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Hi, I'm Alexa.

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And I'm Rory. And together we are the Rowies. We're a husband, wife, duo, and longtime travelers who believe travel isn't just about where you go. It's about how it shapes the way you live when you get home.

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On the Rowies podcast, we explore where to travel, how to travel, and why to travel. The Rowans is creativity, problems, and everyday life.

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We're calling it home. As we travel here and far, we're sharing the way to bring inspiration up.

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It's all about making travel tangible, livable, and meaningful long after this event.

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So whether you're planning your next adventure or reimagining the life you're building at home, you're in the right place.

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And now, let's get into today's episode.

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Hi everyone! Thank you for hopping on with us today. We so value and appreciate your time, and we truly hope you feel enriched and inspired after listening to today's episode, which is absolutely chalk full. Normally, Rory is here co-hosting with me, but today we are kicking him out because I got to take another girl trip with my friend Dr. Heidi Peteck. Heidi's birthday is in February and mine is in January. And ever since our trip to Pagosa Springs, which y'all heard about in episode 105, we've loosely tried to plan some kind of birthday/slash girls getaway each year when we can. So previously we took you to Pagosa Springs, Colorado, and today we're gonna take you to Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Now, guys, men, this does not exclude you from listening. There is something for everyone. We got to go see and experience so many things from hot springs to coasters and caves, and of course, on a girl trip, we had to spa. And we talked about baths and creating a spa-like vibe in your own bathrooms on our previous episode. But y'all, the bath theme doesn't stop there. We are just getting started. Oh my goodness, you're gonna see. So we're gonna unpack all of that, and you're gonna get to hear some interesting Wild West stories along the way. We have so many experiences and impressions to share with you. But first, y'all, our hotel was an experience by itself. So, you know how sometimes you just stay in like a generic hotel, normal hotel because it's convenient or it's what you know or it's less expensive. And I can enjoy a normal, like chain hotel stay because someone else is cleaning the room for me. So that is always makes me like it. But they're not always like super memorable. In Glenwood Springs, we got to stay at Hotel 1888, which was incredibly memorable and such a great base for all our adventures. The 1888 suite has a historic fireplace in it, so that's a room to ask for. Heidi's room had its own fireplace, and my room was so cool. I had the King balcony suite. So ask for that one because you open a door in your room and step onto the only balcony in the entire building that directly overlooks the largest hot springs pool in the world. The hotel opened just last year, so everything's clean, pristine, and cushy. It's physically connected to the athletic club and the pool house. So if you want direct access to the hot springs pools, it's all right there and seamlessly connected. Now, when you stay at its sister property, the Glenwood Hot Springs Lodge, you'll walk across 6th Street to access the pools and amenities. So even though the lodge is close, we especially loved having access to all the amenities right inside the same shared building by staying at the Hotel 1888. From Hotel 1888, you can access downtown in about 10-ish minutes by foot. So leave that car parked because you're gonna enjoy the stroll and you'll get to walk over this very cool pedestrian bridge over the river and take in gorgeous views of the area on your way into downtown. Everything feels so accessible. And we're going to talk more about transportation and getting around later. But first, join Heidi and me in front of her fireplace. One of the many things that we really loved to explore and learn about was the deep, rich history that we kept running into in Glenwood Springs.

SPEAKER_08: 4:37

Yes. In fact, we are sitting right now in one of the historic hotel rooms of the 1888 hotel. Everywhere here in the hotel, you can find pictures and mementos from that time. There's actually a big picture on the wall right here from some of the very wealthy, influential men that helped to pay for the building they opened recently. And it is absolutely beautiful.

SPEAKER_04: 5:09

This building has had many renditions of its life. Right. And it was a spa for a while. Right. It was a very famous spa. So 2020 was a season where aestheticians and hairdressers were not able to really work very much. And so that kind of dispersed them. And then they were able with the Glenwood Springs Watch able to kind of bring this to life.

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Yeah.

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And it's so great because it's it's a luxury hotel. Right. We're sitting here in our robes from because we have poolside access to the largest hot springs in in the world, not just Colorado, not just Glenwood Springs in the world. What other kind of fun historic things did you? Yeah, you know what?

SPEAKER_08: 5:54

You can walk down the hall here and around the corner. You can see they've encased in glass. When they redid this, they kept some of the historic elements. And you can see behind the glass one of the original pillars that made an archway. And then you can look down inside there and see the original tile. So I'm so glad they preserved some of those pieces. Actually, they took some of the original flooring and they put it on the wall of the place where you have breakfast now, down in their little cafe next to the front desk.

