Below are some photos taken from Glen Ivy’s website. By not only having to take photos myself, it helped me enjoy the experience to the fullest extent. (But believe me, the these pictures actually do this place justice.) The only one thing I’d complain about is that it cost $10 to rent a robe. (Let me just get that out there…shouldn’t robe rentals be free?) Overall, however, I was really happy about the experience and I know I’ll be back.