At Miracle Springs Resort & Spa, I sip coffee from my balcony, awed by a perfect morning. In the serene courtyard below, inviting with red petunias and pink lounge chairs, guests soak in eight outdoor mineral pools. The only sounds are birds, bubbling water, and laughter.

“Travelers from Europe, Asia, and America come here to enjoy our hot mineral water pools,” says Dr. Stuart Malkin, director of Development for Miracle Springs Resort & Spa. “The water helps arthritis, boosts energy, and truthfully, makes my tired old bones feel great!” Dr. Stuart’s energy is boundless, as he’s owned and managed many successful businesses and authored books, such as “Looking For A Better World” and “Empowering Your Children.”

“People experience many different benefits,” he explains. “Deep relaxation, meditation, and cuts and bruises heal almost instantly.”

Desert Hot Spring’s deep thermal aquifer is heated by the earth’s magma. Fissures from the planet’s molten interior spew hundreds of thousands of gallons to the surface each day. Water temperatures emerge between 90 and 144 degrees Fahrenheit, so Miracle Springs Resort cools it down to 92-105 degrees for guests’ comfort.

Mission Creek Aquifer, under the Resort, bubbles up cold drinking water, which is awarded annually as “best tasting municipal water in the world.”

“Desert Hot Springs is one of the few places on earth that has both hot and cold mineral water with these pure healthy qualities,” Dr. Malkin says. “We drink the cold, and soak in the hot, in a place of amazing beauty. We’re truly blessed.”

Origin of the

Natural Mineral Springs

Who discovered these mineral waters?

The answer lies just minutes away at “Cabot’s Old Indian Pueblo,” the former home of Cabot Yerxa.  An eccentric pioneer, Cabot purchased 160 acres in this desert for $10 in 1913. Aided by his trusty burro, “Merry Christmas,” he constructed his first desert home and became determined to find his own drinking water supply.  Digging through the strata of hard rock to 36 feet, Cabot discovered 132-degree natural mineral water. Six hundred yards away, he dug another well and found cold mineral water. Geologists told Cabot his hot and cold wells were on either side of an earthquake fault. He named the area Miracle Hill.

His hot water discovery was met with ridicule in 1914, and it wasn’t until 1937 that scientific analysis of the water showed therapeutic values of this natural resource.

Cabot became an artist, exploring and painting the desert with his friend and fellow artist, Carl Eytel. In 1918, Cabot joined the Army for a year, and then traveled in Europe. In 1937, returning to his beloved desert, he helped found the city of Desert Hot Springs, and became a well-known artist and writer. Cabot’s consuming passion became the construction of his 35-room Hopi style house, called “Cabot’s Old Indian Pueblo.” Today, it’s a fascinating museum and historical landmark, a time capsule of a bohemian life. Visitors walk through Cabot’s workshop, gallery, kitchen and study, among funky furniture, historic memorabilia, and art. Books and mementos belonging to his wife Portia Graham, a lecturer and teacher of metaphysics, attest to a couple that lived a creative fascinating life.                        

A sign outside his home reads: “Come Ye Yourselves apart into a Desert place, and Rest awhile.”

In 1965, Cabot died at age 83, leaving Desert Hot Springs for future travelers to discover and enjoy.

Healthy Living at Miracle Springs Resort&Spa

After a few days soaking in mineral hot springs under waving palm trees, we’ve relaxed into oblivion. We do manage to find our way into the Miracle Springs Spa. Massages, facials, and body treatments are offered, like “Seaweed & Kelp Body Masque.” This Dead Sea masque, rich in vitamins and minerals, is applied from your toes to your neck, to boost energy and increase metabolism.

Hot springs soaking and spa treatments do increase your appetite.

Enter Nigel Gainor, the Resort’s chef.

An affable Canadian with blue eyes, goatee, and the so important chef belly, he entertains us with tales from his former life in Victoria, British Columbia. Chef Gainor ran restaurants and a bakery famous for cheesecake, foccacia, and chocolate chip cookies. He moved to the Campbell River, working on a charter boat named Kum-Bay-Yah. Ask him about orca whales and grizzly bears, he has story.

How to outrun a bear?

Chef advises, “douse yourself with pepper spray and hope the bear doesn’t like that taste.”

A Culinary Arts graduate of Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, Chef Gainor also worked for Four Season Hotels, Westin Hotels,  The Sonnanalp in Vail, and even cooked for Princess Diana. He moved to Desert Hot Springs in 1997, and now serves delicious healthy cuisine to guests at Miracle Springs Resort&Spa.

“My philosophy is that the eye is the first to feast,” Chef Gainor says. “My goal is to make your food look and taste delicious. Ok is not good enough. Everything on the menu should be great.”

We gorge our way through his menu, delighting in Chef Gainor’s famous “green soup,”  a unique concoction of broccoli, collard greens, kale, beet leaves, spinach and cream.

We loved his barbecued salmon marinated in soy sauce and brown sugar, fresh crunchy vegetables, salads topped with cranberries and feta, and a tangy lemon tart. Chef Gainor has perfected the art of creating beautiful healthy food.

Sometimes simple pleasures are all you need.

Soaking in natural hot mineral springs, inhaling sweet air, enjoying massage, healthy food, and quiet, may be just the ticket. It’s that simple.

If you go

Miracle Springs Resort & Spa, in Desert Hot Springs, features 110 newly renovated spacious guestrooms with private patios, balconies, and Internet access. Swim, soak, and lounge in the eight outdoor natural hot mineral pools. The full service Spa offers a variety of body treatments, massages, facials, a dry sauna, and l’Occitane French skin care products in The Boutique.

The Resort is 15 minutes from Palm Springs International Airport and minutes to legendary Joshua Tree National Park. Reservations: 800-400-4414. Web site: www.miraclesprings.com.

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