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Allie shared that with us and she gave us a whole tour and just kind of shared some of the history. So let's dive into our conversation and tour with Allie.

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So this is our original stone bathhouse built in 1888. Construction finished in 1888. And this summer in 2025, we just opened Hotel 1888 to honor the inception of Glenwood Hot Springs Resort. So that's our 16-room luxury boutique hotel that is poolside, just steps away from the largest hot spring pool in the world. It's humongous. I believe they're the largest tribe, the largest spread-out tribe in all of North America. This area of the Bistro, the 1888 lobby, used to be our open-air patio before it was enclosed. This tile on the wall is the original floor tile from back in the 1800s that was taken up and preserved. I love that.

SPEAKER_04: 7:37

Our theme for this season is roam to home. And so we're renovating a home, our home. And so it would be so cool if we found some original wood or something and put it on a wall.

SPEAKER_06: 7:51

You know, like this is inspiring something for my home. Right. Just by you sharing that.

SPEAKER_02: 7:55

Oh, that's amazing. So the tile was actually taken up uh when this building was converted into a naval hospital. Wow. Back in World War II. So they preserved it. They preserved it all the over a century. And then you ladies enjoyed some athletic clip classes this morning. Did you do some Pilates? We did Pilates last night. Okay. I'll show you. This is refurbished the original staircase that was in this lobby. So there's a photo of it right here at the base of this. If you can get a good shot of that, uh-huh. So that's 1888, the original staircase. Yeah. There's a lot of historic bone suits. And we do still rent swimsuits, honoring tradition. Do they link as always? Yes. No, I'm joking. Okay.

SPEAKER_06: 8:55

But I did see that there was swimsuit rent on.

SPEAKER_02: 8:58

Yeah, yeah. So we still rent swimsuits back in the late 18 and early 1900s. No one really owned a swimsuit. Most people didn't. Okay. Swimming wasn't a common leisurely activity. So this is the style of swimsuits that they wore back then. So very modest. Right. Yeah. So they're cleaned and oh guys, and all that stuff. Yeah, they go through our housekeeping. I believe there's bikinis, tankinis, one pieces. We've got all different sorts. How was your Pilates class? Fun.

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Interesting. She'd never done anything like that. Difficult.

SPEAKER_02: 9:40

So the grand pool, it holds over a million gallons. This is the historic grand pool. It holds over a million gallons of water. And our source spring is pumping out three million gallons of water every day. So this pool sits around 90 degrees, which is warmer than most regular public swimming pools. And uh the source water comes out at over 120 degrees. So we do cool it down before it gets into the pools, but there are hotter pools the further back you go to the source spring. The diving board towards the west end is the coolest side of the pool. We do have cold plunges. They get down to like 50 degrees. And it's crazy because this morning, I believe it was about 28 degrees outside, and even the cold plunges were steaming. Oh wow. That's fun.

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How many people would you say are guests from out of state? And how many are local that just have a membership here in front of all of them?

SPEAKER_02: 10:54

It's it's a healthy blend. I mean, we have a lot of people come up from the front range from Denver and Grand Junction that will stay for a few days or a weekend. But even people from Vale or the Eagle Valley and Aspen will get their membership here, their annual membership, and maybe they'll only come four or five times a year, but it's worth it to them to have that access. Yeah. There are several thousand members. Well, and it's worth it too. The fitness center is so nice. Yeah. Which fitness centers have reformers. And this is the seasonally operating uh soap splash zone for kids. So we have lower, very low depth water over there, just one foot. Cascading waterfalls. This usually opens around spring break, is open every day between Memorial Day and Labor Day in the summer. There's an open-air water rapid ride called the Shoshone Shoots that's named after the rapids going through Glenwood Canyon and the Colorado River.

SPEAKER_04: 11:58

Oh my god. Yeah. All right. So right at the moment it's closed for this season.

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So when do you open this? So there's not a specific date because it's all weather dependent. Around spring break, typically in March. Is when that opens up.

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Okay, so how does it work? Like what happens? You need life jackets, it says. Water can be 36 inches.

SPEAKER_02: 12:20

So it's a tube ride. So you climb the stairs, you climb stairs up to the top, and then it's a path, it's a carved path going down the water. In a tube. Yes, in a tube. With lifeguards making sure you make it down safely. And you can do a tandem with a two-person tube or ride it solo. It's really fun. Being that it's January now, people are already reaching out about when are your chutes open so I can plan my trip. Wow. Oh, so great. And it's all weather dependent. You know, it has to be warm enough. Right. And 60 degrees in January is not warm enough. Not a natural year. Yeah.

SPEAKER_08: 13:04

No, they should.

