Ladies' Roadtrip

My sister and I blew off our lives for a few days and headed to Calistoga for a little R&R. It was pretty close to perfect! Calistoga is at the northern end of Napa Valley and the drive up HWY 29 was beautiful. It's this way cute little town that's completely walkable, so we parked our car and didn't get back in until it was time to go home. Awesome! We read, ate good food, read, had great conversation, stayed in a European style hotel (shared bathrooms) above a pub and brewery, walked a lot, found a great park with big shade trees and soft grass for MORE reading, and we even indulged in a little mudbathing which Calistoga is famous for. We found this great spa that dates back to the 50's I believe and had this funky retro feel.

Has anyone sat in a mudbath? In a word, it's "interesting". We were so excited to try it out, but I have to say, the minute my first leg was "sucked" in up to my calf, I panicked and had to talk myself down to continue climbing into the tub. I felt claustrophobic, stressed, but I didn't want to appear the ninny to my cool sister, so I kept it all to myself. It's completely weird to be suspended in a tub of heavy mud that smells like manure (or fertilizer to be more polite). The attendants promised "ten minutes" and then they'd come back to get us. I think it was more like 45, or ok maybe 20, but it was way too long. I was sweating profusely and I kept thinking "how awkward would it be if I just leaped out of this tub right now?" I made it through however, drank lots of water, felt detoxified and ready for a good nap. At the end of it all Vicki admitted her reaction pretty much mirrored mine and we probably won't be dipping into the mud any time soon, or really, ever again. But we LOVED the mineral baths and all of the lounging. There should really be more time for lounging in our dailiness.
I love my sister, I've loved living in the same town together this last year, meeting for coffee, at the park with the kiddos, movie nights, but mostly all of the good conversation. She's one of the most diverse, thoughtful, and genuine people I know. I'm challenged by who she is and the questions she poses. I'm better for knowing her. It was a gift to have her all to myself for a few days.
I returned last night and stepped back into the whirlwind of our current reality. Another road trip is on the horizon for Monday. We shall return to Redding for our third trip there this year, something keeps drawing us back... But I have to say, whirlwind aside, I'm so excited to take another gander at Alyssa's big belly before Moses comes! It's always fun to find an excuse to go to Redding, God is SO good.