Colorado’s Western Slope Road Trip: Hidden Treasures

By Kurt Jacobson
Senior Writer

As I walked along the rocky precipice, it doesn’t escape me that my wife and I are the only ones here. Far down below, I could see but not hear the Gunnison River as it slowly sluiced away the stone as it has for millions of years. With the intense blue sky above and the dramatic river canyon below, I know what paradise is.

Colorado has seen a significant increase in population since I left in 2008. With this increased population, it can be hard to find the solitude and beauty I knew from my childhood years in Colorado. With that in mind, I set out to find some of the best places I remember from exploring the mountains I love. Let’s go for a ride and see what I think are fantastic places to visit.

Getting Acclimated

On this August 2024 trip, the first stop was my sister’s home in Littleton. We spent the first day and night acclimating to the altitude in preparation for our high-country itinerary. The second night, we were in Boulder to have dinner at the Flagstaff House, a place I’ve considered Colorado’s best restaurant for decades. My mom had treated us kids to dinner at the Flagstaff House several times during her years in Boulder. I loved its diverse menu, 16,000-bottle wine cellar, and spectacular views.

We stayed at the St Julien Hotel and could see the Flagstaff House from our deck. This luxury hotel is celebrating its 20th anniversary delivering luxury lodging, spa services, dining, and special events for guests from near and far away.

Heading up High

Our next segment of the trip was visiting my friend Jeff. We had served in the US Coast Guard on a buoy tender servicing Long Island Sound. I left the ship to serve my last 13 months at an isolated duty station near Nome, Alaska, but I stayed in touch with Jeff. We both left the Coast Guard in the fall of 1977 and Jeff and his wife met up with me in Denver. He fell in love with Colorado and never left.

Jeff’s home sits on Roger’s Mesa, above the town of Hotchkiss. With forty acres boarding the wild Grand Mesa, Jeff sees plenty of wildlife. Upon our arrival, he told us of a black bear that wandered around his yard, passing by his dining room windows, and showed us a video of the bruin.

I remember him describing a mountain lion walking by his bedroom window years ago with his mouse-hunting kitty in its jaws. All we saw was the numerous wild turkeys in his yard that day, which was plenty of fun.

What I love about Roger’s Mesa is the incredible view of the West Elks and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. After a lovely home-cooked dinner, I slept well, knowing the next day would be dedicated to exploring the area. Jeff told us, “The North Rim has the best views and the fewest people.”

I love that the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is one of the least visited parks in the park system. The canyon gets its name from the small amount of sunlight that hits the bottom daily. Some parts of the canyon floor only get 33 minutes of sun daily.

A New Day’s Dawn

We hit the road at 8 AM for the north side of the canyon, going through Hotchkiss and then Crawford. Before arriving at the first viewpoint, we drove past farms, sagebrush, and Crawford Reservoir. We were surprised that there was no fee station in this part of the park. However, according to the nps.gov website, there is a fee station on the South Rim and a fee of $15-30. I have an America the Beautiful Pass so I was unconcerned with paying a fee.

The first viewpoint provided a jaw-dropping view, and it wasn’t close to the deepest point in the 14-mile stretch of river that flows through the park. The deepest point is 2,272 feet of scary steepness at Warner Point, where it’s common to see magnificent golden eagles soaring above.

We moved on to two more viewing pullouts and liked the kneeling camel view the best. It could take hours, maybe even most of the day to circumnavigate the park. The North Rim is closed in winter, so visit the South Rim and its visitor center if you want to come during the cold months.

After the park, we stopped off in Crawford, where the biggest claim to fame is that rock star Joe Cocker made the area his home in his final years. We stopped in at the Hitching Post and enjoyed chatting with the owners.

If you’re looking for inexpensive rustic lodging, this is the place. They have ten rooms, some with kitchens, for as little as $90 per night.

Paonia and Hotchkiss

On our way back to Hotchkiss we diverted to see Paonia, a small town where I used to own a small rental house.

