And others still, they are so strict in their pursuit of serenity that the whole experience becomes cold and sterile. On a recent trip to my home city of Portland, I was overjoyed to find that Cascada Thermal Springs + Hotel doesn’t make any of these mistakes. Cascada takes a full Alberta Arts District block and turns it into a city-side retreat — upstairs, you have clean-line suites; downstairs, you get Portland’s first underground thermal springs. Cascada builds the day around three-hour thermal sessions for guests 21+, which keeps things unhurried and crowd-controlled. There are cold plunges, breath work sessions, sound baths, and (increasingly) music events that balance healing and the energy of good music.