Dramatic clouds rolled across the sky as I pulled up to Jemez State Monument. The ruins of a Towa pueblo and Spanish mission were a beautiful way to kill some time before my massage appointment in Jemez Springs. The $3 admission did not actually include a self-guided tour map, but an extremely beaten-up copy was available to borrow at the entrance. Luckily, it was a very small site and I could easily take the whole thing in with a few glances, because the rain began in earnest after I'd only taken 5 or 6 photos.

Jemez State Monument

Soda Dam

As people crowded into the site's museum to avoid the rain, I left to visit Soda Dam, another of the Jemez Trail's photogenic natural wonders—a bulbous, stalactite-esque dam formed of solidified mineral deposits. The rain trickled off but left a flat grey sky rather than striking cloud formations. Out of ideas to create good photos from this, I headed back to Jemez Springs.

My first-ever hot springs experience was in Baños, Ecuador. The pools were brown, smelled strongly of sulfur, and cost $1 for an all-day visit. A more recent experience was in Jiaoshi, Taiwan, at a beautiful Japanese-style resort featuring astronomical prices. Jemez Springs was well toward the lower end of this scale.

There were natural hot springs in the area, but I knew I wouldn't enjoy those as much solo. Jemez Springs Bathhouse was one of the oldest structures in Jemez Springs, dating to around 1870. It was a small operation, so reservations are probably recommended; I had only decided to visit the baths after spotting a brochure in Walatowa Visitors Center so I had to make an appointment on my first pass through and come back.

The clientele seemed rather old; either the younger folks sought out the natural springs, or...you know...they didn't make it out to the bathhouses on weekday afternoons.

A private, somewhat rough stone tub inside the dim facility cost $10 for a 30-minute soak. As soon as I adjusted the water's temperature to my liking, I realized I should have paid $5 more for a 60-minute soak. I could easily stretch out a 30-minute bath at home; add on an extra-deep tub and mineral water, and I could happily fall asleep here.

I cannot resist a reasonably-priced massage, and at the Bathhouse, 30 minutes was just $37. I was hesitant because the only masseur on hand was male, but Alex turned out to be so polite and soft-spoken my worries melted away. Both a native of New Mexico and Old Mexico, young Alex seemed eager to chat with a big-city gal. I wished I'd splurged for the 60-minute massage.

He told me I had wonderfully soft and well-hydrated skin. Pity no one else was currently appreciating it.

After feeling slightly guilted into adding extra tips for other staff that only materialized when I was walking out, I continued along the trail, so relaxed I was practically numb.

The rest of the drive was just as beautiful, if less spectacularly photogenic. Battleship Rock made for great scenery but poor photos. Jemez Falls was surprisingly weak considering how much rain the area had received lately. And the much rougher rain I encountered on my way to Bandelier rattled me on my first day behind the wheel in a full year.

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