A decade ago, U.S. News & World Report interviewed me about holiday minimalism (reining in retail gifts). What I said then I still believe: empty nesters and adult children don’t need more stuff to fill our homes. We need more time together to reconnect and reset while enjoying each other’s company. Not exchanging presents makes us fully present — offline and immersed in new experiences. By replacing boxes with boarding passes, my family has spent holidays in London, Marrakesh, and New Orleans. We’ve celebrated March birthdays in the North Carolina mountains, on Florida beaches, in L.A., the Mojave Desert, and Palm Springs. Different cultures stretch our minds. Nature challenges and relaxes our bodies. Beauty breaks for the soul lift our spirits and ground us in peace.
Honestly, I’ve never been able to afford lavish gifts and travel. I’ve been an educator for over 45 years. Higher prices on food, gas, goods, and services make holiday shopping even more stressful this year. Getting out of the kitchen and on the road with family is not only more fun but also a wise investment. Years after material gifts have been forgotten, sold on Facebook Marketplace, or carted off to Goodwill, we’ll be telling travel tales about shared adventures.
Parents and adult children become fellow explorers when navigating a new place. Trips that involve time in nature improve brain function, mental health, and emotional well-being. The anticipation of travel can boost happiness for weeks. Travel breaks routines, and novelty rewires our brains. So… if your family loves the sea, try a new beach town. If you’re a southerner who loves the mountains, instead of returning to the Smokies, Lewis-and-Clark your way west. If a family member has moved to a new city, meet there and start exploring the state.
Colorado Road Trips: A Guide to Mountain Magic in Any Season
I’m not a skier, but since my son moved to Denver in 2020, my Colorado Bucket List keeps growing and may never end. We love its urban energy while cheering on the Nuggets, eating our way through Christmas markets, biking to breweries, and watching for longhorns in the National Western Stock Show Kick-Off Parade. Currently, the Denver Art Museum is the only US venue hosting the DIVA exhibition from the Victoria and Albert Museum, London and Picasso: Magician, in collaboration with the Musée National Picasso–Paris. Also, in 2027 the Sundance Film Festival is making Boulder its new home.
My favorite Colorado experiences are road trips — talking, laughing, listening to music while marveling at diverse, gorgeous landscapes. In summer, fall, and winter, we’ve gone north to Boulder and Estes Park, south to Colorado Springs, but mostly pushed west to Red Rocks, Lookout Mountain, Golden, Silverthorne, Georgetown, Keystone, Breckingridge, and Vail. The Rocky Mountains are magical when covered in snow and when brimming with flowers and hummingbirds. My favorite “ski town” escapes are in the summer when there are few crowds and no humidity.
On our last road trip in Colorado, we headed for Glenwood Hot Springs Resort to soak in the world’s largest hot springs pool. The family-friendly, affordable option was the perfect base camp for Aspen. Thanks to a Colorado-born friend, we also added to the trip Maroon Bells, the most photographed peaks in the US, and the Continental Divide. The trip was breathtaking. National treasures. Natural wonders. A snake encounter and a haunted hotel. This Christmas, rather than exchanging gifts, we’re saving to return in Summer 2027 — this time with my daughter, her partner, and my three-year-old grandson.
Getting There
Fly into the Denver airport, pick up a rental car, and take one of these options:
- Head west on I-70 for the fastest route to Glenwood Springs (160 miles).
- Take CO-82 to Independence Pass, the scenic route to the Continental Divide Summit (12,095 feet) (139 miles). Descend into Aspen (19 miles). Glenwood Springs is for lunch. We checked in at Glenwood Springs around 5, and headed for the pool.
Denver to Glenwood Springs via Independence Pass
Denver to Glenwood Springs via I-70
We traveled in August. Note: Independence Pass closes in late October/early November and reopens in late May. If you take it, be aware that you’ll be on a two-lane road with switchbacks that sometimes lack centerlines or guardrails. Vehicles over 35 feet are strictly prohibited. The road descends into Aspen. Check the Colorado Department of Transportation website for information on Independence Pass and alternative routes. The winter/alternative route that bypasses the high-altitude mountain pass is to take Highway 70 all the way to Glenwood Springs. From there, take CO-82 South into Aspen.
We returned to Denver on I-70 through Glenwood Canyon, carved by the Colorado River (the same river that, in part, carved the Grand Canyon). Driving through Glenwood Canyon’s 1,000-to-2,000-foot cliffs is a scenic route, too.
The Continental Divide: Standing on the Backbone of the Rockies
Slicing through the Rocky Mountains, the Continental Divide sends melted snow west to the Pacific Ocean and east toward the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. Also called the Great Divide, it runs from Alaska to South America and through Glacier, Yellowstone, and Rocky Mountain National Parks. It is one of the few natural wonders in Colorado accessible without hiking. We parked on the side of the road at 12,000 feet. The view was incredible.
