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48 2 0 1 7 T R A V E L G U I D E T O C A L I F O R N I A LILY A ./CREATIVE COMMONS/FLICKR ; PETER COOPER/ISHOOT; KRIS WIKTOR/SHUTTERSTOCK . OPPOSITE: CHARLES NADEAU/CREATIVE COMMONS/FLICKR views. From five-star luxury resorts and posh day spas to holistic healing programs and "hippie hot springs," the array of retreats will dazzle even the most experi- enced serenity seeker. Here are some of our favorite spots for the ultimate escape. Taking the Waters Home to numerous large geothermal areas, California has for centuries been a cele- brated mineral springs destination, with myriad spas statewide. Two hours inland from Los Angeles, Desert Hot Springs offers dozens of options, from the glamorous, sprawling Two Bunch Palms (featured in the movie The Player) to cozy boutique inns like Hacienda Hot Springs. The Central Coast also boasts famous baths, such as Esalen (equally known for its extensive list of alternative-education workshops) and Tassajara, the first Zen monastery built out- side of Asia. But small, funky Calistoga in the north is the state's oldest spa town, renowned not only for hot springs but also abundant volcanic ash used for therapeutic mud treatments. Eight thousand years ago, the Wappo Indians named the area "Ta La Ha Lu Si," meaning "Beautiful Land" or "Oven Place," and today spa facilities run the gamut from luxurious to laid-back. The oldest in Calis- toga—and likely California—is Indian Springs, opened in 1862 by Sam Brannan, the first Gold Rush millionaire. The 17-acre property features a recently remodelled Olympic-size heated mineral pool (compli- mentary with spa treatment on weekdays; $30 extra on weekends), an adults-only pool with dining and beverage service, plus mud baths, steam rooms steeped with eucalyptus, and a meditation pond. SUNSET YOGA in La Jolla Cove, top; spa pool at Terranea Resort, above; Travertine Hot Springs, Bridgeport, right; Sonoma's Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary, Freestone, opposite. SPAS & WELLNESS