R and R travels: Saratoga, Wyoming

Friday, September 30, 2011

Saratoga, Wyoming

We love hot springs! So when we are traveling, we always try to include at least one hot spring stop. On our trip across the U.S.A. this fall, we have been fortunate enough to have two such stops. The first we enjoyed while we were staying at a VRBO loft in Missoula (171639)

Tonight, we are at Saratoga WY at the Saratoga Hot Springs Resort and Spa. (370861). We have stopped at Saratoga Hot Springs hobo pool several times. It is about 20 miles off I-80 and well worth the slight detour. The hobo pool was donated to the town of Saratoga with the proviso that no fee ever be charged to people using the pool. Located on the banks of the North Platte River, the pool is very hot - last time we stopped, we couldn't even get in the pool. There were a few hardy souls who were lobster red anywhere the water had touched their bodies. We did find a place in the river where the hot water flows from the pools that was comfortably warm, so it wasn't a wasted trip.

This year, Saratoga fell on a spot where we wanted to stop for the night, so I clicked on the Wyoming map on VRBO.com, and found this resort listed. We planned to stay two days, but the second day was booked solid, so we settled for one day.

This place is absolutely beautiful. The main pool is about 95 degrees, with the teepees in the background each over a smaller pool. The smaller pools average 105 degrees.

The room is modest, but there are so many interesting lounge areas and places to spread out that even with a fully booked resort, we never felt crowded.

The entire resort is western themed, with some very interesting furniture, lamps, shelves, and even coat racks. There are at least 4 different rooms with huge stone fireplaces and comfortable lounge chairs.