Wonderful winter getaways

Sleigh ride
© Grand County Tourism

By Claire Walter

When it comes to loving winter or leaving it, most Coloradans choose the "love it" category. We love our benign winter days on the Front Range, our snow-blessed mountains, our frost-rimmed riverbanks, the grandiose winterscape of our plains and the stark and dramatic desert of our southwestern reaches.

Famous as Colorado is for skiing, our rectangular borders contain winter escapes that don't always involve sliding on snow.

Hot spots

Arguably the most sybaritic way to escape the cold is to dip into steaming thermal waters. Colorado boasts more than 50 naturally occurring hot springs—some developed, some not; some on private property, others accessible to the public.

Glenwood Springs' famous Hot Springs Pool (800-537-SWIM, 970-945-5671; www.hotspringspool.com) has been warming bodies and soothing souls since 1888. It is the world's largest natural hot springs pool and a year-round favorite for adults and children. Located in town, only steps from the Amtrak station, the original 19th century sandstone bathhouse now houses the Spa of the Rockies, a decidedly 21st century spa that opened in October. Eight treatment rooms provide massage for individuals or couples, hydrotherapy tubs, healing mineral baths and herbal soaks, Vichy showers and beauty treatments. Guests of the adjacent Glenwood Hot Springs Lodge have unlimited access to the pool. Other local lodging properties offer swim-and-stay packages.

The Yampah Vapor Caves sign is a landmark at the west end of Glenwood Canyon, marking what is now more elegantly called the Yampah Spa and Salon (970-945-0667; www.yampahspa.com). Everyone still calls it "the vapor caves." Three timeless, thermally heated rock chambers form natural steambaths. The new name reflects the popular salon and spa services now available too.

Out of the drainage between Mt. Princeton and Mt. Antero, two commanding fourteeners forming the western backdrop for the Upper Arkansas Valley, flows Chalk Creek which combines with thermal waters. Set against rock cliffs and snow-covered mountains, the Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort (888-395-7799 or 719-395-2447; www.mtprinceton.com) offers simply decorated, comfortable lodge rooms and also 10 new creekside log cabins with kitchenettes. The two lower pools and natural soaking pools are open year-round. The spa menu lists medicinal massage, Oriental body work, cranial massage and other treatments. The Princeton Club, a hospitable restaurant with a fancy name, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Other dining options are in Buena Vista to the north or Salida to the south.

Try Mother's Bistro in Buena Vista (719-395-4443; www.mothersbistrobv.com).

In Ouray, a Victorian jewel snugged tightly to the San Juan Range, the town itself operates the Hot Springs Pool (970-325-7073; www.cityofouray.com) in Fellin Park and an adjacent fitness center and massage facility. Wiesbaden Spa & Lodgings (888-846-5191 or 970-325-4347; www.wiesbadenhotsprings.com) offers lovely and romantic suites and rooms of various sizes plus private detached lodgings. Wiesbaden's outdoor swimming pool and vapor cave are open to the public, with extended hours and free entry for resort guests. Access to a private, secluded outdoor soaking pool is available for an additional fee. The spa offers massages, LaStone therapy, dry brushing, mud wraps, reflexology and other body treatments.

At two nearby informal motor inns, only guests may use those properties' soaking tubs. The Best Western Twin Peaks Lodge & Hot Springs (800-207-2700 or 970-325-4417; www.bestwesterncolorado.com) has a naturally heated outdoor pool and two hot tubs, while the Box Canyon Lodge (800-327-5080 or 970-325-4981; www.boxcanyonouray.com) has four spring-fed redwood hot tubs.

About the only time in winter when accommodations in Ouray are really hard to come by is during the annual ice climbing festival, to be held January 9-11 this year (www.ourayicefestival.com).

Ranch relaxation

Many of Colorado's dude and guest ranches close for the winter. Those that stay open when there's snow on the ground tend to drop their prices, relax their minimum-stay requirements and offer a warm welcome in cold weather. They provide cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, sleigh rides or perhaps some equestrian activities, and yet the most relaxing activity is sometimes inactivity. Quiet reading, snoozing by the fire or taking a mid-day nap can be a tonic for the weary. Some ranches serve haute cuisine; others dish up home cooking.

