4B - The Michigan Daily Weeken Magazine - Thursday, February 13, 1997 0 The Michigan Daily Weekend N About Town u' C4. plarzeshot-tubbin By Aaron Rennie Daily Arts Writer For millions of Americans, Valentine's Day is an annual excuse to buy flowers, eat choco-licious treats and exchange witty cards (e.g. "I choo- choo-choose you"). all in the name of love. For a lucky few Ann Arborites, hovsever, St. Valentine's Day will be spent relaxing at The Oasis Hot Tub Gardens. on South State Street. Throughout the last 6 1/2 years, University students and other area residents have taken vacations from their problems at The Oasis. Each of the 14 gardens' has its own theme and decor. The British Isles Gardens, for example, comes complete with a fire- place and statues of rabbits and lions surrounding the hot tub. While it lacks a photograph of a drunken geezer with rotten teeth that would smack of true British authenticity, the garden does include a dressing room with a shower, hangers, towels and two mints, like all the other gardens. All rooms, like the totem-splattered Fiji Garden and the wooden walkbridge-enhanced Japan Garden, are also quite secluded. This means that you can control with impunity which genre of piped-in music gets played (New Age/Classical, Jazz/Blues, Pop/Rock/Soul, or, for the Billy Ray Cyrus in allhof us, Country). "It's a really cool place to go when you're stressed out," said LSA junior Erin Retelle, who has visited Oasis sev- eral times. Fenced-in RED HOTS Continued from Page 518 lunch time it gets really crowded," Meckley said. This happening spot is down home and intimate, although during lunchtime you may not have time to chat with the friendly cashier, as the crowd moves in. Service is quick and straight to business in this bus-your-own-table dive. But this is all part of the Red Hot experience - the experience of hard core hot doggery. "They very much expect you to be a hot dog expert. They don't really allow for rookies," Agay said. While this might not be the most romantic destination for you and your lover on Valentine's day, it is "hot dogs of a higher class," Jones said. But while maybe not the traditional destination for Valentine's Day, some don't frown on taking a significant other to the vanue. "I would probably not come here on Valentine's Day. It is not romantic, but it is fun and I would definitely come here on a casual date," Meckley said. The menu runs the hot dog gamut, with the simple Red Hot, the Chicago Dog, the Coney Dog, the Reuben Dog, the Mighty Dog and the Serious Dog, as well as the more pricey sausage and bratwurst. The menu also boasts sand- wiches and burgers. To appeal to non- red hot lovers, the restaurant offers veg- etarian alternatives: the Tofu Dog; BBQ Tofu, the No Burger (a tempeh patty) and the No Dog (just cheese on a bun). A unique attraction at Red Hot Lovers is the wide expanse of free condiments, including honey, spicy and yellow mus- tards, Clancy's Famous hot sauce, grilled or raw onions, hot peppers and sauerkraut, just to name a few. Hanging near the chalkboard-style menu is a sign pushing the customer to ta of these additions: "Load 'I The Condiments Are Free' "The prices are modei inexpensive. It is probably We do our pricing by how charge us;' Jones said. Competition is encroach increasingly popular and hot dog stands that have f ence on almost all busy street corners. "The hot d< junk. I am not worried I AnnouncE MARK FR!EDMAN/Daily The Oasis Hat Tub Gardens rent private tubs. constantly, and seven hi-tech systems completely refilter the water every eight minutes. In addition, Oasis incorporates stringent standards to ensure proper amounts of chlorine, bromine and pH levels in the privacy raises cern 5 also con- about certain by- products fI oat i n g around in the water of the tubs. Oasis maintenance guru John Spieser said there's nothing to The Oasis Hot Tub. Gardens ~ Where: 2301 S. State St. ~ Call for reservations: 663-9001. ~ When: Sunday-Thursday, 12 p.m.-1 a.m.; Friday-Saturday, 12 p.m.-2 a.m. ~ Rates: One hour visits for $20 daily: Sunday-Thursday after 4 p.m., $24; Friday-Saturday after 4 p.m.,, $28. water, meaning Oasis tub water is actually cleaner and more bacteria- free than Ann Arbor's drink- ing supply. That isn't to say that funky things don't nature of Valentine's Day and the lush settings of the gardens, things just might get a little more crazy this week. Besides, Amy Watson. another Oasis employee, admitted that "some people get kind of wild" at the gardens on a regular basis. Cruz added that "more students than adults" visit Oasis because of its prox- imity to campus, so the people who might cause your initial reservations about the water in the hot tubs are pos- sibly sitting next to you in class right noW Nevertheless, The Oasis Hot Tub Gardens is an extremely popular venue for relaxation and good, clean fun. St. Valentine's Day has been booked for more than two weeks now (as are the days surrounding St. Valentine's Day), but normally one can get a spot pretty easily, especial- ly on weekdays (weekend reserva- tions should be made two to three days in advance). "It's a good time and not too expen- sive," said Engineering sophomore Pat McConnell, who also visits Oasis on occasion. internship& Summer Job Fair A featured event of CP&P's hiternship Pursuit month worry about. ~IIE tj't 1996- 199 "The Health Department checks the water whenever they want, so we've got to be ready," he said. The water in each tub is circulated occur at Oasis. Many students ignore the warning that "consumption of alcohol is prohibited." Oasis employee Calvin Cruz said that those who break that rule "usually sneak in (alcohol) in coolers or back- packs." The warning exists for a reason, however, because "people could pass out with the heat (of the tubs, which can go up to 105 degrees) and the alcohol mixing," Cruz said. Furthermore, given the romantic Wednesday February 19 noon - 4pm Michigan Union 'Sh "~ i htpr;ccui h J Meet with over 60 organizations from across the country! Collect applications, interview for positions, learn about su m mer opportunities. Stop by CP&Pfor more internship & summer job resources. Career Planning Placement Tta5e -Ajdtcvvhvl :ebru 19 Get the lo the who's salary cha Check out th Salary Suppi available NOW . in the Board Michigan Dal Stop by our t escodf 420 M aynar 7164-0550 for Now you can take the chill off winter with one of our great deals! Catch the Spirit to Tampa or Orlando from just $84 (each way). 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