Breitenbush Hot Springs

Breitenbush Hot Springs is one of only a few vacation spots that I have returned to year after year. I have spent more than two decades now soaking in hot springs, walking through the old growth forest and nurturing the granola part of my psyche. Breitenbush is a retreat center that features rustic geothermal heated cabins, tasty and abundant vegetarian meals and various options to facilitate ultimate relaxation by soaking in the naturally occurring hot springs. My family and I recently returned to Breitenbush to help kick off the beginning of our winter break from school and work.

I was little more than a kid myself when I first discovered Breitenbush. My college friends and I liked to camp close by and take part of the Breitenbush facilities for day use. I couldn’t afford to spend the night on the property back then but soaking all day and then having a yummy lunch for $8 in the 1990’s was a great deal. They have sought to keep the prices reasonable, especially in the winter off-season where a non-bathroom cabin with meals and full use of the tubs is only $84 a person during the week.

Guests come to Breitenbush both for personal retreats, as we did, and for classes and conferences. During our stay there was a yoga teacher training and a separate yoga/meditation retreat being offered. The calendar is filled with events celebrating holidays like the Winter Solstice and class on topics ranging from contact improvisation dance to grief rituals to doula training. We like to visit Breitenbush to relax and unwind and to spend time together as a family, uninterrupted by cooking, computers and the telephone.

Breitenbush seems to pride itself on welcoming children. But the truth is, while children are welcome, the loud messiness and chaos of children is not tolerated by some of the guests and resident/owners. We have been bringing our now five-year-old son to Breitebush for three years and he loves it. He loves soaking in the hot tubs, he loves meeting new people and talking to them about Legos and his birthday and any other conversation he can engage them in. But we were constantly shushed or given a look by other guests when he got too loud or too intrusive or too much like a five-year-old. Resident/owners told us not to use our sled on the property because it was too, “rambunctious” for the Breitenbush ethos. Kids are welcome at Breitenbush as long as they are mini-adults.

While it is a great place for families and many families return year after year like we do, it is after all, a place for people to relax and rejuvenate. This can sometimes be hard for some to do with kids around. All conscientious parents are keenly aware of their child’s behavior in public and most work hard to help their children behave appropriately. But it can be a challenge for families to be told one thing (kids are welcome) and feel another (quiet that kid down, she is messing up my inner peace).

There is something about the beautiful remote location near Detroit, Oregon (about a 2 hour drive from Portland), the lack of internet/cell services and the communal aspect to the place that facilitates connection. Our family will continue to visit Breitenbush Hot Springs, to soak and relax and drink in the beauty of the natural world, even with our slightly rambunctious kid. Hopefully in the future the hot water will help mellow him out.