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For the moment it could be the uh cold plunge. Yeah, they could be the cold plunge. Yeah. Yeah. It's a little longer to get into the plunge. Shamley adventure and thrill right there in our cold plunge.

unknown: 13:16

Yeah.

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So in the pictures in the hotel, there were people on the hillside looking down. And I'm thinking this is the hillside right here. Yes, it would have been the north lawn. Uh-huh. This is the north lawn right here. Right, right. That's so cool. Just imagine, you know, if we were to go back in time, that's what we would see. Those people in their full dresses.

SPEAKER_02: 13:43

Not many ladies. Yeah. And it did look like mostly men were in the hot springs. True. Mostly men were comfortable swimming in public. Women were not were not comfortable doing that. So that's why they had a smaller. That's true. Because mostly men were the swimmers, and women would sit back, watch, and probably smoke. They would get their own vapors. Yeah. So it's funny to say, you know, not a lot has changed, but so much has changed here. So it's still the original grand pool, the original massive pool structure. Since when?

SPEAKER_08: 14:23

What year did that went? 1888. That was 1888. Wow. When they put in the cement and everything flowing.

SPEAKER_02: 14:29

Well, construction started 86 to 88. And this is the therapy pool, which is kept as hot as possible, which is 104 degrees. Wow. So there is another pool up here in the additional zone that will get up to 104, but that is legally the warmest we can keep. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_04: 14:51

We were in it last night, and it was perfect.

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It was great.

SPEAKER_04: 14:56

How do you control the temperature then?

SPEAKER_02: 14:58

Because these are like natural hot springs, right? Yes. So we have the original source spring is pumping out water at 122 degrees. Right. And then we can cool that water down with water from Grizzly Creek, which comes from the east of us down the Colorado River. So we're mixing in some fresh water to cool it down. And I was speaking with our pool maintenance man. He said it's never, it's never gonna be lower than 8020. So it's always gonna be 80% spring water at a minimum. So it's all it's all hydraulically. Well, it comes in from our source spring, which I'll take you by. Okay. This is our original pool lobby. Much has changed. The grill used to have a bar. You know, it used to be a lot rowdier. We just now at this time we're we're only serving breakfast and lunch. Not that alcohol and hot springs don't always mix with the altitude. No, you don't. So pass out. Right, right. So we're very family friendly and we want to keep it a healthy atmosphere. And they do serve drinks, but just very limited. So we got rid of the bar focus spring. And when I show you the source spring, which if you haven't walked over here, it it will all come together. Because it's gonna have to give us a feel. It's like uh what old faithful, but it's always hot. This is Yampa, our source spring. Okay, so the Ute Native Americans named this Yampa, which translates to big medicine.

SPEAKER_08: 16:46

Okay, so this is in those shirts.

SPEAKER_02: 16:49

Right. The original source spring. This is what has been here since before the pool. Since before any of the pools. And it's wonderful, they don't even know how deep this necessarily goes. So this is all fed by geothermal heat. They've sent some instruments to find the bottom, and it's never been found. So it just goes on and on, tapping into the geothermal energy. The heat from the spring is also geothermally heating our buildings. Oh. So when the when the lodge, which I'll take you up to see, was originally constructed, it was the largest geothermally heated building in the state of Colorado. Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_08: 17:35

I wonder what people did back then in order to not get burned, because you can't get in 120-degree water unless it was a temperature.

SPEAKER_02: 17:45

Right. So I believe they would mix just like we do these days, would mix the hot spring water at 122 degrees with water from the Colorado River and Grizzly Creek. So they would create pockets with the rocks to find that perfect mix of flow of hot water to cold water. So it's really the same thing that we're doing today. Yeah. At a different scale. Yes.

SPEAKER_04: 18:10

Designated Heidi as the historian.

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So she's gonna read the stuff and share.

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That's great.

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You get used to the show.

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Shout out to Rory.

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Yes. We miss you, Rory, but you know, we're also having fun. Girls trip. Yep, girls trip.

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And it has been the ultimate girls' trip so far. So great.

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Yeah.

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Have you walked downtown? You can access the bridge from the front of the building of 1888 by going around kind of the direction we started walking. So that's one way. And then there's a back gate here from the hot springs. And that'll take you to this is 6th Street. Okay. I highly recommend visiting Hotel Colorado for dinner. Oh, okay. Yeah, they have a great restaurant. The Glenwood Hot Springs Lodge is part of Glenwood Hot Springs Resort. Oh. So anyone who stays with the Lodge at Glenwood Hot Springs gets hot springs access all throughout their stay. Same with Hotel 1888. Across the street is Hotel Colorado. Hotel Colorado was originally built in unison by the same owners. So they were constructed, I believe, 1890 something. 1890. Where 1888 was the original bathhouse, and then Hotel Colorado was the hotel that they built to support the crowds. Okay. Then the lodge at Glenwood Hot Springs was built in the 80s, 1980s, not 1880s. So this is the Glenwood Hot Springs Lodge, aka the Lodge at Glenwood Hot Springs.

