Hippie type getaway / mexico or CA
 

Hey travlers ! I need a week to myself to take some inventory. I love sun, outdoors, yoga, art, open minded people. I would love to find a simple place in either CA or Mexico to retreat. Could evern be a camp community...just needs to be safe for a single girl. Anything like this exist ???? I am open to all types of accomadations....let me know !

Try Santa Fe, NEW Mexico. You can find all that you seek with out leaving the country. Taos NM would be great as well.

Safe, too.

Deb

How about the Esalen Institute in Big Sur?

http://www.esalen.org/index.html

rancho la peurta in tecate, mexico. it's about 50 minutes from san diego. sounds just like what you are looking for. they are even running some specials this summer that are a bargain compared to normal pricing.

My spouse is a Rancho La Puerta fan; I wouldn't call it particularly hippie in its vibe, but certainly comfortable and she and her pals love it - very much a place for single women (or women traveling without husbands.) In the summer it will be <i>hot as hell</i> of course.

Not cheap. Understatement.

hmm... there's a yoga camp up north of Puerto Vallarta somewhere (sorry only heard about it don't have specifics) that sounds exactly like what you are seeking.

Or www.riocaliente.com is an &quot;affordable spa retreat&quot; that has been around for years and gets good comments (I have not been but want to).

Harbin Hot Springs sounds like it would be perfect. It is located just up and out of the northern part Napa Valley. Kailani on the BI of Hawaii might also work for you.

ojairetreat.com

I've never been there, but have read about Topanga, near Los Angeles. There was an article in Sunset magazine awhile back. You could probably search Sunset.com archives and find the article. It is supposed to be a &quot;Bohemian&quot; community. It sounds like the perfect place for you. Nature, sunshine, artist colony, open minded people! Then again there's Eureka (north coast California). Not exactly sunny, but definitely hippe type,natural,open-minded people!

http://tenthousandwaves.com/ just outside Santa Fe

Deb

There must be something in Idyllwild, CA that would suit you. Sorry I don't know of anything specific, but the town has the kind of vibe you're seeking.

Two thoughts that come to mind are both in Mexico - Yelapa and Tulum. Rather different environments, but both would meet your requirements, I think.

Zipolite, Mexico
Akumal/Tulum, Mexico

bookmarking

Big Sure is still recovering from fires and not pleasant...and Esalen is workshops-only and quite pricey.

Many of my gfirlfriends got to Rio Caliente every eyar for spa , good vegie food etc. Likely to be hotter than hell as others have said (As will Tulum)

Land of Medicine Buddha, in the Santa Cruz Ca hills, is a lovely retreat center. You can book rooms or room plus meditation program.

Spirit Rock, a Vipissana medication center, has residential retreats in their lovely Woodacre (Marin County) Location.


Mount Madonna Center, a yoga center, has weekend and longer yoga retreats, and is also in the Santa Cruz mountains. They are the m,ost dorectly affiilated woith a particular &quot;guru&quot; but thr classes and setting are lovely and they don't prosetelyse.

Harbin Hot Springs is a pit - and clothing optional. If your idea of relaxation is seeing a lot of over 40 horny naked guys in the hot pools, which are NOT kept as clean as they should be, then go for it...

Here's a personal endorsement of Rio Caliente. I've been and it sounds like a place you would enjoy. (And didn't find it particularly hot, btw)

Rancho La Puerta is hardly a hippie camp community. Have you looked at the prices at that place? hahahahaha

It's a very highly-rated spa, but it would be very very nasty hot in summer.

There's a reason why the have discounts in summer......

Esalen in Big Sur is great and not so pricey if you bring a sleeping bag and camp out in one of their buildings. Call them. Also check on fire status. But Esalen is wonderful.

Also check Westerbeke Ranch in Sonoma.

Esalen is currently open.

bookmarking

Esalen is OPEN but it's still really smoky...which was the only point I was trying to make.

TO stay as a camper it has to be at a time when nothing else is happening, and you have to call and see if there are days where there are no workshops. Now might be a good time as things are cancelled but it woudn't be pleasant.

When I read this, Rio Caliente came to my mind. I was there three years ago.

Rancho La Puerta is south of Tecate about an hours drive from San Diego. I think that area of the boarder is safe, but be careful if you cross into Mexico at Tijuana and then drive east on the freeway to Tecate.
There have been numerous hijackings, murders, kidnappings, etc along the roads in the last few years.

I've been trying to remember this remote place in Mexico, where Rick Bayless (chef) filmed one of his shows. It seems like there was an organic farm where the gardener and guests alike would/could participate in maintaining. Lots of outdoor space to meditate, do yoga classes, etc. Healthy Restaurant.
I just wish I could remember which episode or the name of the place...

Maybe it'll ring a bell with someone here.

I think these might be more what you are looking for:

Asilomar--- Montery CA
www.visitasiloar.com

or
Christian Brothers Retreat &amp; Conf Ctr Napa Ca.

Iamq, I thought of Harbin Hot Springs also.

trippin,
I knew you liked your men over 40 and horny! LOL. mstery's comments were insulting AND funny all at the same time. What a bargain.

first of all it's asilomar

www.visitasilomar.com
and it's beautiful, but quite pricey and unless you are going with a group that is having a retreat, it doesn't offer anything by way of retreat activity.

and I stand by my categorization of Harbin - I stopped going because it attracts a certain element aside from its healing properties - and I'm 54 so I have nothing against older guys, just those who purport to be there for the retreat experience, but use the &quot;clothing optional&quot; aspect to make jerks of themselves...

And I stand by my recommendation. Harbin is clothing optional only by the pools, not the whole resort. How do you know the OP would be put off by that? The OP mentioned yoga. Harbin has good yoga workshops and sessions. Harbin has amazing massage therapists. She mentioned open minded. Harbin is a very open minded community. She mentioned sun and outdoors. Harbin has that. Harbin also has camping, which the OP mentioned. So, while there are some aspects of Harbin that you deem unattractive enough to write the whole place off, I believe there is still plenty to recommend it based on the OP desires.

zelphiacat's description certainly sounds like Rancho La Puerta.

Actually, it might have been an avocado farm in Uruapan:

http://www.rickbayless.com/notebook/view?articleID=16

Thanks, Marginal. I checked Rancho La Puerto's website and it sure does look like the place I'm thinking of. Looks lovely!

I have only one place to recommend...Eureka, CA (Humboldt)
Safe, quaint and all the hippie experience you will need. Coastline nuzzled up to Redwood forests, bluegrass music and all the natural food stores and restaurants one could imagine.

Have fun!!

Stacy
www.edufire.com