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Hiking the Pump Gap takes anywhere from an hour and a half to 3 and a half depending on how fast you go, and how well you pay attention to the trail markers, there are some turns. According to Tim’s do-hickey thing we covered an elevation of almost 1500 feet throughout the hike. It’s an up and down meandering kind of thing, absolutely gorgeous, and full on rhodo-tunnels, and some creek crossings. We saw one snake, not of the garter snake variety, so be careful, this is the North Carolina Mountains after all. And four groups of people. I’ve been hiking the Pump Gap for a few years now and I’ve never seen anyone else on the trail any time I’ve gone, so I guess its’ fame is growing? It is a great hike, about 5 miles round trip and it changes dramatically with each season.

After our hike, we were ready to get our grub on. So we cruised over to my favorite spot, and lucked out big time by actually getting a table for 4 at Bridge Street Café with out reservations, on a Friday around 6:30. Probably only happened so I could describe it to you. You often need reservations there anytime of year but especially fall. Fall is the busy season for Hot Springs, NC. The combination of the breath taking beauty surrounding you and the crisp chill evenings that are perfect for hot tubing, is an unbeatable combo and people come from miles to experience it. I have friends that come in from all over the country and even Mexico for a weekend and it always includes Hot Springs. Bridge Street Café has an impressive wine list, with several of my favorites, spanning price ranges from $20 a bottle to $50 or so? They have several beers and everyone found a beverage and meal to meet their cravings at the moment. Tim and I both had the special, which was salmon stuffed with crab in a garlic sauce, polenta with a marinara sauce on it and fresh veggies. Can I just say – mm, mm good. We also got calamari which was awesome. Lisa and Jill both got Angel Hair Puttanesca which they loved. And Lisa is straight out of Italy, so she’s knows her pasta. Beyond the awesome atmosphere; local art on the walls, decorative evergreens, the huge brick oven, and the cute guy that worked further back in the kitchen, Bridge Street also often has live music on Saturday nights out on the cozy, heated deck. And, as if that weren’t enough, the food is organic, and often so local it came from the garden that morning. Everything is homemade and delicious, plus it will appease the hippie in you because they also go to great length to be environmental conscious as well. I try and go there every time I hit Hot Springs. There are some other great places to eat as well. The only other one I’ve been to is Paddler’s Pub, because I can hang out with my dog, Irie on the patio there. They also have great food, but it’s more ‘American’, you know, fried things, and fewer veggies.

After a couple bottles of wine and a relaxed meal we had just enough time to tend to the dogs and get our suits on. I had suggested everyone bring a robe, so I’ll suggest it to you as well. Bring a robe. I, of course don’t own one, but I was glad to see that everyone else brought theirs! See here’s how it works. You get your tub ‘ticket’ and then you go into the heated and quite clean trailers to change into your suit. This is the first place the robes come in handy, oh and you’ll want to bring flip flops too. While you wait for everyone to change you get to circle around a roaring bonfire with who ever else happens to be at Hot Springs and chat while you wait for your tub. All while staying quite warm and toasty in your robe. Oh, and make sure you give your ticket to the crew under the white canopy. The crew consists of locals, usually teenagers, that lead people to the tubs, tell them when to get out, and clean the tubs between each soak. What a gig! As we were being led to our tub one of the guys said, ‘ya’ll enjoy’ or something like that and Tim commented on how ‘together or friendly’ these teenagers were. I guess he’s not as used to southern hospitality as I now am? Regardless they are delightful every time I go, just smiling. So you get led out into the darkness, between some clump of trees or another and suddenly there will be a beautiful gazebo before you with a hot tub bubbling. They have little hooks and for your robe, you can slip it off and be in the water with 15 seconds. See how nicely that works? Remember its cold outside, what with that crisp mountain air and all. The gazebos are built along the French Broad River and if you go during the day you can see that you are surrounded by trees, several species of birds fluttering around, squirrels, and all the other woodland critters. Some of the tubs even have a great view of the river flowing by. The spa did a magnificent job of utilizing the natural resources without exploiting them you don’t see or hear any of the other tubs around you. It is also great fun to go when it’s snowing. The tubs even come in sizes for parties of 2 to 8.

So, we soak under the stars and share stories of 10 plus years of adventure and friendship; Jill and I went to high school together and Lisa and I met in college. Suffice it say, there was plenty of laughter being lifted up that night, remembering the adventures of old, and some not so old. And Tim got to sit in the tub with 3 ladies, which he will hopefully talk up to the guys back home. After an hour, (you can reserve it for longer), one of the teenagers will come up and say you’re time’s up and will you please pull the plug. And then you have to get out in the mountain fresh air again. Here is the second place where the robes come in handy. See everyone else got out and wrapped a big fluffy robe around them. I got out and wrapped a bath towel around myself, which beyond not covering you half as much as a robe (so you get to feel more of that fresh mountain air), leaves you walking back past the teenagers and whoever is at the bonfire wrapped in just a towel. Now, depending on your modesty level, that could be uncomfortable for some, although plenty of people do it, you are in a suit after all.

Hot Springs is my favorite spa – not that I’ve been to any others – but their 800 number is in my cell phone and I usually go about once a month, except in the summer when it’s too hot. It’s only $40 after 6 PM for an hour for 4 people to soak in a tub full of natural hot mineral water, along the French Broad River, under the stars, in the mountains. That’s a no brainer to me. You can see the minerals broken down by percentage and there are massages and all sorts of things you can also book, if you go to their webpage. It is heaven for my back and does wonders for my skin, making it soft and glowing. I also encourage you to bring some empty bottles or buy some there and fill them up with the water; it’s just as good inside of your body as outside. Plus after all that soaking and vino you need to get your drink on. There are several places to stay at the Hot Spring Spa. They have rooms and a cabin all pimped out with a hot tub. Bridge Street Café is also an Inn, and there are other B&B’s, cabins, camping, oh and that great hotel down the street as well. There are even several places that you can have your dog stay with you. Just get your Google on or ask me to find the best place for you. OR, you can always cruise back to Knoxville or go visit with friends in Johnson City or Asheville. It’s about 90 min to get to Hot Springs from Knoxville.

I’ll be back again in a month or less, maybe tomorrow? The town of Hot Springs was built up around these springs. Every time I go I am refreshed and leave relaxed and glowing. The views, the fresh mountain air, the food, the hot tubs, the hikes, the drive itself, and most of all the spirit of the place which quickly settles into those there, whether local or not, all keep me coming back. Hot Springs reminds me that we all need rest, and is one of my favorite places to do it.

Images courtesy of Hot Springs Spa website