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Okay.

SPEAKER_02: 19:43

Yes, so this is a part of the resort. And how many rooms does this have? 107. So 107 rooms in the Glenwood Hot Springs Lodge, and then 16 rooms in the Hotel 1888. With Valentine's Day coming up, we always do a love letter campaign. Like write write us a love letter if you know you grew up here or you know learned to swim, did your first dive off the diving board. So we get a lot of love letters and then give out prizes, like an annual pool pass and an overnight stay. We'll head upstairs now. So the lodge also got a full remodel that of all 107 rooms that completed in spring of 2025. So just recently these rooms have been redone. So I mean both structures, like 2025 is a year. So yeah, this is still the Hot Springs Resort, which includes the lodge at Glenwood Hot Springs, the pool, the athletic club, the grill, and our gift shop. So all of those elements. We are smacked out between two other historical landmarks of Glenwood Springs. So Yampa Vapor Caves, which also connects to our Source Spring.

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Ah, okay.

SPEAKER_02: 21:10

And Hotel Colorado. We're kind of the original trio of Glenwood Springs on this block. Gotcha. So at one time it was all the same ownership and decades have passed, but we're all still thriving individually. Hi Shay. Daddy, hatty. So the same stone, the stone that was used to build our bathhouse was used to build Hotel Colorado. Black Friday, every year they have a lighting ceremony. So we we are usually sold out at the pool, but so book early for your Black Friday stay here to see the fireworks show from the pools. Alright. It's the best spot to watch. Fireworks show from the pools. That sounds amazing. And the pedestrian bridge, which stretches about a quarter mile across across the Colorado River, is packed shoulder to shoulder with thousands of people watching the lighting ceremony. So this is 6th Street, which just had its own facelift. We're revitalizing 6th Street with the 6th Street Landing. Okay. North Landing, I believe the city calls it. And so they just put this little amphitheater in. We're all excited that construction's wrapping up. The hot springs is also just a few blocks away from the gondola up to the adventure park. Now when we go see downtown, is that downtown? This way. This way. Across the bridge, yes. So what we could do is take these stairs back to 1888. Okay. This will take you downtown to the restaurant row. Yeah. People they love to walk across the bridge and get ice cream, even in the middle of winter. Well, yeah, why not? Yeah. Of course you would. There's Juicy Lucy's Steakhouse, Colorado Ranch House, some really good staples that have been here a long time. They're becoming Glenwood Springs history. Exactly. Exactly. We might have the earliest founding date, but lots of people are they're trying to catch up. Right, right. You're still gonna win though. Yeah. This is a has to be pedestrian bridge. It is. So the pedestrian bridge, I think it came up in 2018. So it really brings a whole new level to Glenwood, and it's the perfect viewing for the pool. That is like selfie station number one.

SPEAKER_04: 23:46

Thank you, Allie, for the super fun tour. We love getting to meet you and learning more about this place and this town. If y'all are wondering where we are for this little segment of this episode, Heidi and I are on this beautiful balcony that is overlooking the largest hot springs pool in the entire world.

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World.

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And we are the balcony looking over. It's so fun. And so it's constantly busy. It's a good thing.

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It's really beautiful. Yeah.

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Because it's a natural spring, it's got all of the minerals that are super life-giving and healthy. And we went to a different springs pool today, hot springs, and we're gonna talk about that. What's really cool is all each different mineral is gonna do something different beneficially for your body. So you'll have everything from circulation to joint pain to psoriasis to better skin, you know, better looking skin, detoxification.

SPEAKER_08: 24:55

It helps with all of those things.

SPEAKER_04: 24:56

It helps all of those things. Yeah, nervous system, pulmonary, digestive, right? Different minerals positively affect your health if you either drink them and or bathe in them. Our skin is our largest organ on our body, and so what we put on our skin absorbs and can really cause some cool benefits. We didn't need a locker room here because we are staying at the 1888 hotel in Glenwood Hot Springs. And we're on the balcony right now of their king's suite. Yes. So we have like the coolest room ever here. We so we don't need a locker room here at the 1888 because you are right at the pool. Now, right across the street is the Glenwood Hot Springs Lodge. And they're all part of the same family. So if you end up staying at the lodge, it's just right across the street, up the hill, and there so you'll cross, you'll exit your lodge, cross the street, go down the stairs, and you are at the pools. And at the 1888, you are right, you are poolside, and we are over literally overlooking the pool right now from this balcony. Let's dive into that spa.

