Exploring Colorado’s Glenwood Springs

I’ve been to Aspen, Colorado many times over the past 25 years, but until recently, I hadn’t got to know her sister “down valley,” Glenwood Springs.

But during a ski trip this winter, we decided to pay her a visit.

I’m so glad we did. While, like Aspen, she’s a beautiful mountain town, you won’t see fur-clad fashionistas with trout pouts and $5000 Stetsons on every street corner; par for the course in Aspen these days. You’ll feel part of an authentic Colorado destination, and as an added bonus, the restaurants and shops are affordable!

You don’t need a car to get there; it’s just a smooth, one hour bus ride north-west along the 82, through striking alpine terrain.

Catching the bus there, our friendly driver, Bob, pointed out all manner of tidbits along the way: “See there, that’s an underground tunnel for wildlife.” (Oh that they’d do something like this for our critters back home.)

“Look to your right: a bunch of elk. And over there, that’s where British royalty come to play polo.”

I asked Bob about the mineral hot springs that Glenwood Springs is famous for.

“My wife and I go there every week. We love it!” he responded.

“People come from across the US to enjoy the Springs, all ages, all walks of life. Amish people from Pennsylvania, they just love it.”

He pointed to a giant building on the right: “We’re just on the outskirts of Glenwood Springs now; that’s a Walmart over there.”

(A Walmart? Not something you’d ever find in Gucci, Pucci, Prada Aspen.)

We got off at our stop on Grand Avenue, the main road through town, and wheeled our cases around to our hotel, the Maxwell Anderson.

A grand old pub opposite the railway, it’s recently changed hands and been beautifully renovated, combining signs of its historical past with modern touches.

As check-in wasn’t until 4pm, time to explore.

We wandered to a nearby diner, Sacred Grounds, for lunch. It was refreshing, after Aspen’s hefty prices, to be able to have a meal without breaking the bank (and where you’re expected to tip a minimum 20 per cent – hardly ideal with the Australian dollar in the low 60s.)

We then wandered across the bridge to visit the Hotel Colorado and adjoining Glenwood Hot Springs Resort.

Built in 1893,- just six years after the fledgling town’s first railway depot was built – the red sandstone hotel was designed in Italian Renaissance style, to replicate the Villa de Medici in Rome, and was considered to be one of the grandest in the US. Movie stars and world leaders were regular visitors, drawn to the region’s hot springs..

These days the hotel, while perhaps past her prime, is still well worth roaming through. You’ll even see the (supposedly) original Teddy Bear, made for President Theodore Roosevelt, a regular guest, during his 1905 visit.

Legend has it that staff presented him with the stuffed bear after he’d had an unsuccessful day hunting. The hotel also displays photos of Roosevelt’s visits in its grand lobby.

Teddy on his mount at Glenwood Springs hunting bear, not always terribly successfully

Wandering back, we explored an upscale vintage clothing store, The Aspenite. Chokkers with scarves, handbags, and designer labels, it’s where Aspen locals come to flog their unwanted gear.

(I tried on several tempting items, then baulked at the concept of jamming them into my bulging suitcase.)

As we crossed the bridge, it was absorbing to watch where the Roaring Fork and Colorado rivers converged.

“This is a great place to come and fish,” a woman, walking past with her dog, paused to tell us.

With a couple of hours to kill, we decided to hop on the free city bus and head for Walmart for a few basic items. Soon we were roaming through this giant iconic Yankee department store. Want a lipstick? Try aisle number ten; you’ll see every brand under the sun.

Room with a view: the Hot Springs across the mighty Colorado

Laden with goodies and snacks, we headed back to town. By now it was check-in time. Our room looked across the railway to the Hotel Colorado. In front of it, we could see a multitude of pools with steam rising from them; the Hot Springs Resort.

While in the early days our hotel, formerly The Hotel Denver, was in a rough area, that’s no longer the case. You’re just metres away from a variety of restaurants, boutiques and gift shops, including an enticing chocolate store.

