Anyone been there in the lawst few years? Is it a golf course and business park yet?
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Re: Byron ?
Sat, February 2, 2008 - 3:14 PMnope, but between Brentwood and Bethel Island has all kinds of those freakin' new tract homes... many vacant. -
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Re: Byron ?
Sat, February 2, 2008 - 3:14 PMwhat's this have to do with western hot springs? =) -
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Re: Byron ?
Sun, February 3, 2008 - 3:07 PMwell byron WAS a hot springs resort, but it is privately owned and not accessible as far as I know.
good place to sky dive though - great views in all directions! -
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Re: Byron ?
Sun, February 3, 2008 - 3:42 PM> byron WAS a hot springs resort
Byron a resort? You sure? In photos, it appeared to be completely undeveloped as of 6 years ago or so. Then I heard that it had been bought by a developer, with plans for a business park of all things. <sigh>
Off to google maps to see if the satellite might answer the question. -
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Re: Byron ?
Sun, February 3, 2008 - 4:19 PMgoogle search results yielded this:
www.byronhotsprings.com/
it looks like they have plans, but I'm not sure how far along they are in development.
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Re: Byron ?
Mon, February 4, 2008 - 3:23 AMIt has been a long time since I've been to Byron.
The first time I encountered it, I was out for a motorcycle ride, and took the turn off on a whim.
The three-story hotel was in terrible shape, with great sections of the roof missing.
Most of the lower floor was awash, because the hotel had sunk some since it was built.
I looked around on the second floor, but was advised to avoid the third floor.
The word I got was that it was a world-class resort and spa until the 1906 earthquake changed the spring's geology.
The building probably couldn't be salvaged. But it must have been beautiful in its heyday. -
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Re: Byron ?
Mon, February 4, 2008 - 8:00 AMI love hearing about places like this. So I gather there is no hot water anywhere there anymore? -
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Re: Byron ?
Mon, February 4, 2008 - 4:26 PMThere was hot water when I was there, but that was probably more than 20 years ago.
I just don't know if there was any place to soak. Many of the buildings were in disrepair, but it is possible that the buildings that housed the springs were still in use. I was more interested in the architecture of the old hotel than in soaking, so my inquiries were off into a different area. I do remember that there were a variety of small buildings around, some of which seemed occupied. Apparently, there was some small community there at the time of my visits.
I have no idea what the current status is. -
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Re: Byron ?
Mon, February 4, 2008 - 4:38 PM -
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Re: Byron ?
Mon, February 4, 2008 - 5:34 PMhere's an excerpt of the description of the springs......(it sounds heavenly, I wonder why it closed down???):
"Each of the many springs on the property was named according to its content or purpose. The “Salt Springs” were heavily laden with “curative” salt. The “Liver and Kidney Springs” were drunk by many of the guests, especially alcoholics, under the impression that these two organs greatly benefited or were cleansed by its use.
The “White Sulfur Springs” and the “Black Sulfurous Mud Springs,” were frequented by patients with arthritis and other diseases of the joints.
“Black Sulfur Springs” were used for bathing. When the waters of “Surprise Spring” were drunk, they had a strong (perhaps surprisingly strong) laxative effect.
Facilities also included a 20- by 40-foot swimming pool, six feet in depth. The pool was called “The Gas Plunge,” because of the carbonated gas that constantly bubbled to the surface of the water like a can of warm soda.
Today the site of the once-verdant resort has been reduced to a bleak landscape. A few fragments of the past remain in the form of weather-beaten structures and fire-stricken debris. Scattered palm trees remain as isolated reminders of the faded glories of the place." -
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Re: Byron ?
Mon, February 4, 2008 - 5:43 PMThat is so interesting. And just a bit over an hour from San Francisco. -
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Re: Byron ?
Mon, February 4, 2008 - 6:54 PMyes I wonder........if it is fenced in or not?
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Re: Byron ?
Tue, February 5, 2008 - 10:21 AMsome info from Wikipedia explains what happened.......they were the victim of lawsuits!!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byron,_California
Byron Hot Springs
Byron, California is also home to the somewhat well-known and historical Byron Hot Springs, a now-abandoned resort which was a retreat that attracted many moviestars and famous athletes in the early 1900's. The first hotel was built in 1889 and was a three-story wood building, with a few cottages scattered nearby, as well as a laundry, gas plant and ice plant, all of which were destroyed by fire on July 25, 1901. A second hotel, also three stories, but made of stucco was constructed 1901-1902, but it burned in 1912. The third and final hotel, a four-story brick structure was built in 1913 and still stands. In 1938 the resort closed, due to a series of lawsuits, probably brought about by the Great Depression, but was leased by the government in 1941 and became a military interrogation camp housing both German and Japanese prisoners of war, known as Camp Tracy, until 1945, when orders were sent to dismantle it. In 1946 the Byron Hot Springs property was put up for sale and purchased by the Greek Orthodox Church for a sum of $105,000. It served as the Monastery St. Paul for several years. It then changed hands several times both as a resort, country club and private residence. It is currently privately owned. As with each new owner, plans have materialized to rebuild Byron Hot Springs, as stated at byronhotsprings.com, but recent visits have shown no progress, likely due to high costs regarding restoration. In 2005, a Victorian-era carriage house on the property was burned to the ground. The hotel itself sustained some fire damage, but still stands.[2] -
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Re: Byron ?