SPEAKER_08: 26:15

Oh my goodness. So many good things. It was really, really cool.

SPEAKER_04: 26:20

Yes. So my favorite thing about our spa experience. So we did massages, we did the mineral bath soak, and that's really what we're kind of diving in with this segment is our soaks, but then we did a body wrap. But then there's also the vapor caves. And so the vapor caves were probably one of my favorite. You're not in water, you're just, it's kind of like a sauna. It's like it's sauna almost meets steam room, but not enough steam to technically be a steam room. So it's really more like a sauna.

SPEAKER_08: 26:48

And it's underground. You take this stone staircase underneath uh um the spa, and they have all these like it, it's almost like caves. These are the same crannies. And they have benches in there, and you can and they have really soft music playing, and you can go in, pick your room, pick your bench. There might be a few other people in there, but it's pretty dark. It's kind of it's very reflective in there. Yeah. And then you can lay down on one of the benches to wait for your spa treatment and breathe in the amazing steam.

SPEAKER_04: 27:27

Also, all of those vapors have amazing health qualities as well. And we have an excerpt from one of the co-owners of the spa to give us more detail and insight, not only to those minerals, but also to the history and the heart of the Yampa Spa.

SPEAKER_00: 27:42

I'm Melinda Delmonico, one of the owners and stewards of Yampa Spa and Vapor Caves. And I refer to us as stewards because we have the unique opportunity to steward ancient lands in a cave that was used by the Ute people and other indigenous people as a very sacred place. The site is a cave that was created by Mother Earth. And we've been told that Yampa is very unique and that it's the only known place open to the public that Mother Earth created versus man. And so the opportunity to visit Yampa and to experience this rich natural site of the planet is very unique. And so the there is natural spring water, hot thermal water bubbling up into the cave, which creates a steam and a natural effect of healing. And the temperature is between 110 and 114 degrees. And within that, you're breathing in and a variety of other minerals that are healing to the body. Some of the elements found in the mineral water that is bubbling up in the cave that creates the steam is sulfur. That's the largest mineral. Then we have magnesium, potassium, lithium, and many, many more. And so some of the effects for the body. So with sulfur, it's anti-inflammatory and supports cellular repair. Magnesium regulates blood sugar and heart health. Potassium is cardiovascular, metabolic support, blood pressure regulation. Lithium is a mood stabilizer and helps our cognitive abilities. So very, very healthy and potent minerals that you get to experience when you come to Yampa. So when was this property established? In 1893, the original settlers in the Glenwood Springs area built the spa along with Hotel Colorado. And in the site, they built a spa over the cave. And the guests that came through Glenwood were able to get spa treatments along with visiting this unique site. So what is our story? So my family and I purchased Yampa Spa. And I always say that we purchased the spa, became stewards of the cave in 2022. Life organizes around us. I was sitting in the cave during the pandemic a year earlier. And hearing my intuition, find out who owns this, she would be a good steward. We've been coming to the cave for many generations. My husband's family is from Colorado, and his father brought him to the cave, and we brought our young sons to Yampa. And so it's been a generational process for us, and it's a place that I love and adore. And at that moment, I listened to my intuition and had one of the fabulous raps that we have, and asked the therapist who was the owner. And I'd been coming to Yampa for many, many years and had never met Patsy Still. And so when I came out of the wrap, Patsy was actually standing right in front of the door. And I said to her, Yampa is very sacred. If you ever want to sell, please let us know. And so that's how the story began and our ownership. And then from there, it was a teamwork effort with my family, with Alex and Scott, in order to bring our stewardship to life. So what is our vision? Our vision is for Yampa Spa to be a world-class site that is so unique and so nourishing that people from around the world come, not only for the uniqueness of the cave and the site, but also for the services they're receiving. In addition to that, we hold our stewardship working with the indigenous cultures very sacred and we'll continue to do that as well. Many people come to Yampa from around the world. I consider this site to be as unique as Stonehenge. You know, although it's a vapor cave and you experience a steam room-like condition, you're in the womb of Mother Earth receiving all of the natural wonders of this place. In addition, the water that is bubbling up into Yampa Cave that spring, also we pipe it to private tubs where you have the opportunity to sit in the mineral water to receive the magnesium, the potassium, the lithium, and all the other nutrients that the water provides. In addition to that experience, we have salt scrubs and sugar scrubs along with mud wraps. We also have the opportunity to do a body detox. So we have a variety of services, including packages that would include a wrap, a massage, a cave and soak. So we welcome you to visit Yampa. Our website is www.yampaSpa.com.

