While you explore our wonderful state you can find lodging that is more than just a place to rest your head. While comfort is certainly priority number one, in Colorado, the place you stay can do so much more than assure a solid night’s rest. Unique, local and inspired accommodations across the state offer a home-away-from-home that will add to your vacation experience. Here are just a few ways to end an epic Colorado day with an epic Colorado place to stay. www.colorado.com
Homey Heritage. There’s nothing like a little history to make you feel nostalgic when you’re far from home. In Carbondale, Avalanche Ranch offers charming covered wagons – the “gypsy” or “shepherd”— and cabins alongside a hot spring for a quintessentially Colorado place to lay your head. For a truly Western classic, stay in a train caboose at Strawberry Hot Springs, or one at the Wyman Hotel and Inn. At the Canyon of the Ancient’s in Cortez, bed down at the Mokee House – a Pueblo-style structure complete with a keyhole door and an outdoor oven just a few miles from the incredible ruins at Mesa Verde National Park.
Comfort in the Creative. Cozying up somewhere creative will put a truly unique spin on your Colorado-cation. Yurts, huts and tipis – like the one on 37 acres outside Red Feather Lakes — offer unique lodging across the state. In Nathrop, bunk at an octagonal tree house near a hot springs with stunning views. In Mancos, a converted bus serves as an inspiring access point for all that the region has to offer, or stay cozy and romantic in the Bungalow or Lake Side cabins at Willowtail Springs. Discover the eastern plains for birding and photography at A Three Dog Night guest house. Design your own yurt or tipi through the Colorado Yurt Company in Montrose, and then make your way across the state in supreme style.
All about the Entertainment. Vacation is all about getting away from the day-to-day, so take it to the next level with some in-house entertainment at your home away from home. At the Movie Manor in Monte Vista, enjoy the world’s only known hotel/drive-in movie theater and catch a flick from the comfort of your room.Murder mysteries offer fun and excitement at the Lumber Baron Mystery Mansion near downtown Denver, or at The Antler’s in Colorado Springs. At the Claremont Inn in Straton, you can make it a murder mystery weekend. Enjoy a ghost adventure package at the original fear house, The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park where Stephen King wrote The Shining. In Durango, snuggle up in the historic Strater Hotel after a night flashing back to the past at the Diamond Belle Saloon or the Henry Strater Theatre.
A Hard Days Work. You’ll never sleep better than after a day of cross-country skiing on one of Colorado’s hut ski trips. Crawl into cozy mountain huts like those offered by San Juan or 10th Mountain Huts. After a day on the back of a horse, roping cattle or out on the range, tuck yourself in with a home-cooked meal and a cozy stay at one of Colorado’s working dude and guest ranches. You’ll be ready for a solid night’s sleep after you spend your days birding for Lesser Prairie Chickens and soaking up ranch life and chuck wagon dinners at Arena Dust Tours in Holly.
Night Caps. In the shadow of the magnificent Mount Sopris, enjoy a nightcap during your stay-at the-stills at the Marble Distilling Co. Luxury Inn in Carbondale. In the heart of wine country, rest your weary head at the Leroux Inn, a B & B winery in Hotchkiss, or at the Wine Country Inn in Palisade. New in 2016, lay your head to rest at the Dram Apothecary overnight lodge in the “living ghost town” of Silver Plume.
Celebrate the Centennial. In 2016, the National Parks Service celebrates its centennial. Show your support by incorporating one or all of Colorado’s four National Parks into your Colorado-cation. At Rocky Mountain National Park near Estes Park, stay in one of five established campgrounds or haul your tent deep into the backcountry for a sublimely remote rest. Outside Gunnison and Montrose, camp at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, or Gunnison River Farms. Between April and October, unwind and settle in at the Far View Lodge at Mesa Verde National Park, where wildlife, history and expansive views replace televisions and dreary hotel rooms. And at the Great Sand Dunes National Park, stay in rustic cabins at the Oasis Camping Cabins or in elegant style in the original ranch homestead (built in the 1800’s) at nearby Zapata Ranch.
Farmstay. Immerse yourself in farm living with a stay at any number of Colorado’s working farms and ranches. At the Horse and Hen Inn in Hayden, the Walker Homestead Cabin will bid you to rest your head after a day of feeding and watering animals, milking cows or goats, collecting eggs, watching birds, fishing or wandering the grounds. In Salida, rest fed and inspired after a day of cheese making at the Mountain Goat Lodge at the foot of the famous Sawatch Mountain Range. Prep peaches for pressing, harvest grapes and prune the orchards before settling in to a rehabbed “picker cabin” at the Mesa Winds Farm & Winery, where you can count real-live baby-doll sheep.
Keep it steamy. At Dunton Hot Springs, stay in authentically restored log cabins that offer a world of whimsy, elegance and luxury. Underground vapor caves and soaking pools at the Wiesbaden in Ouray offer a therapeutic spin on a standard, and at Joyful Journey Hot Springs in Moffat, stay in yurts or tipis that are just steps away from a soak in the idyllic San Luis Valley. For privacy and proximity, stay at the Creekside Hot Springs Cabin outside Salida where your private party stays at a creek-side cabin in the woods with its own private hot spring.
Whether it’s settling under the stars, getting warm beside a wood stove, or a sipping some of Colorado’s finest, cozy up off-the-beaten path and in the anything-but-ordinary on your next Colorado vacation.
Colorado is a four-season destination offering unparalleled adventure and recreational pursuits, a thriving arts scene, a rich cultural heritage, flavorful cuisine, and 25 renowned ski areas and resorts. The state’s breathtaking scenic landscape boasts natural hot springs, the headwaters of seven major rivers, many peaceful lakes and reservoirs, 11 national parks and monuments, over 850 farm and ranches that are open to visitors, and 58 mountain peaks that top 14,000 feet.
For more information or a copy of the Colorado Official State Vacation Guide, visit www.COLORADO.com or call 1-800-COLORADO.
Photo credit: Claire Hamilton