The Home Ranch (970-879-1780; www.homeranch.com) and Vista Verde Ranch (970-879-3858 or 800-526-7433; www.vistaverde.com) north of Steamboat Springs, and C Lazy U near Granby (970-887-3344; www.clazyu.com), are among the more upscale ranches with a winter season. More casual ranches include Aspen Canyon Ranch near Parshall (800-321-1357 or 970-725-3600; www.aspencanyon.com) and Latigo Ranch near Kremmling (800-227-9655 or 970-724-9008; www.latigotrails.com). Latigo is known for its exceptional cross-country trails. The Colorado Dude Ranch Association (866-942-3472; www.coloradoranch.com) has a complete list of guest ranches that operate in winter.

Urban escapes

Denver's top hotels can be an excellent escape from midwinter doldrums. The big appeal is abundant nearby dining, shopping and entertainment. Since they rely on business travelers, they offer great value and attractive weekend packages that might include spa treatments, in-house dining or other extras. Some offers are for winter only; others are year-round.

At the landmark Brown Palace (303-297-3111 or 800-321-2599; www.brownpalace.com), the "Winter Wonderland" and "Tranquility with a Twist" packages combine lodging with selected spa pampering. The Westin Tabor Center's "Better Tomorrows" weekend special provides 50% off on a second night's lodging. The hotel also has discounts for AAA members (866-716-8137; www.westin.com/taborcenter/).

Theater-goers appreciate two convenient hotels practically at the Denver Performing Arts Center's stage door. The Curtis Hotel (303-571-0300; www.TheCurtis.com) is a fun, funky temple to pop culture with swell offers: the romance package "Pillow Talk" and others add a meal or refreshments at its sizzling, on-site restaurant/bar called The Corner Office. The nearby Hotel Teatro (888-727-1200 or 303-228-1101; www.hotelteatro.com) is as classy as the Curtis is cool. Its specials include the "Kevin Taylor Dinner" package (room plus fine dining at Restaurant Kevin Taylor) and the "Retail Therapy" package (room plus $50 gift certificate to Cherry Creek shops, limo transport to and from that shoppers' paradise and an aromatherapy bath upon return).

Guests of the JW Marriott (303-316-2700; www.jwmarriottdenver.com) are right at Cherry Creek North with its 250 fabulous retail shops and large indoor mall. The hotel offers 10% off its lowest available rate to AAA members. Other packages, some for weekends only, bundle lodging with shopping, dining, cocktail or spa benefits.

The end of the road

For a getaway that's really away, nothing beats a remote setting where the road itself (or the plowing) ends. With U.S. Route 34 running past it, Grand Lake Village (www.grandlakechamber.com) on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park is on the summer mainline, but when snows close Trail Ridge Road, the only access is from the west. The road is only plowed for about 10 miles to the Colorado River Trailhead in the park, where ski touring and snowshoeing are popular diversions. Several snowmobile outfitters guide tours into the adjacent Arapahoe National Forest. The Grand Lake Touring Center (970-627-8008; www.grandlakeski.com) welcomes cross-country skiers and snowshoers, and hosts monthly full-moon experiences.

Similarly, the near-ghost town of Columbine north of Steamboat Springs is at the end of the winter road. Highway 129, which leads into Wyoming, is plowed as far as the driveway to Columbine Cabins (970-879-5522, www.cabinsatcolumbine.com). The appeals are virtually limitless cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, including a one-mile loop on private property where snowmobiles are prohibited, and in-your-face views of Hahns Peak. Of the 14 updated and upgraded one- to three-bedroom cabins, some have full or partial bathroom facilities, but all have kitchens. The complex also includes a bathhouse with his-and-hers sides, a wood-fired sauna and a central lodge with a cozy fireplace, pool table and games.

Silverton (800-752-4494 or 970-387-5654; www.silvertoncolorado.com) bustles in summer when the famous Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad steam-chugs in from Durango and road trippers detour from the Million Dollar Highway to this picturesque old mining town. In winter, however, Silverton lies quietly under a mantle of white. Expert skiers and snowboarders head for Silverton Mountain, while snowmobilers, cross-country skiers and snowshoers explore 150 miles of groomed winter trails. Locals' favorite way of getting around town is via kick-sled. Silverton, like other winter getaways, is a real kick.

Claire Walter is a travel, food and sports writer based in Boulder.