SPEAKER_08: 32:35

Within a spa package, you have a certain amount of time that you can spend in the vapor caves. We had two hours of access to the vapor caves. And within that, we were doing the massage and we were doing other things. So before and after our treatments, we would go down to the vapor cave and lay on a bench and rest for a little bit before the next thing.

SPEAKER_04: 32:58

Yeah. And people were sitting, you know, you know, you can do whatever you want. They also have little tubs. We didn't we didn't take advantage of these, but they had little shower heads in there with like cool water. And they have these little bins you can fill with cold water, and then you can take that bin in with you wherever you're gonna be sitting in the cave and splash and kind of cool off. I just really enjoyed the caves. I have never been in any type of experience like that. So that was really cool. And everybody's in bathing suits, it's you know, it's it's that kind of situation. One of our treatments was getting a mineral bath soak.

SPEAKER_08: 33:32

And it's this super deep bathtub filled to the brim with water. And so and it's pre-filled for you.

SPEAKER_04: 33:40

So you wait and they'll call you back when it's ready. It was a mineral bath, so it's purposeful, just like these hot springs.

SPEAKER_08: 33:46

And in case you get too hot, they had this little shower head kind of thing that you could put some cold water on yourself. And I actually used that because it did get very hot.

SPEAKER_04: 33:56

They also provided, they had a whole pitcher of water there for you. I drank most of it. Um, so you can be drinking water while you're in this, it's a very hot pool. It felt like perfect temperature when we got in there. Like we stepped in and like you could feel like, yes, this is a really good temperature. We both had that feedback from it. So you get 30 minutes. And I should have like gotten in and out, in and out, in and out, because staying there like the whole time was just a little bit too much for me being like a redhead. I don't know, it was just affecting me a little bit. But you can spray with the cold spray.

SPEAKER_08: 34:32

And they had some bowls with ice water in the bowls and washcloths. So you could, and I used that, which if you would have told me that I would want that, I'd be like, no, I don't want any ice water. You do.

SPEAKER_04: 34:46

And if you guys listen to our episode of min about mineral wells, Texas, Rory and I each took a mineral bath there in their baths, and it's a very kind of similar type experience. So you can also check that out. If you can't make it to Colorado, maybe get to Texas and get you a mineral bath there. We know that y'all have followed our episodes around mineral wells, episodes 240 to 243. If you haven't, please do. You should. Then you'll know Mineral Wells is famous for its mineral drinking water. Well, Glenwood Springs has its own version. Allie Ackley, resort sales manager of Glenwood Hot Springs Resort, which includes the Poolside Hotel 1888, the Athletic Club Lodge, and of course the world's largest hot spring pool. She's the one who gave us our walking tour earlier. She's gonna give us a quick little insight into Glenwood Springs' version of their mineral drinking water.

SPEAKER_02: 35:44

The original historic drinking spring structure has been preserved within the Yampa Mineral Baths and is still accessible to pool goers. This water bubbles up at 122 degrees with all of the 15 rich minerals of the Source Spring water. In the late 19th century, the water was bottled and sold, renowned for its health benefits. These days, guests are welcome to bring their own cups and carefully serve themselves to imbibe in this age-old tradition. While we don't promote or recommend that people drink this water today, we are still happy to keep it accessible as a historic point of interest.

SPEAKER_08: 36:17

These three different experiences here in Glenwood are each very unique. I think if you want somewhere where you have a lot of room to play and swim, then I think the Glenwood Hot Springs Resort is the place for you. I think if you want that the world pool experience of these the different mineral content from caves in different countries, and they did have the legacy pools. They do have the hot springs that are.

SPEAKER_04: 36:49

From the original source. The OG Hot Springs source. That is here. That's true.

SPEAKER_08: 36:56

The Glenwood Hot Springs. And if you can see it, it's like just beyond a fence down at the end. And if you want to get totally pampered, go to the Yampa Spa and go to the vapor caves and get that whole experience there.

SPEAKER_04: 37:11

And the bath there, if you do the mineral bath, that's all to yourself. Whereas on these other public springs, yeah, it's gonna be lots of people. So community. You really just get such a variety, and that's really fun. Heidi, we also did some other treatments at the spa. So let's just dive into that segment real quick where we talked about our massages right after they happened.

SPEAKER_06: 37:34

Okay, so we just, Heidi and I just got out of our massages. Heidi, how was your massage? Oh my gosh, it was so amazing.

