My kids first visit to Glenwood was in May 2018, when I brought their grandmother (my mother) on a short 3 day vacation to a small cottage we rented for a peaceful getaway from busy life. We hiked Hidden Lake and as champs my 6, 8, and 10 year olds were both respectful of the beauty and also determined to beat their mother and grandmother (both avid hikers) to the top. Helping one another along the way and without shedding a tear or offering complaints, we enjoyed the fruits of our labor in wonderment once we reached the water falling on that gorgeous untouched lake.
The next time we would visit is February 2021 when we decided a reprieve from daily life was in order. Without any sort of vacation due to Covid-19 restrictions on travel, and a spouse who was an essential worker from the beginning of the pandemic (no time off allowed by employer's with manpower shortages everywhere) we had a very short window of opportunity to take a much needed break. When my children first put their soft toes in the water, their senses just melted. They recalled the lovely summer day we spent with their grandmother playing and laughing, enjoying the warm weather and warm pools. This was different, this was their mom's favorite time to go to Glenwood because it is cold outside and the water is soothing. The balance is perfect. They heard me talk about it the entire drive up, how they will understand once we are there, and that it is a completely different type of place in the winter.
The stars that night were amazing, as I sat with my 12 year old who loves astronomy and she taught me each constellation we could see. Looking at her young features near the glistening water created a new hope for the future, her hopes and dreams were possible... the moments we were allowed under the stars that night were provoked from a deep sense of appreciation for our earth and the world we all share. Glenwood Springs has been a special part of my family since I was a child, my grandmother still visits every year for the Strawberry Festival, and it was the vacation my family would take every year. As a young 20 something I would come to Glenwood as a home, a place I could relax and find renewal when under increasing stress. It has been in my family as a reprieve since before I was born... and it will always be my go-to.
Heidi > - Fort Collins, CO