The votes are in! This year we received over 250 votes from fans casting their vote for who they think should be crowned our March Mudness Grand Prize WINNER!  And the winning photo is: Swamp Man!

This eerie creature (who we caught lurking in Club Mud during the second week of our contest) has won two Swedish Massages to enjoy! Congratulations!

Thank you to everyone who participated in March Mudness and even voted for their favorite photo. It was another fun (and mud) filled March Mudness and we couldn’t have done it without you. While the contest may be over, there is still plenty of mud just waiting for you to enjoy in Club Mud. See you there!

For more Mud Photos, visit us on Facebook.

It’s that time again fans! It’s time for you to cast your vote for your favorite March Mudness photo!

Wondering how to cast your vote? Check out each weeks winners  and pick your  favorite. Simply click on the photo to see it larger and then click “vote” for who you think should win. Yes, it’s that easy! The 4th Annual March MUDness grand prize winner will win two Swedish Massages to enjoy.

Voting ends Friday, April 6 at 10 a.m. so make sure you cast your vote now! We will be announcing the grand prize winner later that afternoon right here on the blog!

As we close out that last week of this years March Mudness, we have to give a round of applause to all of our participants this week who helped us end the contest the best way possible — with great photos! From muscular mud men to a muddy Mickey Mouse, this week was filled with fun and laughter as we watched guests have fun in Club Mud.

Our final weekly winner is Alyssa and her friends who incorporated not only the mud, but our beautiful surroundings into their photo! We will be sending Alyssa two spa day admission passes along with a Revitalizing Travel Kit from Primavera.

Starting Monday, April 2 right here on our blog, it will be up to YOU to choose your favorite March Mudness photo and help us crown a grand prize winner! As a reminder, the grand prize winner will receive TWO Swedish Massages so you’ll want to make sure you vote!

For more Mud Photos, visit us on Facebook. See full contest description here.

Not only did we have warmer weather this week, we had some fun and fabulous guests participate in the third week of March Mudness! Congratulations to Esmerelda and her friend who showed us their good and evil side in Club Mud. These lucky ladies are the winners of TWO spa day admission passes along with a Revitalizing Face Care Starter Kit from Primavera.

It’s hard to believe but next week is the last week of March Mudness! If you have yet to join us, make sure to meet us in Club Mud Monday – Friday from 1:00 pm – 1:30 pm to enter. This will be your last chance to win spa admission passes, Primavera products and Swedish Massages so don’t miss out! Voting for our grand prize winner will start Tuesday, April 3 right here on the blog. Make sure your favorite photo wins and vote!

For more Mud Photos, visit us on Facebook. See full contest description here.

A message from Jim Root, President & CEO

This past Monday, March 19th was the anniversary of the re-opened Glen Ivy in 1977 and by acclimation is the same date in 1860 when we welcomed our very first guest, thus Glen Ivy’s 152nd anniversary! Since March 19, 1977 and through March 18, 2012 Glen Ivy has welcomed almost 3.4 million guests and for countless generations even before 1860, Glen Ivy has welcomed folks to take the waters and find a personal renewal that comes from being in this special place. Today we are the stewards of the history and traditions of Glen Ivy and every day we are continuing to add to the richness and fullness of the story and experiences that we share with our guests and which all together, make Glen Ivy such an extraordinary destination.

We’re proud to continue offering you a day filled with meaningful, memorable and enjoyable experiences, and we’re grateful for your support and engagement as we strive to continue improving these experiences for you. We’ve shared our newly completed Pavilion earlier this year and currently our front entrance is undergoing a complete renovation, while our Bath House receives updates as well. We are always working on ways to enhance your Glen Ivy Experience and hope you delight in discovering something new each time you visit.

Thank you for your love of Glen Ivy. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Happy Birthday Glen Ivy Hot Springs!

-Jim Root, President & CEO

Cooler weather didn’t stop some of our die-hard March Mudness fans from participating this week! This week the prize of two spa admission passes and a Travel Kit from our friends at Primavera goes to….Swamp Man!! We found him lurking in Club Mud but luckily we managed to snap his picture.

While we may be at the halfway mark for March MUDness, there are still plenty of opportunities for you to win spa admission passes, Primavera skincare products and massages! We will be in Club Mud Monday – Friday from 1:00 – 1:30 pm to snap your picture until March 30. Voting for our grand prize winner will start Tuesday, April 3 right here on the blog. Make sure you stop by the vote for your favorite mud photo!

For more Mud Photos, visit us on Facebook. See full contest description here.

We kicked off the first week of our 4th Annual March MUDness contest with a BANG! Once again our guests joined us in Club Mud and showed us just how creative they could be in the mud. While it was hard to choose a winner (and we know that it isn’t going to get any easier), we are excited to announce our first weekly winner of the month – Vincent! He crafted a mud eye patch, mustache and hook then struck his fiercest pirate pose. Congratulations Vincent and we hope you enjoy your prize, TWO Hot Springs Admissions!

In case you weren’t able to make it to the Hot Springs this week, or if you’re at home planning your uber-creative mud photo, have no fear! We will be in Club Mud Monday – Friday from 1:00 – 1:30 pm waiting to snap your picture until March 30. We still have more Hot Springs Admission passes to give away to our weekly winners and TWO 50 minute Swedish Massages to award our grand prize winner!

Our camera is ready. Are you?

The last time hula-hooping was popular in America Elvis was all the rage and had just come out with the top 40 hit “A Big Hunk of Love.” The years may have have passed, and you might not even be old enough to remember, but no worries, the passion for hooping has circled back to the 21st century with whirl wind speed and is being embraced as the latest new fitness trend by young and old alike!

