October 23, 2006As we drove out of Arizona, flipping through our campground bible and searching online for places that would catch our fancy, Brian came across a natural hot springs. It was a little bit out of the way of the main drag, but it looked good to him. Why? It was clothing optional. The idea of being allowed to be naked in a hot spring was just too much for him to resist. I myself am not a big fan of hot tubs, but he promised that hot springs were different, and we all agreed to give it a try.
Faywood Hot Springs is a small place about 30 miles off the highway. It's entrance was hard to find, just an opening in a chainlink fece and a small sign. We still weren't sure we were in the right place, as we had to follow a winding dirt track through brush and hills. Finally, however, we made it to the actual office where they had a very interesting garden of cacti. First this lovely specimen:
One that made me think of a snowman:
I don't need to say what this brought to mind:
I think that the people who ran the place liked the fact that the campground was difficult to find, as did the campers. When talking to a few, they said that they made sure to visit for extended periods of time.
After we unhitched the trailer and got all our lines connected, everyone but me got into suits and took a walk around. There were clothing optional and clothing required pools in three different locations. We went into the clothing required area. Ian certainly didn't feel that there really was an option. And neither did I.
We went through the door to the clothing optional pools, and stepped onto this windy, overgrown path, with no pools in site. Little clearings would open up to decorative sculptures. Pretty cool. Finally, we reached the pools. They were simple adobe, in keeping with the whole atmosphere of the place. Tiles and bright colors would seem garish here.
Pools were divided into warm, hot, and hottest. Zorah's favorite was the foot bath, which was coolest. 
We stayed there for a while. Since I didn't feel like going in, never really caring for hot tubs, and detesting them since the incident of 2001, I wandered around and took pictures. Here is the path to the outhouse:
As we were leaving, an old man with a shock of vertical white hair disrobed (completely) and sank into the hot pool He had such a look of total bliss on his face I wanted to snap a picture, but I didn't want to be rude. The next morning I promised that I would go in too. As we approached the pools, I heard this loud clicking. The closer we got, the louder it got. Finally, I saw what it was and ran back to the trailer to get my camera. It was the sound of thousands of bugs eating! No one staying at the place had ever seen them before, and they flocked in just about when we arrived. They weren't just outside the pools, they were also in the showers, toilets, everywhere.
Anyway, we skirted them and went into the clothing optional pool area again. This time, Brian and Zorah both took the option. I didn't. A few people came in, saw us there, and left. Brian told me it was because I was wearing my suit, and they didn't want to make me uncomfortable. I told him that was a spiel to get me to take my suit off.
When the fourth person came and left, and Ian went back to the trailer, I decided to call his bluff. He was right. After that other people came into the pools. The water was actually nicer without the suit on. The adobe surfaces acted like Velcro to the swimsuit material. Still, I didn't stay in long. Though it was better than a hot tub, no chlorine, and softer water, it was still a hot tub, if you know what I mean.
Eventually we got dressed and went to have lunch and to decide what to do with the rest of the day. What we did turned out to be my favorite part of the whole trip. Not just in New Mexico, the whole entire trip.
# posted by Rissa and Zorah @ 5:39 PM
Anyway, we skirted them and went into the clothing optional pool area again. This time, Brian and Zorah both took the option. I didn't. A few people came in, saw us there, and left. Brian told me it was because I was wearing my suit, and they didn't want to make me uncomfortable. I told him that was a spiel to get me to take my suit off. 
Eventually we got dressed and went to have lunch and to decide what to do with the rest of the day. What we did turned out to be my favorite part of the whole trip. Not just in New Mexico, the whole entire trip.