Aspen: Alpine Eateries, Art, and the John Denver Sanctuary
I love Vail, built in the 1960s as an Alpine Bavarian Village, for its European architecture and charm. I appreciate Aspen for its 19th-century Victorian buildings, resilient history, and spiritual roots.
For 800 years, the Ute Native Americans inhabited the Roaring Fork Valley. They believed the mountains, rivers, and mineral pools have spiritual energy. In 1879, prospectors found silver, and the town grew to 1200 residents. After the economic crash of 1893 until the 1930s, the population fell to less than 800 people.
The town was reborn when Walter and Elizabeth Paepcke founded the Aspen Institute. “The Aspen Idea” promotes nurturing the mind, body, and spirit for personal growth and better communities. For 70 years, the Aspen Ideas Festival has brought together diverse global thought leaders, policymakers, scientists, and artists to discuss significant issues related to health, climate and the economy. Everyone’s invited “to teach, inspire, question, and challenge.”
“Aspen was the perfect setting for music, art, education — all the things that make life worth living.”
– Elizabeth Paepcke, from “The Story of Aspen”
Aspen’s spiritual and material roots are still intertwined. Today the world’s most expensive ski town is populated with billionaires and Hollywood celebrities. Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, Kevin Costner, and Tom Cruise own homes there. According to The Colorado Sun, the average cost of condos and townhouses in 2025 was $3.5 million, almost three times the median price of $1.2 a decade earlier. The median price of single-family homes is $13.2 million. Statewide, single-family homes average $584,000.
I wanted to experience Aspen off-season for the food, art, and, most of all, John Denver Sanctuary. I’ve been a fan of John Denver since I was in high school for his music and commitment to the environment and global citizenship. His song, “Calypso,” which honors sea life, is named after the ship of his good friend, Jacques Cousteau. In “Rocky Mountain High,” he sings about moving to Colorado at age 27 and feeling that he was home. My son felt that when he moved to Colorado at 27, too.
The Breathtaking Beauty of the Maroon Bells
If you’re in Aspen, you MUST see the Maroon Bells, the most photographed mountain peaks in North America. The Maroon Bells Welcome Center is located at the Aspen Highlands Ski Area, just 8 miles from downtown Aspen. Make reservations for parking at the Trailhead or taking the shuttle (which we did). We learned a lot about the area on the 15-minute ride up and back. There’s paid parking at the Center where you board the bus. E-bikers pay an amenity fee only. Note that the shuttle runs from mid-May to mid-October only. There are restrooms and a paved area that is stroller/wheelchair accessible to the lake.
Seeing ducks gliding on the lake, feeling the warmth of the sun, and looking up at 14,000-foot twin crimson mountains (tinted from iron oxidation over millions of years) is breathtaking. So was my climb up. Then down. In videos I’d watched, the trail was paved. I didn’t expect it to become so rugged (rocks and roots), narrow, crowded, or steep.
I’m sorry to say I didn’t make it all the way up. I could have, but with bad knees (think the Tin Man in <em>The Wizard of Oz</em>), I worried with every step about how I’d get back down. When I called it, we turned around. Cole walked in front of me to stop my fall if my knees locked up. All was ok until, while mid-step, a snake darted across the dirt path under my raised foot. He was in the brush before anyone else saw him, but I’m sure they heard me scream.
I have since learned that because Maroon Lake is so high in the Rockies (9,580 feet) and the winters are so cold, most reptiles can’t thrive there. What I saw, turns out, was a Western Terrestrial Garter Snake/Wandering Snake, which can live at elevations of 11,000 feet. Fun fact: July – September is the “August Rush” when females give birth, sun around the lake trails, and eat frogs and insects before winter hibernation. When startled, they dart at high speed to safety.
I didn’t like feeling my age when I turned back, but as always the vast, ancient mountains made me feel small. Nature often does, in a good way. As for the snake… we were both scared and fully alive.
Glenwood Springs: Home Base for Skiing, Relaxing, and Family Fun
Glenwood Springs is a small town of 10,000 residents located 40 miles north of Aspen. Known as the “Spa in the Mountains,” Glenwood Springs is home to Iron Mountain Hot Springs and Glenwood Hot Springs Resort (see below). Adult family fun includes floating, rafting, and kayaking down the Colorado and Roaring Fork Rivers. Another main attraction is Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park.
There are four ski areas owned by Aspen Skiing Company: Snowmass, Buttermilk, Aspen Highlands, and Aspen Mountain.
The closest ski area to Glenwood Springs is Sunlight Mountain Resort, which is just south of the community. It is the most affordable option by far and has one base area, which is nice for families. Sunlight also has snowmobile tours in winter and bike rentals, hiking, and disc golf in summer.
