More Travels with Bernie: Chena Hot Springs

When Bernie and I were here in 2008 we chose to take a rafting trip instead of going to Chena Hot Springs and regretted ever since – as our raft trip wasn’t great and the people who chose the hot spring raved about how wonderful it was. This was definitely on our “must do” list.

We arrived in the afternoon and decided to check it all out before paying to use the hot springs rock pool, indoor pool and hot tubs. The grounds were incredible with flowers everywhere like we have never seen before with the delphinium that was over our heads and baskets and tubs of flowers everywhere. We had a wonderful dinner in their dining room saving the hot springs for the next morning. What a joy (not) putting on our suits to go into the beautiful rock surrounded hot springs. Glad there wasn’t anyone there that we knew as it wasn’t a pretty sight. Happy to say we were with like company. We stayed in the hot water as long as we could stand it and then traded in our suits for clothes for a tour of the facilities. Chena Hot
Springs is all into Geothermal Renewable Energy and we visited the plant. It was very interesting how they are using the hot springs to convert the steam into usable energy. The tour also included a tour of the grounds. We enjoyed seeing reindeer up close and personal and also the dragon barbeque.

On the ground of Chena Hot Springs they also have an Ice House. It was seen on our local stations at home as the only ice hotel in the US. Unfortunately, after building it the fire marshal wouldn’t issue a permit because they didn’t have fire sprinklers Needless to say they are fighting that ruling. In the mean time, it is a museum where they furnish each person with parkas and you enter the facility that was approximately 27 degrees. Gorgeous ice sculpture – they have a couple on staff that are constantly coming up with new designs and repairing others. Bernie and I decided that even if the hotel was open – we would pass on the opportunity to stay in a ice hotel.