As we drove east out-of-town one Friday afternoon, I was finally feeling relaxed. My husband and I were heading to Soldier Meadows Hot Springs for a weekend of quiet and to recharge our minds, bodies and spirits.

Soldier Meadows is near the Black Rock Desert, which has grown in popularity over the last decade because of the notorious Burning Man festivals. Erik and I have been to Solider Meadows several times but this particular weekend we were anxious to sit in the warm, invigorating natural springs.

We pulled up to our typical camp spot, and as usual there are no springs within eyeshot, just rolling hills and massive mountains outlining a long beautiful meadow. This is part of the beauty of Soldier Meadows. It feels secretive, yet magical.

We walked lightly down a rocky path and into a small bowl between two rolling hills. Sure enough, there was a natural spring tucked in a tight hidden spot, sandwiched between the banks of the two hills. Instead of hopping in immediately, we walked a little farther and eyed the area for arrowheads. While we did not find arrowheads, we came across more natural springs; they were hiding within nearly every hill we covered. I was tempted to jump into each of them. However, I knew it would be much more rewarding to sit and relax after we strolled through the meadow on our way back to camp.

The wait paid off and the rejuvenating powers of the hot springs were overwhelming. We sat in the spring next to our camp and enjoyed the stars for hours—or days, who knows. We followed this relaxing routine for two nights.

When Monday came, Erik was surprised that he did not have to peel me from the hot springs and urge me to start my work week. I was ready to face the work world again, knowing I had a place I could sink off to on the weekend to remember what life is really about.

Nevada is home to hundreds of hot springs, many of them merely short hikes from a bed and breakfast, a main road or a campground. With natural beauty so accessible, we should not only be exploring it in our free time, we should also be bringing the insight it offers back to work with us each and every Monday. When we return feeling grounded and refreshed and thinking “What a wonderful weekend,” we can prolong that feeling and parlay it into “What a wonderful week.”

Do you ever explore Nevada’s hot springs? If so, which is your favorite? Share in the comments below. Be sure to follow me on twitter @kelliehiking.