Ride Glenwood Springs (RG) is the town’s year-round FREE public transit bus service. RG buses operate daily at 30-minute intervals. Stops are located near tourist attractions, the downtown area, and shopping centers. Using the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) is a local hack. For just a few dollars, you can shuttle from Glenwood Springs to Aspen. Ski, shop, or enjoy the nightlife without the hassle of driving/parking. We didn’t try this, but reviews say the buses are clean and have racks for electric bikes that weigh under 75 lbs and can be loaded/unloaded independently.
The Ultimate Reset: The World’s Largest Hot Springs Pool
We stayed at the Glenwood Hot Springs Resort, home to the world’s largest mineral hot springs pool. Day passes, lockers, and cabanas are available, but we wanted the convenience of being close to the pool, having easy access to downtown (a bridge takes you to the restaurant area), and the hotel’s complimentary breakfast. Hotel 1888 is poolside, but we booked the Lodge, which is more budget-friendly and runs adjacent to the pool/across the street.
Stretching two blocks, the pool holds a million gallons of mountain water with 15 minerals. The geothermal Yampah Spring feeds the pool 3.5 million gallons of volcanic-heated water at 122°F (51°C) that cools to a soothing, safe temperature for swimming. The indigenous Ute Native Americans called the mineral-rich waters “Big Medicine.” They considered the valley a neutral, sacred sanctuary where rival tribes were allowed to lay down weapons and enter the healing waters.
What to Expect
If you love soaking in steamy waters surrounded by snow or lush green mountains, this is your place.
- Pool Temps: Grand Pool: 90°-93°F (32°-34°C)
- Therapy Pool: 104°F (40°C)
- Cold-Plunge Pool
- There’s a diving board and 4 swimming lanes.
- The Sopris Splash Zone has Shoshone Chutes (tube ride), Grand Fountain that transitions to a splash pad during the day, and a pool for younger kids.
- Water in the deep end of the Grand Pool appears to be a darker green. The Yampah Mineral Baths are fed from the geothermal source spring at the east end of the resort. The water from the source spring contains several naturally occurring minerals, including iron and sulphur. The interaction (balancing) of iron and chlorine can cause water discoloration, sometimes turning the water green. Deeper water deepens the tint.
If you plan a winter trip, these photos, courtesy of Glenwood Hot Springs Resort, look magical.
Where to Eat in Glenwood Springs
In casual, downtown Glenwood Springs, we had many fun choices for dinner. See some of them in the video above. We enjoyed Ming’s Cafe and the line at Sundae was worth the wait. I can’t wait to try authentic Nepalese, Tibetan, and Himalayan cuisine (often paired with Indian dishes) on my next trip. The Rocky Mountains are similar in terrain, high altitudes, and outdoor living, attracting many immigrants from these areas.
Another highlight of our time together was our dinner at the historic Hotel Colorado, located next to our resort. We walked over at Golden Hour, and I could imagine the Gilded Age crowd that once gathered there. The hotel was built in 1893 by Walter Devereux, a silver baron and settler of Glenwood Springs. Architect Edward Tilton designed the building to replicate the Villa de Medici in Rome. There were tennis courts, a Victorian garden, a bird sanctuary, an indoor waterfall, and the medicinal hot springs.
Famous guests were President Taft, President Hoover, and the Unsinkable Molly Brown. For a time, President Teddy Roosevelt, a bear and mountain lion hunter, lived at the hotel. According to legend, after an unsuccessful day of hunting, the maids of Hotel Colorado stitched and stuffed him a bear from fine fabrics. When they gave it to the President, his daughter named the bear “Teddy.”
Buffalo Bill Cody went to Glenwood Springs for its healing waters. He posed for his last photo before dying at the hotel. Al Capone, or “Scarface,” was a regular. To prevent bad publicity, the hotel constructed an entrance for him and other bootleggers and gangsters.
During World War II, the hotel became a naval hospital. I’d read that Hotel Colorado is haunted. When I asked our waiter if the tales were true, he told us about a time he was working late and experienced paranormal activity. And a guest shared with him a chilling story that happened to her just days before we were there. Roam the beautiful grounds, have their delicious food and drinks on the patio, enjoy top-tier service, but if you decide to stay there overnight, do so at your own risk. 🙂
Rather than checking off a list, posting a family photo, and writing on social media, “Christmas 2026 is a wrap!” slow down, breathe, and make this holiday season and the new year special. The Dalai Lama said, “Give the ones you love wings to fly, roots to come back, and reasons to stay. ” I hope you’ll relax in some healing waters — the Lord knows we need them now — with the people who matter most. Time with family during the holidays or the new year can be Big Medicine.
