Cottonwood Hot Springs

Cottonwood Hot Springs is one of my favorites! As the other half only has one day off a week, I thought I'd surprise him with an evening of relaxation one night at Cottonwood Hot Springs. Cottonwood Hot Springs is 6(ish) miles west of Buena Vista. From town you just go west on Main Street and the Hot Springs are on the right about 6 miles past the one stop light.

It had been far too long since I had made a trip up there (it is after all only about 10 miles from our house). Of course I have already mentioned in previous posts that I prefer more relaxing soaking pools than larger swimming pools.

Cottonwood Hot Springs has 5 different natural stone soaking pools (which are all different temperatures) and a sauna that are all included in the cost. The cost also covers the full day (8am - midnight) so you can come and go as you please during the day (the pools are also open all night to anyone staying there).

The hotel rooms have recently been renovated (there was a fire in the lodge building last year); there are rooms and a dormitory (hostel type lodging) in the lodge, several cabins, a 'guest house' and tent camp sites.

Newly remodeled common area at Cottonwood Hot Springs

Fish ponds at Cottonwood Hot Springs

Sunset at Cottonwood Hot Springs

While children are allowed at Cottonwood Hot Springs, it isn't the most child friendly Hot Springs. They do ask that the pool area is quiet:

"Please respect our relaxing environment by keeping it a quiet area around the pools." -http://cottonwoodhotsprings.com/

And we all know kids aren't always quiet while swimming, additionally, no one under the age of 16 is permitted after 6pm. As a local of the area, it's pretty common knowledge that Cottonwood Hot Springs is better for adults and Mount Princeton Hot Springs is better for families.

Cottonwood Hot Springs is located near lots of hiking and mountain biking trails and is a great place to relax after a day of activities.

Indian Hot Springs

Indian Hot Springs - Idaho Springs, CO

For "the other half's" birthday we stayed the night at Indian Hot Springs in Idaho Springs. Idaho Springs is an old mining town just off of I-70 about 30 miles west of Denver and Indian Hot Springs is a historic landmark just outside of town.

The main building was built in 1905 and they have since added 2 other buildings, cabins and some camp sites. If you are looking for a 5 star resort and all the modern conveniences, this probably isn't the place for you, but if you're looking for a place to relax and are ok with basic amenities, this is the place to go.

For a Hot Springs Resort, this place is probably close to 1/2 the cost of any other hot springs you will find. Even for an almost top of the line room here (hey, we have a budget) the room I got was significantly less than every other hot springs resort I looked at.

Although I thoroughly read about the rooms I read several reviews on different websites that show that that isn't necessarily the case for everyone. So, I will mention that if you are booking a room, the rooms in the main building only have 1/2 baths (although there are showers in the pool area, which is attached to the main building), the Lodge building only has 3/4 baths (no tubs) and the Inn building has full baths.

Of course, the best part of staying at any hot springs is, well, the hot springs. The main pool is in a covered atrium area attached to the main building, the pool is surrounded by palm trees and other tropical plants, the pool is a comfortable temperature. They do also have private indoor and outdoor hot tubs which were booked while we were there (reservations are recommended). There are also geothermal cave baths (16+) which are bathing suit optional and have separate caves for males and females. They also have a mud bath and spa services. While use of the main pool is included in the cost of the room, everything else is an additional cost, which is to be expected.

'The Inn' at Indian Hot Springs, my 'other half' and 'Bumble Bee' 

my ever-faithful little yellow Subaru/road-trip-mobile 

All room reservations also include a 'VIP Card' with which you can receive discounts on area activities as well as several local restaurants, which we took advantage of with a late dinner outing at *Azteca Mexican Restaurant.

*I probably won't write a lot about restaurants I visit, you can always read my yelp reviews at http://coroadtrips.yelp.com, or view exerpts of my reviews on the right side of this page.

Salida Hot Springs Aquatic Center

Visiting one of Colorado's many hot springs is always a go-to get away or day trip. Swimming or just relaxing in a pool or hot tub is one of my favorite ways to relax any time of year. Anyone who is familiar with hot springs knows that some are more family friendly than others, so I thought that the first one I posted about would be one that is definitely family friendly.

The 'other half' and I decided to take a little day trip and take 'the kiddo' swimming at the Salida Hot Springs Aquatic Center.

This is a great place to stop if you are visiting the Salida area or even just passing through. I usually prefer a more relaxing soaking pool, but this pool is great for families. They have 2 pools; a larger one with lap lanes and a diving board, there is also a smaller/warmer pool. They also have private 18+ pools (I think they are small hot tub size), but we didn't get a chance to try those.

There is also an outdoor section with lawn chairs and a play area. After swimming and splashing around with my 'other half' and 'the kiddo' I spent most of the afternoon lounging on one of the lawn chairs working on my tan.

So, if you ever find yourself in Salida looking for something to do, this is a great place to check out, and if you happen to be skiing at Monarch Ski Area in the winter, they even offer discounts if you bring in your ski pass, and not being much of a fan of the cold, there really isn't much better than soaking in some hot water after a day in the cold!