There are alternatives, however, and the economy's recent hiccups present a seasonal opportunity to experience one called the Mudslide for a deeply discounted price at the Napa Valley's most luxurious new resort. The verdict: We wouldn't substitute a Mudslide for the bathhouse mud experience, but a day at chichi Solage made us feel like we belonged with the beautiful people on the magazine covers.

Sunglasses, please.

Rooms at Solage - on the Silverado Trail just below Calistoga's heart - run $300-plus and up, a 50-minute massage plus use of the pools and steam rooms (but not bocce courts) starts at $145, and a two-course lunch at Solbar would be $30 without wine. Here was our deal, a package Solage calls "Double Your Leisure": $375 for what we calculated as a $550 value - Mudslides, massages and lunches, plus use of the spa's mineral pools and bocce courts and access to a very special clothing-optional section outdoors.

Sunglasses, yes. Swimsuits, no. Ahhh.

Why now? It's all about the climate. Cooler temperatures mean the mud not only detoxifies us, it warms us. And as for the economic climate, well, deals are better than ever and prime-time appointments are easy to come by for a quick one-day getaway at fancy resorts all over Northern California.

The back story: This goes back to 1859, when Sam Brannan bought up the northern end of the Napa Valley, declared Calistoga "the Saratoga of California" and mixed its volcanic ash with hot mineral water to get the mud baths off and, er, running. The classic recipe: mud (in a tub), waters (in another tub, after a serious shower), rest (blanket wrap and, ideally, massage).

Now there's the nouveau cuisine on the menu, the Mudslide. First, guests go to the mudbar to pick their aromatherapy concoction - in our case, Revitalizer for Cheryl, Muscle Soother for me. The bartender whips the essential oils in with the mud in miniature champagne buckets, and then guests are sent off - privately, in couples or in groups of up to five - to a tiled Mud Lounge to smear the cocktail all over themselves and/or each other and then bask in the warmth while the mud dries.

Checking in: Even on a weeknight, it would have cost close to $350 to stay at Solage. On this visit, I stayed in the center of town, in a nice, king-sized room at the Mount View Hotel for $200, including tax and random tariffs, with continental breakfast brought to your room. The Mount View has a spa and the director specializes in unique treatments for the lymph system.

Spend your day: A winter spa day at Solage can start as early as 8 a.m. and requires a minimum of 5 hours from mud through lunch. Mud packages at area bathhouses demand a similar time commitment. After lunch, one can relax all afternoon at the spa pools and steam room - or hit the shops on chain-store-free Lincoln Avenue, or taste a little wine at the two tasting rooms on Lincoln or countless others in the vicinity. The overnight visitor will then want to have dinner at one of the many spots in the foodie-friendly town, where menus are posted on restaurant doors and windows.

Dining: Bar Vino, which used to be the main bar at the Mount View, now cooks up some great food at reasonable prices. (Don't be fooled by the seemingly lower prices at Jole next door; plates are smaller there. At Bar Vino, you can choose between small serving and big one.) Seasonal offerings included a gnocchi with braised duck and butternut squash, and braised short rib in a bitter chocolate espresso sauce. The wine list included many by-the-glass selections.

Don't miss: With any treatment at any time of year at Spa Solage, spring for the extra $25 to use the spa pools and facilities as a day guest. The perks include a large, coed mineral pool with a selection of cocktails (we had the mangotini) available at the Mud Bar, plus the clothing-optional men's and women's areas including maybe the best steam room ever (not too hot, extremely steamy, and really pretty when the steam clears), a cold plunge pool (we didn't dare without a defibrillator handy) and a swimming-pool-size hot tub with lots of strong jets.

Don't bother: Making random stops at Napa Valley tasting rooms on the way to Calistoga. Before you know it, your wallet will have slimmed down though your taste buds have hardly been quenched by pricey yet often meager pours of wines you can find at Safeway. For a more mellow vibe, try the Calistoga Cellars and On the Edge tasting rooms in town or, en route, Back Room Wines in Napa.

Word to the wise: Our bonus was a glorious November day, but the Double Your Leisure package runs through February (except holiday periods), so if you can visit on short notice, pick a decent day to maximize value. And, alas, tips are not included in the package, so figure in another 20 percent or so for the invisible but always present service.

Susan Fornoff will succeed John Flinn as Travel editor Thursday. To comment, see sfgate.com/ travel and follow the links.

This article appeared on page E - 6 of the San Francisco Chronicle