Glenwood Hot Springs Lodge – While there are a dozen hotels and lodges throughout the mountain town, Glenwood Hot Springs Lodge is located one block, across the street from the pool. Easily accessible from I-70, Glenwood Hot Springs Lodge offers amenities suitable for family travel such as a refrigerator and microwave. Hotel accommodations also include hot and continental breakfast food to start the day by the pool.

Three operating hot springs are found in Glenwood Springs:

• Glenwood Hot Springs,
• Yampah Spa & Vapor Caves
• Ironwood Mountain Hot Springs

Glenwood Hot Springs features the world's largest mineral hot springs pool filled with water from the Yampah Spring. Nearly 3.5-million gallons of water flows daily. Images of this 405-foot pool show crowds of children, families, couples and sunbathers enjoying the warm waters, averaging between 90 to 93 degrees. The neighboring therapy pool keeps a temperature of 104 degrees. Outlying buildings include snack stand, restaurant, gift shop, and bath house.

Ironwood Mountain Hot Springs reopened its facility in 2015. Designed with 16 naturally-shaped mineral pools, the area is situated along the Colorado River. Temperatures are posted daily beside each mineral pool, ranging from 99 to 108 degrees.

Just around the corner from Ironwood Mountain Hot Springs, families and thrill seekers can enjoy the fun of Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. An aerial tramway, several cave tours, swings over the canyons and recently-opened Haunted Mine Drop pave the way for mountain thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies.

Colorado residents can opt to spend a day here instead of heading out to California or Florida for their amusement parks of Magic Mountain or Disneyland. In fact, USA Today rated the Haunted Mine Drop one of nation's top newest rides. Loaded at ground level, passengers will experience a sudden drop of 120 feet into a shaft. The ride pulls the historical stories of mining accidents and ghost stories into the ride, highlighting apparitions of old miners.

After a day of standing in lines at the adventure park, families will opt to enjoy some nature with a hike, a bike ride or both.

Rent a bike from Blue Sky Adventures, known as the original bike rental and shuttle company in Glenwood Springs. Other outfitters are available but happy customers raved about Blue Sky on Facebook and TripAdvisor. A van shuttle will take visitors 14 miles east from town to a drop-off location at Bair Ranch. Along the way during the shuttle ride, the seasoned guide will point out all the rest stops and interesting camera opportunities. A few miles into the bike route, Hanging Lake and Sprouting Rock will be a three-mile, vertical hike for anyone who wants to view spectacular scenery of Colorado waterfalls.

During the 14-mile bike ride, visitors can take a break at four rest areas, complete with restroom facilities, fresh drinking water, picnic area and photo opportunities of rafters passing by on the river. Highlights of the trail include towering canyon walls, local wildlife such as moose, beavers and various birds, local plants and flowers, tremendous scenery of limestone and granite cliffs and of course the natural hot springs that put Glenwood Springs on the map.

In the first part of the bike ride, Hanging Lake becomes a great diversion to lock your bikes at designated area and prepare to climb for about 1.5 mile up to this geologic wonder. It is one of the few places in the world showing a lake formed by travertine deposition where the natural geologic and hydrologic processes continue to operate as they have done for thousands of years. As a result of these geological qualities, it was designated a National Natural Landmark by the Secretary of the Interior in 2011.

Aside from the geology terms, this places takes your breath away. Photographs don't do it justice and seeing it in person makes it feel so surreal. A well-designed boardwalk becomes a viewing platforms for photographers, hikers and nature lovers.

The trails up to Hanging Lakes include wooden bridges, jagged stones, uneven rocky terrain and steep-stone stairs. Near the top, handrails are visible but with crowds of hikers, it becomes an impossible path to climb up. Annually, park services calculate about 100,000 visitors.

Park rangers are visible and can assist those who hurt themselves during the trail. They also are policing the area to ensure guests and visitors don't contaminate the area with empty water bottles or snack wrappers.

After an afternoon of hiking and biking, head over to Yampah Spa & Vapor Caves, the only known natural vapor caves in North America. In fact, this historic attraction is situated at the end of the bike trail from Glenwood Canyon, a perfect ending to a long, bike ride. Visible from I-70, Yampah Spa & Vapor Caves is a well-known landmark since late 1880s. The word "yampah" means big medicine in the Ute Indian language.

At least, take a mineral bath to soothe the aching muscles of the hike or bike ride through the canyons.Visits to the Vapor Caves are part of most massage or spa treatment. Day passes are available, too. The caves, reaching the upper temperatures of 112 degrees, are located near the back of the building. Visitors descend into a staircase while the steam of Sulphur (or rotten eggs) hit the nostrils.

Signage warn visitors to stay quiet so guests can enjoy the solitude and steam of the therapeutic, mineral waters. Before becoming a commercial attraction, the caves were used by the Ute Indians, who regard the caves as a sacred place of healing and rejuvenation. Owner Patsy Steele shares Ute Indians visit the place monthly to honor the sacred tradition. In fact, one of the caves showcases a pictograph, probably drawn from one of the Ute Indian ancestors.

This is not a place to rush in and out. Yampah Spa & Vapor Caves are places with temperatures, averaging 110-112 degrees. To cool down, a solarium is located upstairs and even going outside. During the historical tour, Steel indicates 34 minerals are found in the natural, untreated, healing waters.

After soaking in mineral baths, biking through the canyons and standing in long lines at the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, it's time for a leisure dinner.

Take the pedestrian bridge and walk over to downtown Glenwood Springs for enjoyable libation and delicious cuisines.

Glenwood Canyon Brewing Company offers a variety of their brews. Favorites include:

• Grizzly Creek Raspberry Wheat
• Hanging Lake Honey Ale
• Vapor Cave India Pale Ale

Still in need to try more mountain brews, check out Glenwood Brew Garden, a place to sample familiar beers from Coors to unique ones from Eddyline in Buena Vista. The brew garden even offers out-of-state beers for those who don't want to venture past state lines.

Notable restaurants include:

• Masala & Curry
• Zheng Asian Bistro
• Sweet Adventures

Hearty in southeast Asian flavors of India, Masala & Curry offers their entrees in abundant, generous portion. The naan bread is cooked to perfection with fluff and airiness in each bite. The curry dishes are filled with Indian spices of cardamom and turmeric.

Found in the newer part of Glenwood Springs, just across the river from Iron Mountain Hot Springs, Zheng Asian Bistro is packed with a variety of Asian cuisines such as Japanese, Thai and Chinese.

Don't forget to end the day with ice cream. Almost every other pedestrian, guest and visitor, walking through downtown Glenwood during the evening hours, are holding some kind of ice cream, found at Sweet Adventures. The ice cream parlor sells about 32 flavors, offering sundaes, ice cream floats, shakes and malts.

From adrenaline rush to nature walks, there's something for everyone. Packed with fun and adventures, Glenwood Springs is one of the best weekend, mountain towns for the whole family.

Useful links

http://www.hotspringspool.com/