A Hula-Rama Participant

And no one understands this better than wonderful folks at Hoopnotica who have been fundamental movers and shakers in reviving hooping and getting people really excited about fitness! Hoopnotica, in case you haven’t heard, is the hottest new hooping trend out of LA and they teamed up with us last Thursday for the first-ever Hula-Rama at the Hot Springs, bringing the community together to celebrate the benefits of spa lifestyle and the sheer joy of fitness. It was a match made in heaven! Guests (along with some energetic Glen Ivy employees) were quick to pick up a hoop and join in one (or more) of the three classes held on the front lawn that day. Although the initial instruction was about how to perform the basics, by the end of the day, we saw hip and leg hooping, arm hooping, halos and even how to stretch and relax with a hoop. The Hoopnotica hoops themselves are beautiful to look at; larger than a child’s hoop, they span 4 feet and are brightly colored in vivid pinks, reds, greens and blues with flashes of metallic gold and silver. We even saw travel hoops that break down to the size of yoga mat and sling over your shoulder with an easy carry strap. For the more creative types, hoop decorating classes were available in Tiempo Lounge and the results were dizzying!

After a solid cardio workout (hooping burns 420 calories per hour, by the way), spa guests were able to enjoy a calming yoga stretch routine with Glen Ivy’s fitness expert Meg Root.

Stretching class led by Meg Root

In addition, we were joined by the traveling Spa Buzz Bus girls  on their west coast tour — a country-wide mission to create buzz for active and healthy living. Not only were guests invited inside their amazing Airstream for a refreshing glass of lavender lemon elixer, they received gifts and prizes throughout the day including some amazing products from COOLA (a line of sun care products that contain certified organic extracts, antioxidants and vitamins) and Melt (a delicious organic butter spread). Primavera skin care professionals were also on hand to introduce guests to this wonderful organic line that we are now using in our facial treatments and to spray the occasional over heated hooper with the Primavera Moisturizing Refreshing Mist. Botanical tours through the spa had guests stopping to adorn the succulent wall with more plants and other activities during the day including seed bomb making, a labyrinth walk, container gardening classes, bird watching, and an aromatherapy workshop kept everyone busy connecting with the sights, smells, sounds, and feel of nature all day long.

Happy, relaxed and renewed guests were heading home from their spa day only to be greeted with one more very special treat, a farmers market featuring local organic produce. Bob Cat Properties, 3 Hart’s Grove, and Unity Farms have long been supplying Chef Bill Wavrin’s kitchen with everything from honey to avocados, to citrus and squash and had their booths set up in the Hot Springs parking lot. Everyone stopped by to fill their bags with healthy, colorful veggies and cool off with a sample of sweet and juicy watermelon, commenting “I wish it was like this everyday at Glen Ivy!”

Here’s the good news! While you still might have to visit your local farmers market to get your fresh organic produce each week, many of the featured activities at the Hula-Rama event are available on a regular basis at the Hot Springs. The Events & Activities schedule is updated monthly with new classes and presenters, so be sure to check it before your next visit. If you have ideas for an activity that you think we should add, please let us know. Our program of classes and activities is always growing and we would love to know what has you spinning!

Thank you to everyone who helped make Hula-Rama a success! We had entirely way too much fun and we hope that you did too.

View photos in the glenivy.com gallery or visit Glen Ivy on Facebook.

Did you join us for the first-ever Hula-Rama at the Hot Springs? We’d love to hear from you!

When I was in college, I had the lucky opportunity to spend a month at the Prescott College Kino Bay Research Center. Kino Bay or more properly Bahia Kino, is a quaint little fishing village along the Sonoran Coast of the Gulf of California. If you have spent any time in the Gulf you know what I am talking about when I say the stark yet serene desert stretches out right to the shores of the sea.

Centuries old columnar cacti like Saguaro, Cardon and Organ Pipe dot the hillsides and bajadas, sometimes reaching more than 20 feet into the air.  The mostly still and glass-like crystal blue waters of the gulf extend to the horizon interrupted only by the midriff islands like Isla Tiburon and the occasional sea turtle or dolphin that break the surface of the water. The only thing here, separating the desert from the sea is a narrow road with seaside shops and sandy beach.

I will never forget the warm waters, friendly people and diverse landscapes I encountered while there. The locally indigenous Seri Indians that came to trade with the “Americanos” were always friendly and inviting. The mangrove swamps, hot chiltipina peppers collected wild from the desert, and colorful cottages and fishing boats that dotted the narrow strip along the shore have stayed fresh in my mind for 20 years now.

It is these images and experiences that are the inspiration for a newly renovated landscape area between Glen Ivy’s Rancho Las Uvas and South Pool. Young columnar cactus including Saguaros, Yuccas, Barrel Cactus, and sages add to the feel of a contrasting environment. Colorful pottery and crystal pools reminiscent of the quaint and serene villages that line the coast of Sonora highlight the semi-shaded lounging and dining area. And like the welcoming Seri Indians of the Gulf of California, the caring and dedicated staff at Glen Ivy invite you to come enjoy this new experience, allow your worries to be carried away on the warm desert breezes, and find tranquility in the clear healing waters that can only be found at Glen Ivy Hot Springs.

Patrick Mitchell
Glen Ivy’s Director of Landscapes & Sustainability

Well folks, the result are in! The grand prize winner for our 2011 MUDder’s Day Photo Contest is……Amy and Vickie from week one! Their prize? A $100 Glen Ivy gift card!

Thank you to everyone who participated and voted! You truly made it a MUDder’s Day contest to remember. As always, see you in the mud!