Mystic Mike

Producer/Director/Artist Mystic Mike Ginsburg was traveling in his brown bus, Ben (now available as an overnight rental), on I70 back to Denver from the last Las Vegas Grateful Dead shows in 1995, when he stumbled by Mystic Hot Springs after following the red hot springs dot on the map. When he got out and saw it was for sale, he instantly realized that everything he was looking for was right there. Miraculously, he was able to purchase the resort after selling everything he owned to make the down payment.

That was 1996, and Mike is still at it! His artistic talent and vision has been used to create a mystical place in the middle of nowhere, and the center of everything.

Mike is a business man and has been since he was 10 years old, delivering magazines door to door. Growing up in a business culture being surrounded by family who were successful at what they did, Mike had many examples to admire. From his Father who was an entrepreneur and owned two businesses, to his Uncle who created Kwal Paint. These are the people that inspired Mike to take on the enormous business challenge that Mystic presented. Since Mike put all his life savings into the down payment, he came to Mystic without any financial capital. With only his keen business sense, he took Mystic from grossing nearly nothing to something he is extremely proud of and thinks those he looked up to at a young age would think so too.

Mystic Mike considers himself a producer first and foremost, and handles his life as his production. Being what he calls, "vertical within himself", Mike can envision, produce, and carry out all the steps that need to happen to make his dreams a reality. From cleaning toilets like you've never seen before, to planning and building his geothermal/passive solar Bio Zones, Mike has been called a renaissance man many times throughout his life, and he has the proof in the amazing place he has built with Mystic.

Mike got to work early and at 13 years old began a 10 year career as a jeweler. From then, he began working in the film business and created his own production and computer animation business which he owned and operated in Denver for 20 years.

Since calling Mystic Home, Mike has saved and collected over 30 authentic pioneer cabins from the surrounding valley and has beautifully restored a dozen of them so far. He has also collected a dozen vintage buses, restoring a few of them that are used for overnight lodging. Being an excellent scout for buying valuable items at a deep discount, Mike hunted down 10 Toyota 4WD VanWagons from the 1980's which will be the fleet for his newest business venture, Terravan Adventures, a back country adventure tour company with Mystic as a home base.

Mike is a huge lover of music, especially when it comes to jam bands, and this love has turned into producing and directing over 1,000 concerts held here at the hot springs and has created over 375 videos on his YouTube Channel. He also took the show on the road by putting his 4 camera broadcast studio into his white bus, Ms. Mary, to film the main stage at music festivals.

Mike is also an award winning quilter and boggles the mind with his innovative spin on traditional quilting.

Make sure to check out his stunning lampwork jewelry he creates on site at Mystic. It is available for sale in the gift shop, along with many different stickers and patches all designed by Mike. 

One need only take a walk through the Mystic greenhouses to realize Mike's talent as a caretaker for life, especially knowing what plants need to grow and multiply. His orchid collection, the beautiful succulents and tropical plants, and the rows and rows of food are all a strong piece of Mike's vision for the future of Mystic Hot Springs. To be off the grid and sustainable is a goal that Mike is well on his way to achieving!

Since a young age, Mike has adopted a strong sense of self awareness and uses the ideas found in Wabi Sabi, The Fourth Way Philosophy, and Permaculture to guide his inner life, which has developed into the almost other worldly lifestyle he has lived, very happily, the last 18 years at Mystic Hot Springs. He believes that the only person he must compete with is himself, and this frees him up to lead an extremely versatile and productive life, accomplishing lifetimes worth of incredible experiences.

Using his inner Liahona, which operates under the fundamental principles of faith, effort, and a pure heart, his hope is that Mystic Hot Springs can be a light on the mountain. A shining example of how a person can live in a sustainable way, abundantly, and in harmony with nature and all it's living systems.         

After nearly 20 years, Mystic Mike finds himself in love with Mystic Hot Springs more than the first day he arrived at it's doorstep. He wants to share this love of Mystic with you by inviting you to an event that represents what Mike has worked so hard to create over the years. Believing that Music is the Bridge, he hopes this music festival will be an a opportunity to bridge divides and transcend judgement to a place where we can enjoy ourselves and understand how good it is to be alive!