Not too much seemed different, and the place still had that small-town mountain vibe. In Hotchkiss, we stopped for lunch at the Thai and Sushi restaurant called 476 Eatery and were pleasantly surprised by how good the Thai food was. The basil rolls and Penang curry were pretty good, but the pad se ew was as good as it gets.

Wine Time

In all of my wine explorations in Colorado, Alfred Eames Cellars is the best I’ve found yet. Alfred learned winemaking during his time in Spain during the 1960s and put that experience into his winery, which he opened in 1998. We tried all eight wines at Zenzen Gardens and loved six of them.

Zenzen Gardens is open daily, May 1^st to October 15th, and is the official tasting room for Alfred Eames Cellars. At Zenzen Gardens we were surrounded by gorgeous flower gardens that attracted so many monarch butterflies and hummingbirds it made my head spin trying to keep an eye on them. It was one of the most enjoyable wine tastings I’ve had all year.

Zenzen also hosts concerts and events plus offers different lodging options for guests who want to spend the night.

The three-bed farmhouse, a small cabin, and glamping tents all looked good to me. I wondered how customers found this rural venue and asked our server Rebecca how their customers find them; she told me, “A lot of people hear about us from social media and word of mouth from friends or family.”

Take a Western Slope Hot Dip

Glenwood Springs is a must-see Western Slope town for several reasons. One is the stunning drive through Glenwood Canyon, a modern highway engineering miracle. The other is the world’s largest hot springs pool, suitable for all ages. As a kid, I loved going to the Glenwood Springs Hot Springs, a pool that’s been a favorite to local indigenous tribes for centuries, pioneers, and early tourists who came by train in the late 1800s. The Yampah Source Spring provides an astounding 3.5 million gallons of 122° water for all to play in, year round!

For decades, my visits to the pools were enjoyable, but they remained mostly the same until this latest visit. My wife and I were impressed with the addition of five new pools, Shoshone Chutes, a 700-foot-long water slide for tubing, and the major renovation of the vintage changing rooms.

On the west end of the pool is the Grand Fountain, where kids can run and play amongst the various fountains. When night comes, the fountains become a water and light show, easily visible from the pedestrian bridge over the Colorado River and Highway I-70.

The two main pools are the Grand Pool, 90 to 93 degrees, and the Therapy Pool, a toasty 104 degrees. The five new pools include Falling Waters-named for its waterfall, Inhale- named for its chilly temperature of 52-60°; Sacred Waters- an infinity pool; Exhale- a 75-80° pool; and Cascade Waters- a soothing 104° pool near the waterfall.

Gone is the spa, but the gift shop, full-service athletic club, drinking spring, and grill remain. The gift shop sells almost anything you need to enjoy the pools.

Some other reasons to visit the Glenwood Hot Springs Pools are the ample free parking for day visitors, the historic downtown, which is just minutes away with several excellent shops, and restaurants, Glenwood Caverns and Adventure Park, Colorado River rafting, and historical sights.

For overnight visitors, if you stay at the Glenwood Hot Springs Lodge, all guests receive access to the pool and a hot breakfast! With the pool admission fees starting at $46 per person for a day pass, staying at the lodge gives you easy and affordable access. My wife and I have stayed at the lodge and found it modern and comfortable, and I appreciate the location.

Other Stops

Some of the other stops on our trip included Carbondale, where we stopped at the Village Smithy for lunch. This venerable eatery has been a popular Western Slope highlight for as long as I can remember and is excellent for breakfast or lunch. While in town, we walked the main drag and enjoyed the street murals and shops.

On the way back to Denver, we stopped at the top of Vail Pass to hike through wildflower-filled high-country meadows. When I lived in Frisco, I used to go cross-country skiing on Shrine Pass in winter and hike in summer. We found it uncrowded and peaceful on this trip, something that’s getting harder to find.

At last it was time to fly back home to Baltimore and dream of our next Colorado Western Slope trip. Each time we return to our former home state, we wonder how soon we might move back. If you visit these places, you’ll probably wonder if and when you might move here too.