Tue, February 5, 2008 - 3:28 PM"It then changed hands several times both as a resort, country club and private residence."
Private residence? Sweet!
Re: Is there a fence? Maybe a fieldtrip is in order.... -
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Re: Byron ?
Tue, February 5, 2008 - 3:35 PMRe: Is there a fence? Maybe a fieldtrip is in order....
I'm totally up for some exploration. Let's discuss further off list. -
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Re: Byron ?
Tue, February 5, 2008 - 3:39 PMActually, let's discuss on list, and cc: the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office.
;) -
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Re: Byron ?
Tue, February 5, 2008 - 4:01 PMlike weazie, i'd like to issue a warning about trying fence hopping in Byron. This is a truck-stop, train-town, and ranch and farm community. I think they might notice people sneaking on to private property there. Plus if its where I'm thinking, its pretty much in the middle of downtown. Even if the springs are not downtown, they're probably somewhere near a road that is traveled often. this place looks secluded, but its not. (its right off of highway 4, near vasco rd, and Tracy, Ca.) -
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Re: Byron ?
Tue, February 5, 2008 - 4:04 PMbtw, i used to work near there. which is how i know about the town of Byron.
you could make a trip to the Byron Inn though --the local greasy spoon that has a great cheap breakfast. and maybe you could innocently ask the staff there about the hotsprings in the area and feel out if it would be stoopid to go jumping the fence 'n' stuff.
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This is the maximum depth. Additional responses will not be threaded.
Re: Byron ?
Thu, February 7, 2008 - 5:56 AMI'd be happy to join a field trip, so long as it isn't tresspassing. I'd want to get permission first.
If they have any usable facilities, I'd consider paying a fee to use the place. -
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Re: Byron ?
Thu, February 7, 2008 - 3:18 PMI'm going guess that the place isn't open to the public. So there's probably no way to pay a fee and go in to use the springs.
Virgpurge did suggest a recointer trip to Bryon...find the location, ask around, etc. You never know: If you asked to look at the property, someone might just say yes.
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Wow.
Tue, February 5, 2008 - 3:11 PMGlad I asked. And thanks much for the links. -
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Re: Wow.
Tue, February 5, 2008 - 3:32 PMyou're welcome and thanks for asking. now I'm totally intrigued about this place. I really love hot springs and what a shame that such a cool one isn't open to the public. I'm sure it would cost a fortune to restore the buildings and you probably can't tear them down b/c of historical significance. it's likely a catch-22. seems like if they were able to demolish and build small buildings and maybe left a few springs undeveloped they could make something of the place. -
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Re: Wow.
Tue, February 5, 2008 - 5:35 PMI'm just curious what the last sale price of the property was.
Sounds like the development proposal is extensive to say the least. Sure like the greener/sustainable aspects of it though. Particularly wrt the golf course, typically atrocious impositions on any natural landscape.
It would sure be cool to get a look at the place before it turns into a construction site, and thereafter another indistinguishable "resort".
I'm going to post a couple pics of Byron taken 5-10 yes ago.
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Re: Byron ?
Sat, February 9, 2008 - 10:15 PMI found these photos on someones flickr site about a year ago and was tempted to go investigate first hand:
www.flickr.com/photos/los...0260134466/
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Re: Byron ?
Sat, February 9, 2008 - 10:43 PMvery striking pics. thanks for sharing. -
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Re: Byron ?
Fri, May 9, 2008 - 10:46 PMI was just curious: Have you been/jumped the fence at Byron? I saw that you were local...
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Re: Byron ?
Mon, February 11, 2008 - 3:29 PMJudging by the report and pictures, it looks like other have done a hop-the-fence tour already. -
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Re: Byron ?
Wed, May 14, 2008 - 12:33 AMcurrent google earth pics looks like it's main building is surrounded by green grass and the surrounding roads are well traveled so someone's started redevelopment. must mean the springs are still active. yea'.
37°50'51.8"N
121°38'01.11"W
it's near where i dirt bike on occasion. Carnegie.
anyone venture that way yet? -
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Re: Byron ?
Wed, May 14, 2008 - 10:45 PMI peeked at the satellite photo for those coordinates.
The green grassy area is the central courtyard area - kind of a traffic circle.
The building that's in the 1 O'Clock position is the old 4-story hotel that's in serious disrepair.
I don't know where the soaking tubs might be, I couldn't zoom in close enough to recognize any more.
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