Glenwood Springs, population about 10,000, has undergone a significant modern transformation in recent years, with pedestrian-friendly spaces, landscaping, wider sidewalks, and bike lanes.

“It’s a very special place,” Lisa Langer, the town’s tourism director, says over coffee next morning.

She introduces us to our hotel’s manager, Roger Smith, an Australian who used to live and work in Aspen. After marrying a Brazilian woman and starting a family, he finds Glenwood Springs the right place to be. “It’s home,” he beams.

Ready for action, Pete and I again cross the bridge, over the Colorado River, towards nearby Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park.

Soon we’re on a gondola, heading up Iron Mountain. This is the ideal way to view the town and surrounding mountains, including spectacular Mount Sopris, within the Elk Mountains range of the Rockies. It was formed by an igneous intrusion about 20 million years ago.

Atop the mountain, we feel like we’ve walked onto the set of a western. It’s all saloon doors, hay stacks and cowboys.

We follow a sign to the King’s Row Tour. Soon we’re joining about 15 other folk, descending underground to see a chamber in the middle section of the Glenwood Caverns cave system.

Using sophisticated, multi- coloured lighting, our guide proudly points out a rich variety of stalactites, stalagmites, “soda straws” (thin hollow mineral tubes) and “cave bacon” (large formations reminding you of breakfast tucker).

Another ride swings you out over the side of the mountain, but we were rather relieved it was closed for winter

Charging back up the steps, I find myself gasping for air. And I thought I was fit! “It’s really just the altitude,” a fellow puffer assures me between gasps. It’s a relief to see a defribillator down here, ready for the health-challenged.

Once we’d emerged, time for more adventure. Soon we’re nervously whizzing downhill on something called the Alpine Coaster. It boasts a 1036 metre steel track, hairpin turns as it follows the mountain’s contours, and speeds of more than 40 kmh.

Jacqui hurtling down the side of the mountain

Those facts and figures were lost on me though, as mouth agape, I rattled down the mountain at top speed. But it had to be done! When in Rome.,

After descending on the gondola, Pete and I were ready to try the Hot Springs. Soon we were lowering ourselves into the steamy waters of The Grand Pool. Touted as the world’s largest outdoor mineral hot springs pool, it’s 123 metres long, 31 metres wide and is kept at 32 to 34 degrees Celcius.

For limbs that had spent days skiing, it was instant bliss. As I sat there soaking, I strained to listen to what the locals reclining in small groups close by were chattering about. Trump? The economy?

Nay, one man was talking about his wild, younger days in Aspen. A woman was critically assessing a friend, “She’s stacked on the weight.” Your usual water-cooler goss.

Clearly, the Springs are as much a site for folk to catch up with loved ones and have a chinwag as they are to soak in the therapeutic baths. I could see why our bus driver, Bob, and his wife came here regularly. It’s fun!

In the ensuing 90 minutes, we sampled the other pools around us. Each one is a different temperature – a couple are cold – and some feature massage chairs and waterfalls. We finally returned to our hotel, sodden, but still floating.

That night we tucked into tasty grass-fed burgers and craft beer at Grind, a popular hang a two minute walk from our digs.

Again, after Aspen, a treat to enjoy a satisfying meal that wasn’t too expensive.

Next day, we breakfasted at popular cafe Daily Bread, jammed with lively locals and friendly, efficient staff.

With limited time remaining, we toyed with the idea of visiting Iron Mountain Hot Springs the region’s other mineral springs mecca, boasting 32 hot pools.

But instead, we decided to head up to a nearby graveyard, housing legendary gambler/gunslinger Doc Holliday (best known for his role in the infamous 1881 shootout at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona). But I only made it half way; the ice was too slippery. Darn! But now I have reason to return to Glenwood Springs.

Time to bus back along the 82 to Aspen. Though that beautiful ski town remains a priceless gem, our sojourn in Glenwood Springs was a highlight of our Colorado trip.