Antoinette May

Across The River And Unto The Woods—To A Dream Spa Come True

By Antoinette May

Catherine and Everett Powell had one of those rare “over the rainbow” experiences and still managed to find happiness in their own back yard (sort of). The result of the Powell’s adventures doesn’t look a bit like Kansas. Actually, there’s a distinct Emerald City feel to it—what with all those lush, green trees and not one but four Glinda The Goods running around performing their own special magic.
The Powells lived in Linden for 12 years—all the while dreaming of pulling up stakes and opening a destination spa. Everett was a retired engineer, Catherine is a nurse. Every two months they took off for eight days and flew to a new destination. “We tried the east coast, the Northwest, the Southwest, the Midwest, and Canada,” Catherine recalls. “Once we followed the Mississippi River from Wisconsin to Hannibal, Mo. Lots of lovely places out there, but none were quite right for us. It had to be beautiful, it had to be near a hospital so I could work, and it had to be on the water.”

Everett kept saying, “We’ll know it, when we see it.” After five years of this, the Powells decided that they were missing too much scenery by flying. So, they bought a van and set off on a shake-down trip to the Sierra foothills. “We took Hwy. 26 to 49

and had barely turned north before we saw the FOR SALE sign. There on the southern banks of the Mokelumne River was exactly the property we’d been looking for.

“Our friends couldn’t believe it,” Catherine says today. “Neither could we. Talk about ‘Location! Location! Location!’ Our big move was exactly 32 miles from Linden.”

Once they’d acquired the land, Catherine, a one-time mechanical designer and a wannabe decorator set about creating the lodge. What evolved is kind of “across the river and into the woods” fantasy—a rambling country estate with a cathedral ceiling, a great stone fireplace and windows looking out over river, valley and forest.

Small wonder that the place quickly became a popular setting for conferences, luncheons, weddings and holidays. “Neither of us had any experience running a B & B,” admits Everett. “We just plunged in and before we knew it many of our guests became friends. Some people come to pan for gold in the river. Others want to fish. The river’s full of rainbow trout. What they catch, I’ll cook it for them.”

That’s only for starters. The Everett’s’ dream had always been to own a destination spa. Chance had led them to the destination. As 2004 drew to a close, spa services were added to the lodge. A dream has finally come true. The new year ushers in a new name: The Mokelumne River Lodge and Day Spa. Guests may come for a few hours

or stay indefinitely. Four “magician” are standing by to make the stay a memorable one. Esthetician Gail Blanc offers a new look for a new year. She analyzes the skin, then discusses how to accent the positive, eliminate (or at least minimize) the negative with make-up. Besides advising on the best individual makeup for each guest, she does facials, facial waxing and deep conditioning.

To start the year feeling extra special, Elo Kerr and Lilly Paloma offer traditional Swedish massages. Diana Dunn has a more esoteric approach. Her repertoire includes reflexology (a manipulation of the feet and hands) and Zen shiatsu (application of the acupressure points).

A lesser known specialty of Dunn’s is transverse faschia release. Faschia is connective tissue. “This is energy work,” she explains. “I work with four centers—the throat base, the brain base, the diaphragm and the pelvic floor—to release chronic tension on an emotional level. This frees the energy pathways.”

Dunn’s most popular treatment is the chakra stone massage. “I sooth with heated river rocks and energize with seven semi-precious stones placed on each of the charkas. The result is a sense of centered well being. The person feels both energized and grounded.” And isn’t that a bit of wizardry to take into the new year?
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The Powells’ “emerald city” may be viewed at MokeRiverLodge.com/ Phone: 286-1000