May 15, 2010
By Lisa T. Bergren
Mother’s Day weekend our family beat a late Spring snowstorm and had a wonderful weekend getaway in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.
Hotel #1
We checked into the Quality Inn & Suites on the River, a truly great deal at $89 a night in a new hotel, including a continental breakfast. They have a little deck (complete with barbeque!) right on the river walk/sidewalk (which stretches all the way to Aspen), so the kids suited up for a dip in the small indoor pool. Tim and I, however, went out to enjoy the river, spring swollen, a setting sun down the valley casting golden light on the iron-rich, red mountains, and a chance for a half hour of quiet conversation. With a little cabernet sauvignon, we sat back and sighed in relief…
NOTE: The train tracks are right across the river. If you’re a light sleeper, make sure your window is closed or ask for a room on the opposite side of the building. We also thought the AmericInn looked lovely; it’s situated right beside the tram for Glenwood Caverns and has an indoor water park and breakfast as part of the deal. There are a LOT of hotels in town.
Later we went to the Glenwood Canyon Brewery for dinner, which we’d recommend to any family. Tim and Liv opted for the brew pub’s fish and chips, I had a salmon and pasta dish and the little ones had the obligatory chicken fingers and fries. Good, solid food in a fun location, right across from the old train station and on the first floor of the historic Hotel Denver.
The Caves
The next day we took the tram up to Glenwood Caverns and Adventure Park for the day, just as it opened. We expected to spend a few hours there. We ended up dragging the kids out at 5:00. I loved the 70 minute cave tour, which begins with the historical tour of the “Fairy Caves” they used to give from the late 1880s onward (you could ride a mule to the top and tour the cave, all for the bargain price of 50 cents). The second part delves into the bigger, more dramatic caverns discovered in the 1960s, by spelunkers who dared to squeeze through a 9” crevice and discovered the “most decorated cave in the state.” The Barn is a massive, red-hued room, colored by the mountain’s rich iron ore, and the King’s Row is full of stalactites and stalagmites as far as you can see.
We loved how the guide pointed out different stalagmites that looked like figures, such as Romeo and Juliet, Snow White (and her seven dwarves), the famous “fairy” that gave the caves their name, as well as the unique “cave bacon,” wavy streams with red iron oxide in them, which truly makes them look like bacon!
NOTE: For an additional fee, the truly adventurous can take one of the more exciting tours: the ninety minute, mostly crawling “Adventure” tour, or the three hour, on-your-belly “Wild” tour, requiring a helmet, pads and squeezing through small spaces to see other, less accessible areas…the prize, of course, being bragging rights. Our teen wants to return and do one of these. Mama will wait outside.
The Adventure Park
Our more sedate cave tour complete, we rushed over to the Alpine Slide, a one- or two-person roller coaster through the trees that our kids couldn’t get enough of (and we enjoyed too). If your family is hungering for an amusement park, but you don’t have the funds for a trip to Disneyland or Disneyworld, this might give you a reprieve. We went seven times!
DETAILS: Kids have to be over 3 years old to ride; those 16 and older can take a sibling with them; those 54” tall+ can ride alone.
After lunch at the Grill (decent food and prices, lovely view), we took in the movies at the amazing 4D theatre: “Snow Ride,” “Turtle Talk,” and “Haunted Mines.” The 4D theatre—the only one in the state—is like the “Star Tours” ride at Disneyland, giving you the feeling you’re moving, all through the magic of what you see on-screen. Add to that the 4D aspect of moving seats, spurts of mist and air, and you’re really engaged. Fun!
The other parts of the Adventure Park are like an upscale Wild West amusement park. My kids enjoyed the maze and climbing wall, but our other favorite was laser tag. We played as a family alone first, then with others as more guests arrived in the park. The only downer was that the massive “Swing” ride—which sends riders out above a harrowing drop, was closed because they’re just finishing a new and improved model. Good news for Summer visitors; bummer for us.
As we left, gliding down in the tram, my husband said, “I can’t believe I’ve never heard of this place.” I was glad I had!
The Not-So-Healthy-But-Oh-So-Yummy Dinner
That evening we munched on incredible cheeseburgers and old fashioned shakes from Viggo’s Charcoalburger drive-thru on the frontage road, checked into the Hot Springs Lodge and took an evening dip in the steaming, mineral rich waters of the world’s largest hot springs pool. Thoroughly relaxed and weary, all five of us fell asleep as soon as the lights were out.
Disclosure: Special thanks to Glenwood Caverns & Adventure Park for giving us entry tickets to the park for the day. We were ready to pay for them, and would happily send any friends and family there. Our kids are already plotting a return…
Have you toured the caverns? Been to the adventure park? What was your experience? Comment below!
Posted on Saturday, May 15, 2010
In Colorado, Trip Reports, USA
Tags: Adventure Park, amusement park, caverns, caves, Colorado, family vacation, Glenwood Springs, rides, tours
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