Sauna and Campfires

    One of my favorite aspects of a wood burning sauna is watching the fire flicker in the stove while you're on the bench warming up. Especially if it's freezing outside and everything is covered in snow.

Fire burning in sauna stove

As great as it is, periodically you have to get out of the sauna and cool down. I think sauna is about being social. It's not the same doing it alone. When inside heating up, conversations with friends and family are a big part of the experience. Cooling down outside, the conversations can continue by the campfire. I think a person can watch a campfire burn for hours. The fact that it also gives off heat is a bonus. This heat allows you to spend more time outside cooling down and prolongs the conversations.

 Another benefit of a campfire is the smell. Sure, you get the wood burning smell in the sauna when you open the stove door to throw in a log, but by the campfire, you get to enjoy it longer.

Saunas and campfires go hand and hand

When building your sauna or looking to improve an existing sauna experience, don't forget about your outdoor space. Make sure you make space, have lighting for evening hours and cold winters, comfortable seating and most importantly, a firepit for campfires!

Chicago Bath House aka Red Square Bath House Road Trip From MN

 Unfortunately, Minnesota does not have a Bath House-- at least not a Slavic type with different saunas, steam room, cold plunge and a restaurant with food and drinks. Searching on the map, Chicago is the closest location with multiple such bath houses. Our sauna crew talked about taking a trip to Chicago to enjoy some bath houses for over a year. This year, it finally came to fruition. 

Last weekend, 5 of us piled into a car and drove 6 hours to Illinois. Our goal was to spend the weekend eating good food and trying different bath houses. One such place was the Chicago Bath House, formerly known as the Red Square Bath House. Talking to one of the staff members, the place has quite a history. Originally started in 1906, it even saw Al Capone and Rev Jesse Jackson prior to changing owners and becoming Red Square Bath House. 

Chicago Bath House formerly Red Square Bath House 

Upon paying the cover price, you go down to the changing rooms where you're given towels, slippers and a robe. There are male and female locker rooms/areas. The male side has segregated sauna, cold plunge, steam room and hot tub. Not sure what the female side has :) There is a common rest area that is coed as well as a coed 200F dry sauna. Drinks and snacks can be ordered from upstairs bar via a landline in the room and they are brought down and charged to your account. There's a large selection of beer on tap and in bottles.

After enjoying a few rounds of saunas, hot tub, steam and the skin piercing cold plunge, we were ready to eat. Putting on our robes, we went upstairs to the restaurant. The restaurant serves many great Slavic dishes, both hot and cold. The food was surprisingly tastier than at a lot of standalone restaurants. The staff was great and the cold tap beer hit the spot. They also serve beet infused vodka they make themselves-- a must try!

After a delicious dinner, it was back downstairs for a few more rounds of heat. The men's area also has a hall with loungers, where we enjoyed just laying and watching TV, relaxing after sauna and dinner. Finally, after showering and changing back to street clothes, it was back upstairs for fresh brewed hot tea to end the night as the bath house closed at 12am.

This is my second time visiting the Chicago Bath House and I've enjoyed it every time. Having visited 2 more places that weekend, I would say that this bath house is my favorite and most authentic. It's also clean and has everything I expect in a bath house like this.

Bath House Chicago - Spa - Restaurant - Sauna - Tan - 773-227-2284

Chicago Bath House | Chicago IL | Facebook

Share your thoughts below in the comments of the bath houses you've visited and would recommend. Any idea why northern MN or even MI does not have such a bath house that's a closer drive then Chicago? I look forward to hearing from you!

How to take your sauna to the next level!

 You've done saunas for years. This is not your first rodeo. You get it nice and warm. Put your favorite aroma oils in the water bucket. Go in and get comfortable on the bench, with your favorite music playing. Throw a few ladles of that great smelling water on the rocks and enjoy. You're in your best sauna. But, are you really?

Have you ever had anyone in the sauna whip out their towel and start spinning it to circulate the air around? All of the sudden, the air gets hotter, the aroma scent thicker, and the sauna feeling much much better! The formal history of it, I guess, is that it's a ritual. The formal name, Aufguss. From German meaning "infusion" as the following site explains:

https://chelsea.lenordik.com/en/2021/10/what-is-aufguss/

If you've read the blog post from the link above, there are professionals that do the towel spinning. They're called the Aufgussmister. But, no need to be that technical, this is your private sauna after all. However, if you don't feel like spinning your sweat-soaked towel around and adding aroma you don't intend, there are sauna accessories that can be purchased online that will help you achieve that next level sauna.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1576365793/sauna-twister-for-aufguss-to-distribute

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1362398949/fan-for-sauna-aufguss-ritual-thermowood

Next time you go for sauna, give Aufguss a try. Then, come back and comment below with your thoughts.

Bread stuffing-- sauna finger food

 This is a snack that's really quick to make and is very delicious. You can create your own stuffing at home from any bread you like. However, I decided to buy the pre-made stuffing bread at the store for a whopping $2.99. 

Once you have the bread, sprinkle a good amount of salt (I like salty stuff with my beer). Add olive oil and garlic paste. Mix well. I think it tastes a little better when it sits in the refrigerator for a bit and soaks in the flavors.

This is a great finger food snack that's easily sharable in the sauna. Having made it last week, I can tell you it goes fast!

Bread stuffing with salt, olive oil and garlic.

Uzbek Plov/Pilaf warms the sauna

 Uzbek plov/pilaf is like the Spanish Paella or the Indian Biryani in a sense that it is loved and argued about who has the best recipe. I've never been to Uzbekistan to try the plov at the source. I have visited Uzbek restaurants and have tried my friends' cooking. Although they all taste different, the common thread is, you can't stop at just one serving! The dish fills you and warms you up and so it is perfect for sauna. As always, the journey is as fun as the destination, so the process of preparing and making the dish is very enjoyable. 

Sauté the onions and meat.

Add lots of carrots!

Add back meat, rice, spices, whole garlic, serrano pepper and water.

Cook until rice is ready.

Mix and share with sauna friends!