Kitty,
You are on the right track. There are some good guide books to get you started. Talk with Grandpa, he is the king of hot springs. I really like the undeveloped ones.
My all time best experience was in Big Smoky Valley on the east side of the Toiyabe Range, NV. I was doing some mining consulting work with a friend and we camped at a little known hot springs near the job site. Over the years someone had brought in fine gravel for the bottom of the spring, and built a small wooden deck next to it. We slept on the deck, and in the cold mornings rolled out into the spring. We had a cook stove on the deck we could reach from the water. The coffee and breakfast were going in no time. Our "commute" to the job site was 30 miles closer than town, and we pocketed the per diem money. Just another day at work.
One bit of advice however. Be careful around remote hot springs. The temperature can change a lot with the seasons, and especially year to year. Don't let your Lab loose around them. People and dogs die in hot springs fairly often. Always test the temp first, and be careful. A temp above about 106 degrees F can create problems for people with bad hears, or those that have been drinking or using drugs.
Another time I was working in southern Nevada near the Nellis Test Range. After two weeks in the field, my associate and I saved the last day for some fun. We went to Ash Springs out in the middle of the arid desert. We met 2 German girls on vacation who had some great weed. After soaking for an hour and a half, a Stealth bomber appeared between the low hills to the north. They were not supposed to exist, but were flying out of the old air strip in Tonopah. Another day at work.