“A Miracle Waiting To Happen”
It was the legend of Cabot’s “Miracle Hill” in the desert that inspired Michael Bickford to invest in Miracle Springs Resort & Spa…
As with any homesteader, Cabot was pressed for water, so naturally, the first thing he did was to grab a pick and shovel to dig a well. I’m not sure whether he had any diviner talents but he hit the cold aquifer first, before digging again for a second well – to find the hot water aquifer. Cabot claimed these wells of sparkling clean mineral waters were his, on his “Miracle Hill”.
In 1920, Al Capone built Two Bunch Palms, his West Coast hideout, down the hill off Palms Blvd.
According to Desert Hot Springs lore, Two Bunch Palms had a sentry tower with armed bodyguards and underground escape tunnels complete with bullet holes. I like to think that like their Roman forebears, Italian immigrants were still programmed to carve roads leading to mineral waters.
After WWII, American entertainer Frank Sinatra owned a home in Palm Desert. I’d wager he was a familiar face at Two Bunch Palms.
Meanwhile – History was being made down the hill from Cabot’s Lodge …
After serving as a neuropsychiatrist in the Queen’s Royal Air Force during WWII, Cambridge-educated Reginald Bickford left his family’s Paradise Farms in Staffordshire, England, to accept a research position at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
As Professor of Physiology and Head of the Department of EEG, he pioneered medical research on the psychiatric effects of head trauma and dementia, along with his wife, Joy, a practicing psychiatrist at the University of Rochester. Together, it wasn’t too terribly hard to kiss the cold Minnesota weather goodbye, to start a new life in San Diego, California. They raised two sons. All flourished in the sunshine, enjoying new realities and the rewards of academia on the West Coast.
In 1992, Reginald received the Herbert H Jasper Award for educational excellence.
While the one son followed suit in the medical field, Michael, the maverick was more interested in real estate.
But after all, does the apple fall that far from the tree? It all came together in 1979, when Cabot’s Miracle Hill Mineral Water properties became available, Michael staked his claim to health and wellness in the desert when he purchased the existing spa/hotel/restaurant, www.dhsspa.com
Over time, Michael became a seasoned, hands-on, wellness hospitality professional while continuing to invest in Desert Hot Springs real estate.
When he heard that a group of Korean investors wanted out – after building and then losing their bid for a gambling license in 1997 – he purchased the newer, neighboring spa www.MiracleSprings.com.
Today, Michael continues to enjoy being a hands-on CEO of two of only a handful of spas and private inns with the purest water- fed directly from Desert Hot Springs’s miraculous, hot and cold aquifers. All are within a mile of Cabot’s Springs on Miracle Hill. www.cabotsmuseum.org
There Is No Place Just Like This Place, Anywhere Near This Place, So This Must Be The Place.” Cabot Yerba
His faith in miracles kept both spas open during the pandemic. Today, his team continues to offer clean, comfortable, affordable rooms and the purest, most miraculous, “healing mineral waters” on the West Coast, if not the entire planet. His motto is written there on the wall,
“Arrive As a Guest, Leave As A Friend, and Return as Family.” Michael Bickford
Throughout his life, Australian geologist and chemist Dr. Augustus Broue traveled the world analyzing hot spring mineral waters. In 1938, he visited Miracle Springs Resort & Spa: “From the analysis of these waters, I have not found any comparable in any country I have explored… It would appear to have qualities far superior to any waters known to me.”
The Hot tubs are open 24hrs. Private villas are fabulous for family reunions or retreats. Spa Services offer varied healing modalities- at down-to-earth prices.
NOTE: The mineral waters in this part of the desert are exclusively in Desert Hot Springs. Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Indio, and Cathedral City are not on the same water system. Their waters are not mineral unless you plan to soak at one of the Indian Hotels or casinos.
TIPS:
Today, both Hotels have reasonably priced, tasty, on-site restaurants and bars, but they close early.
All rooms have refrigerators and microwaves. 7-11 is within walking distance. Mexican restaurants, grocery stores, and fast food are a short drive back into town.
The Carl’s Jr/Slater Bros Mall on Palm Dr. & Hacienda has a water dispensary in the corner to fill gallon jugs of the local water. At the same mall, just a few doors down, the La Abuelita Mexican Bakery will surely surprise you with beautiful cakes, pastries, the best croissants, and fresh, in-house pizzas.
For the young at heart, just up the hill on Hacienda is one of the latest in, Health & Wellness: https://azurepalmhotsprings.com/
Young or old, for luxury, just a few blocks away, on Two Bunch Palms Rd., you will find the legendary, www.TwobunchPalms.com
Desert Hot Springs is cannabis and dog-friendly, so bring your beloved, well-behaved pet. Register them at the front desk, but leave them to rest in your room while you step outside to soak away your pain and relax. Your skin will thank you.
CANNABIS Tourism –
Desert Hot Springs has become one of the premier places in the world to grow plant medicines.
There are many cannabis dispensaries in Desert Hot Springs and the surrounding towns these days. Some are drive-throughs and some deliver.
The Microbuddery on Pearson St. is one of my favorite stops on Palm Drive on the way in or out of town. The Microbuddery is an established, trusted, and legal grower/distributor. Give them a call to schedule an educational tour of the local desert’s cannabis community or to arrange delivery of Paradise pre-rolls, drinks, cookies, candies, tCBD, gummies/tincture https://www.themicrobuddery.com
During a recent CannaBUS tour, I met the charming creator of Wild Bill’s Miracle Balm – The greatest salve for aching joints. Truly a miracle the way it works almost immediately on arthritis. Obviously, I’m a big fan.
If the Microbuddery is out of stock, order/ship direct: https://greenstoneretail.com/shop/product/wild-bill-s-miracle-rub-2oz
If you’re open-minded and looking for an understandable, entertaining, education about how to transition from pharma -contact Elizabeth & Sherri Mack at www.holisticcaring.com FREE intro on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpYDpe-MtDs&t=2411s
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When visiting folks took the drive, Cabot’s directions finished off with, “If you’re out in the middle of nowhere and you don’t know where you are, you’re there.” …just so you inow.