SPEAKER_08: 37:42

I kept thinking, please don't end, please don't end. Let's just do the saltine long. I loved it. Wow.

SPEAKER_06: 37:51

Aw. What made it, what set it apart from other massages that you've had?

SPEAKER_08: 37:56

I mean, I felt like it was a super spiritual experience for me because I felt like that, and this is kind of deep, but um, like the hands of this woman that were working on me were the hands of God that were, I don't know, helping me release all my tension and finding it, it felt like she could find all the little knots in there, and she worked on them, and I just felt very um accepted in that place with all my knots.

SPEAKER_06: 38:36

And at the same time, it's being those knots are being worked on, so there's an element of like healing, yeah. Very much. I I am a frequent um massage goer.

SPEAKER_04: 38:48

I don't know what you call that, but for me, massages are very healing. Some people don't like massages at all. They don't, you know, like don't touch me or whatever.

SPEAKER_06: 38:57

But for me, they're so healing. Yeah, and so I definitely can relate to what you're talking about with just how you connected with that. It's just a safe place to find release. Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_04: 39:10

And in in that, in doing so, it helps relieve stress.

SPEAKER_08: 39:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 39:14

And just kind of like get you a reset. And I think for me, that's kind of one of the things that stood out is because of the time of year that we're coming. You know, we're here for like our birthday trip. Right. And so my birthday is January, yours is February. So we're at the front of the year when people are trying to do like a restart and a reset. And I felt like when I was getting the massage, I was like, this is such a great time because I really am all about like the new year and letting that be like my restart place. And all of the treatments we're gonna get today, but especially starting with that massage is just like this is giving my body the reset that I want. It's getting it set on the right course for me to continue in my daily life, you know, with like that restart and the reset. So I love that we're here at the beginning of the year. I think it would be along those lines beneficial for someone to come late summer and fall for like a second sort of reset, you know? And I think the other thing that stood out to me is that this is something, you know, because I do get regular massages in my hometown. What's different about doing it away were two things for me. One, I don't have my normal therapist. I love my normal therapist. But my therapist today did an amazing job. She did so well and like my massage therapist at home, but she did some different things.

SPEAKER_08: 40:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04: 40:47

And so, like where I had some injury and things like that, she just kind of approached it differently on how she worked on it. And so that I'm getting to take home with me of like, oh, I can show this to my physical therapist. So that's one thing, but also being away, when we leave here, we're not going home to our own homes with all of the dirty dishes, all of the kind of normal, maybe stress or triggers that we might have in our homes. And, you know, we're always trying to get rid of those things so that our home feels like a haven and we want to be able to have our homes feel very warm and welcoming in a place of retreat. But it's also where we live, you know? And so I think like that's the other thing that stuck out to me is getting this massage away from home. When we leave this spot today, we get to go just enjoy something new and fresh. Right. And so we're we get to kind of take all of our experiences of being renewed in our bodies and minds and spirit. But being renewed in all of those ways, we get to take that into new adventures as we explore the town.

SPEAKER_08: 41:55

I'm thinking too the context of this because you have to picture it. This is a beautiful winter day in Colorado. The sun is shining, it's chilly outside. There's a dusting of snow on the mountains around us. And we got up this morning at this gorgeous resort and looked out the window to see the steam rising off of the hot springs. And this is just the context is absolutely serene. It's like a postcard. I feel like I'm in a postcard right now. And we ate this delicious breakfast at the resort, and then came over here, which is only a couple minutes away, and then we got to sit in a vapor cave in the depths of the earth with the steam and I don't know the whole context of it, and then to walk upstairs and have a massage. And I'm and now I'm drinking my cucumber lemon water, and there's a real orchid on the table over there, and there's the sound of running water down some little fountains, and it's just really peaceful. Yeah, an ambiance music. And I'm here with you.

SPEAKER_04: 43:10

With you, and when we walked in too, they they have all the essential oils that just kind of like saturate your senses and they just smell so good. And like when you walk in the door to register, it's just like so it's a fun, happy place.

SPEAKER_08: 43:23

It is. Yeah, I love the context of this. And I think anytime we have an experience, it's good to recognize how all of your senses are engaged in it. Because I think it helps us to remember it better too, and hopefully take all those positive, happy emotions with us when we leave.

