If someone had told me five years ago that I would take off my clothes in front of total strangers and sit around and yuk it up with same said strangers -- buck naked -- I would have told them that they were out of their ever-lovin' minds. Just the idea of walking around outside the confines of my home with my rolls of fat, stretchmarks, numerous scars, not to mention private parts, out there for anyone to see would have sent me into fits of hysterical laughter. Not me, NO WAY!!! That was before my first experience with a mineral hot springs about four years ago. My ex-husband and I went to one with another couple, and it was an eye-opener (no pun intended, but now that I think of it, hey, it's pretty funny). The place was started in the early 20's or 30's, I think, very bohemian. Artists would go there as well as musicians, writers and poets, and trade their work for rooms at the hot springs. It was kind of neat, and after the initial embarrassment, also enjoyable. It did stink, however; they were sulphur springs after all. About a year later, we went to another place, recommended by the same friends. It was much nicer, at least these didn't smell bad. It had the aura of all things Karmic...is that a word? The pools of hot, hotter and hottest water were nestled under beautiful trees and rolling hills...the atmosphere was meditative and hushed...and everyone was naked there too. By that time I was feeling pretty good about walking around naked in front of other people. It wasn't about being naked, after all, it was about being ONE with the environment and besides, there were a heck of a lot of other people that were fatter and more messed up than me.....lol....
....which brings me to the present day. Some other friends told us about a resort a mere half hour from where I live that is not only clothing optional, but they have a swimming pool, hot tub and a conversation pool where you can sit with all your new friends and chat. That sounded fun. Fortunately, I have a boyfriend who likes to be naked outdoors too, and that appealed to him as well. Our friends took us as their guests the first time, and we were hooked. The next weekend, we became members, and as a result we have really nice all-over tans this year. It's really fun. When you get there, you just park your car, take off your clothes, and leave them in your car. All you have to take with you is a towel to sit on (the restaurant is naked too) and sunscreen is a very good idea. The grounds are beautiful. Lots of big trees, a lake, volleyball and tennis courts, a small mobile home community on the grounds, as well as day use camping and hook ups for RVs. The pool is fenced and quite large with lots of lounges and umbrellas for sunbathing. There is a snackbar there also, and during the season they have a cocktail waitress poolside. You can also bring your own liquor, as long as it is in cans or unbreakable containers, so that's a plus. The conversation pool is the neatest part. It's about 40 feet long, maybe 6 feet across, and semi-circular in shape. It is lined with seating so that you can sit across from someone and converse with them--get it??? It is also salt water, and fairly warm, but not as hot as the spa, and jetted. It's usually the busiest pool of the three, but on 100-degree-plus days, people stand in the big pool almost shoulder to shoulder and chat it up with each other. We've met a lot of really interesting people there. And if it sounds like a big free for all, well, it really isn't. They have Morality Police there. There are no PDA (Public Displays of Affection to you!) allowed. Not there, and certainly not at the Friday and Saturday night dances held in the huge bar! You can be naked, but you cannot touch!!! So to all of you with filthy minds such as my own, shame on you! People come here from all over; evidently it's one of the premier naturist resorts in the Western United States. Wow. I love California.
But the writing is on the wall. Saturday promised to be in the eighties, so we decided to go revive our tans. We hadn't gone since before our cruise, and we were fading fast. Upon our arrival, we noticed that the crowd was definitely thinning. Almost eleven a.m., and we pretty much had our pick of any of the primo lounges near the pool. No matter. We spread our towels on our lounges, and laid out in all our glory to catch some rays. It was warm, and when the first trickle of sweat made its way down my side I was ready to hit the conversation pool. We sat there until we pruned up, talked to anyone who would listen to us, and eavesdropped on many private conversations. Did I mention that it is also useful to have good sunglasses? Not only do they protect you from harmful UV rays, but people can't see that you are checking them out. I have never seen so many tattoos and piercings in my life. This is a voyeurs paradise, believe me. And people are more than happy to tell you all about them, in sometimes excruciating detail. TMI, in many cases. About six o clock, the wind was beginning to get gusty, and the sky was filling with threatening clouds. People were going to the restaurant for dinner, and some were getting ready to go to the dance. We had decided not to stay overnight at the little hotel there, so we said good by to our pool -mates and reluctantly got ready to leave. No naked dancing for us tonite, as tempting as that sounds; we put on our clothes and headed home, hoping for at least one or two more indian summer days before the winter sets in. But, failing that, there is more fun ahead. In a couple of weeks we will be going to the Exotic Erotic Ball in San Francisco. I've never been to it before, and I'm sure it will give me lots more to write about......
