Nestled midway between the mountain communities of Vail and Grand Junction lies the charming little town of Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Just 2.5 hours west of Denver, this city is rich in history, natural beauty, and healthy living. Home to the world’s largest outdoor mineral hot springs, it was given the name of Yampah, meaning “big medicine,” by the Ute Indians. They believed that the healing waters made them better hunters. Today, the springs attract people from all over the world who “take the waters” to relax or to improve their health. I overheard the story of one man who came here every year for the condition scleroderma. It was said that the springs extended his life for another 10 years. Maybe it has something to do with the content of the waters rich in 17 minerals and originating from a spring producing a daily flow of over 3,500,000 gallons. There are two pools which are kept at temperatures of 90 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit-- just the cure to melt away those aches and pains from shopping, skiing, and sightseeing around town. The cost for a daily pass is $16.75 for adults and $10.75 for children, ages 3-12 years.
Just across the street from the hot springs is the Hotel Colorado. Operating for more than 100 years, this historic marvel has been home to both the famous and infamous. In 1905 it served as the “Little White House of the United States” when Theodore Roosevelt came for a bear-hunting trip. Legend has it that after an unsuccessful day of trying to bag a bear, the hotel maids decided to cheer up the depressed President. They stitched together a small bear out of scraps of cloth and placed it on his pillow. Upon seeing the cuddly creation, a reporter dubbed it “Teddy Bear.” It didn’t take long for the name to catch on and the rest, as they say, is history.
Besides visiting presidents like Roosevelt and Taft, the Colorado Hotel had other famous guests. Tom Mix, the actor, stayed there as did Molly Brown, the Mayo Brothers, and one less than respectable gangster by the name of Al Capone.
No trip to this area would be complete without a visit to the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park and historic Fairy Caves. Discovered by accident in the 1880’s, the Fairy Caves were dubbed by Charles Darrow as the “Eighth Wonder of the World” alongside the pyramids of Egypt and the Colossus of Rhodes. Although the details are sketchy as to how the caves derived their name, it may have been because the fishtail-like formations on the roof of the caverns reminded Darrow of fairy wings. These were the first caves in the world to be illuminated by electricity.
World War I abruptly put an end to public tours and the caves remained closed until 1999 when the new owners once again reopened them. The current tours include new sections of the caverns including “The Barn,” a five-story room with unusual crystalline formations and stalactites. The guided two-hour family tour is available during the winter from November though January. Tickets including entrance to the park and cave tour are $20 for adults and $15 for children, ages 3-12.
One of the walking tours in Glenwood takes you on a brisk half-mile walk up a serious incline that will lead you to Pioneer Cemetery and the final resting place of Doc Holliday. Friend of Wyatt Earp and survivor of the OK Corral gunfight, Holliday came to Glenwood Springs in hopes that the waters could cure his consumption (tuberculosis). Unfortunately, his disease got the better of him and he died at the Glenwood Hotel in November 1887. Although nobody really knows the exact location of his grave, a headstone marks the probably spot.
If you are looking for a great Colorado getaway that is not hard to reach, then put Glenwood Springs on the top of your list. It is easily accessible by air via Denver International Airport and then a short ride east on I-70. It will certainly be a place that you and your family will want to visit year after year.