SPEAKER_04: 43:44

Speaking of leaving, y'all, I don't feel like we've even halfway tapped into all of the adventures, the caves, the rides, the gondolas, and the Glenwood Caverns and Venture Park, history, Wild West stories, and even a completely Different hot springs experience at Iron Mountain Hot Springs. So there's just too much to pack into one segment. But we can't leave without diving into the color of Colorado and how I'm bringing color home since this is our From Rome to Home series. So I have a long list of things I brought home with me from this trip, and I'll share that with you in part two. But today I'm just going to share my inspiration for color. So in talking about Glenwood Springs, the mountains, the hot springs, the girl time, all of it, here's what surprised me. The most vivid color inspiration that I'm bringing home is blue. I knew I was visiting Hot Springs, but I didn't know that Glenwood Springs is called the land of water. That gorgeous blue water with a deep hint of green, and it's a color shade I already connect with because it's so similar to the color I use in the branding for my loose leaf tea company. But I grew up in New Mexico around mountains, and bodies of water were crazy sparse. And Colorado has a very similar desert-infused terrain, so I was not expecting to find so many rivers. And of course, with all the hot spring pools and this being a town that was one of the first to have power because of its hydroelectric energy, water really shapes this place. So in Glenwin Springs, you have this mineral aqua blue, the kind of blue that feels calm but alive, just showing up all over the place. Then there's those rusty canyon tones, that earthly red that feels grounded and strong. Then you have the contrasting gray tinted white that stripes the mountains with the rust, the deep evergreen pines, that open Colorado bright blue sky. So here's where our From Rome to Home theme comes in. As Rory and I start renovations at home, we're gonna have to make tons of paint color choices. But this trip inspired me to ask some different questions. Instead of asking what paint color should I use, what color did this trip wake up in me? For me, Glenwood Springs felt like courage blue, adventure rust, restoration aqua. Each one carried a feeling. The Hot Springs Aqua felt like rest, like my nervous system finally exhaled. The canyon rust felt strong and steady. The sky blue and that slate white color just felt so expansive, like possibility. So travel isn't just scenery, it's emotional color. And you might not be considering painting your home or a wall, though a quick touch of paint in even just one wall can freshen and liven up a room so fast. So maybe you could consider that for your space and consider some of these Colorado-inspired hues. We often choose neutrals in a home because they're safe and allow for versatility. But again, to reframe a question, what if your home is allowed to reflect who you are becoming? If you need more energy, bring in a little red or coral. Calm, bring in soft blues or sage. For growth, green, hello plants, joy, yellow in the kitchen. And instead of asking, is it trendy? Does this support the season that me and my family are going to be walking into? Colorado felt bold and alive. So maybe my home needs to be a little more bold and alive right now. You can bring color home in tiny intentional shifts. For me, from this trip, that might mean a throw pillow in a mineral aqua, or a coffee mug in Canyon Red, a new journal in sky blue, a bouquet of greenery in my kitchen. And speaking of bouquets, the Hotel 1888 had so many beautiful flower bouquets. Heidi just could not stop like fawning over them. They were gorgeous. So what flower colors might you be able to bring into your home? Or even changing your phone background to a photo from the trip? Color doesn't have to be permanent to be powerful. So what colors are still imprinted in your mind from your latest trip, your happy place? Infuse that color into your everyday moments. When you see that color every day, it subtly reminds you how you felt there. All right, what about your clothing? So let me ask you something fun. When you pack for a trip, what colors do you grab? The bright statement piece, cozy earth tones, the soft romantic pastel, the high contrast black and white minimalist. Sometimes the colors we wear on trips are the ones we're craving in life. So maybe your suitcase is telling you what your living room is missing. One fun thing I'm going to do is create a capsule wardrobe for my closet based on these Colorado colors. I'll share that on our socials and on my Alexa James music socials. Maybe your trip colors can inspire what you pack for your next trip. So as we wrap up part one of our explorations in Glenwood Springs Colorado, remember, travel wakes something up in us. And if we don't intentionally carry it home, it could fade. So maybe C isn't just for Colorado, maybe C is for color, courage, change, creativity. And what colors did your last trip give you? And how can you let those colors live in your everyday life? Because roaming isn't just about where you go, it's about who you become and how that shows up when you're back home. And from my home, where I'm sharing these thoughts with you, we want to thank you again to Visit Glenwood for sponsoring this episode and putting this great girls' trip together. Y'all are so awesome. So everyone that's listening, go to VisitGlenwood.com and check out their awesome resources for your next trip. And thank you tons to Dr. Heidi P Tack for joining me. We will both see y'all back here in the next episode with more fun from Glenwood Springs. See you soon. We hope we've inspired you this episode.

SPEAKER_01: 50:08

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SPEAKER_01: 50:31

That's right, that's T H E. R-O-A-M.com. We'll be there until next time. Yeah, thanks for listening. Bye.