jetlagged kids awake by panning for
gems. Onward to Glenwood Springs,
a place originally known as Defiance.
Colorado is peppered with beautiful
old Gold Rush mining towns with
salubrious histories. Glenwood Springs
is also home to one of the prettiest
amusement parks I have encountered,
perched on top of a mountain. After
our first proper night’s sleep, we
spent a glorious morning enjoying
rollercoasters, carousels and a maze.
You can also get your stalactite fix
on a tour of the “fairy caves” buried
within the mountain.
Colorado’s mountainous
geography means that there’s an
abundance of hot springs. Towns
have cleverly taken their natural hot
springs and turned them into the
perfect family-friendly attractions
with geothermal pools and regular
children’s pools. The Glenwood
Springs hot springs even had a set of
wiggly waterslides that delighted our
four-year-old no end.
From Glenwood Springs we
drove on to Ouray. When planning
your journey, a great source of
inspiration for attractions en route
are the leaflets found in motel lobbies.
I picked up an enticing leaflet for a
peach farm in Palisade – this sun-
soaked valley is home to the “peach
capital of Colorado”. We arrived at
High Country Orchards just as it
was opening and had the place all to
ourselves, including a private tour of
the canning facility. In addition to the
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