Totally get that, I used to think hot springs were kinda overrated tbh. Then a friend dragged me to one after a long hike and oh man, the change was instant. My whole body just unlocked, it's a different kind of relaxed you can't get anywhere else. Now I'm always looking for those hidden spots, they're the best.
Honestly, that "whole body just unlocked" thing is so real. My buddy Dave was the same, he thought it was all hype. His girlfriend finally got him to some random spring off a forest service road last fall. He said he went in all stiff and skeptical, and like ten minutes later he was just this melted, relaxed puddle. He texted me from the car after like a changed man, it was kinda funny. Now he's always checking maps for little blue squiggles.
That spot in Big Sur with the redwoods around it changed my mind too. I was sore from a week of camping, but twenty minutes in that foggy pool and my back just stopped hurting. It's why I keep a list of those out-of-the-way places now.