Some 35 years ago Marin County strove to keep its citizens from driving up to Calistoga. Seems those hot springs and mud baths had become a big draw, turning Marinites into giddy people who, after a good soak, spent all their hard-earned money on Calistoga T-shirts, restaurants and that darned geyser. Which meant that Marin--haarumph--was losing revenue. So of course Marin did what any self-respecting county would do--it encouraged residents to buy their own hot tubs and Jacuzzis (is there a difference?) and stay home.
Marin officials may have wielded a lot of influence, but we think people pretty much decided on their own to turn their yards and decks into personal spas. The 1970s were an especially busy time for burning backsides, and it was then that those hot tubs gave a rather unfavorable impression of Marin to the nation. In July 1978, NBC aired a documentary called "I Want It All Now" narrated by Edwin Newman. Spotlighted in the news special was Marin's "swinging lifestyle" complete with psychobabble-addicted hedonists enjoying hot tub orgies, peacock feather massages and copious amounts of alcohol and, well, the white stuff. Marin residents weren't pleased--neither was Supervisor Barbara Boxer. She asked for an investigation into the "slanderous" profile, but the net result was that, while the report may have been flawed, it was fair and reasonable.
But seriously--is there a difference between a hot tub and a Jacuzzi?
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