Iron Mountain Hot Springs in Glenwood Springs, a relative newcomer to Glenwood, has smaller pools and a quiet zone.
GLENWOOD SPRINGS — Autumn leaves blanket the yard, the garage sits stuffed with more refuse than a junkyard and the basement bears the look of a FEMA-worthy disaster area. Facing a "honey do" list longer than the IRS tax code, I do what any good husband would do. I offer to take my wife, Dianne, to Glenwood for a romantic getaway.
One of Colorado's few non-skiing resort towns, Glenwood offers a tempting menu of mineral springs, vapor caves, limestone caverns, museums, an amusement park, vaudeville theater and the graves of famous goons and gamblers. Combined with lodging and dining at reasonable prices, Glenwood has become one of our favorite Colorado escape destinations. This year, its Hotel Denver celebrates its 100th birthday, so I book us a river-view room there.
Built to house rail travelers, what became Hotel Denver and the neighboring Star Hotel opened across the street from the train depot. With the onset of Prohibition, neighboring saloon properties became available at depressed prices and both hotels expanded, ultimately merging under the Hotel Denver name. After extensive renovations in the mid-'80s, the hostelry suffered financially, and in 1991, local CPA Steve Carver and his wife, April, purchased the property.
For the past quarter-century, the Carvers have been working on un-modernizing the place. They exposed original brick walls, restored wooden floors, removed false ceilings and replaced Formica furniture with antiques personally selected by April. The result, we find, is an establishment that blends modern-day comforts with an old-time feel.
We dine at the nearby Riviera Supper Club, an old favorite in downtown Glenwood. Opening in 1947, the Riviera was a true supper club complete with dining hall, bar, lounge and dance floor. The restaurant has shrunk over the years, but '50s-era neon signs still top the building and grace its front face.
Freshly remodeled, the Riv features a nitrogen-controlled wine bar with 60 selections available by the glass. Now we can individually pair wines with each course, and sample vintages that would bust our budget if we had to buy a full bottle.
A hot springs soak is a Glenwood tradition. Rather than dipping into the world's largest hot springs pool, we walk down to the new Iron Mountain Hot Springs to soak in more intimate pools.
The terraced, riverside facility offers 16 soaking pools of varying sizes and temperatures plus a large, heated freshwater swimming pool with lifeguard and adjoining whirlpool spa for families. The soaking pools lie in a quiet zone where kids under 6 are banned and those under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.
Simmering beneath the sun in this realm of serene tranquility, home projects are the farthest thing from my mind. Not so my wife.
"I just thought of a couple more things for you to do when we get back home," Dianne whispers with a smug smile.