Written by Beulah
Living in a remote town has its perks, the nearest stoplight is an hour away and as much as I enjoy the slow quiet pace here in Creede during the winter, the entertainment options are limited (unless you like going out in the snow). Heading out of town we followed the mostly frozen Rio Grande into South Fork, hooked a left and made our way across the San Luis Valley. The trip to Joyful Journey Hot Springs is about a 2 hour drive so Kyle and I stopped in Monte Vista for quick bite at Taqueria Antojitos Los Lopez since we hadn’t been there before. It looks deceptively small from the outside, but there is a large seating area inside. A couple of tacos and a refreshing agua fresca hit the spot and we were on our way.
Joyful Journey Hot Springs is located in Moffat, Colorado beneath the sharp outline of the Sangre De Cristo mountains. There isn’t another business or building around for miles, so it is just you and the mountains to keeping you company while you enjoy the hot springs resort. Kyle and I have been for a day soak before, but this was our first overnight stay. There are several options for accommodations and this time we chose one of the lodge rooms (I’ll save a stay in the yurt for a summer trip thank you very much). We were in between snowstorms; the sky was mostly clear and we knew it was going to dip in to the 20’s overnight so we thought a room would be best for us this time.
We checked in just after 4 pm and the staff was super friendly and informative, giving us the lay of the land and handing over the keys to our room. I was a little hesitant when we first walked into our room and saw there were tiled floors and I was worried about the cold, until I realized the floors had radiant heating! Each room also has a sitting area right outside the back door to take in the views, and the rooms don’t have televisions, so you are really encouraged to disconnect and enjoy what the resort has to offer.
We got changed, grabbed our robes, and dipped in to a few of the pools just as the sun was going down. Then we went back to our rooms to catch the view of the sun setting in front of us and enjoy the alpenglow on the mountains behind us from the patio at the back of our room.
Overnight guests have dinner provided from a seasonal fixed menu, all of this info is on their website so I’ll spare the details, but I will say we were satisfied and refreshed from the fixin’s provided.
I took a quick nap before heading out to the pools again. When we went outside for our second soak, we could see the glow of the full moon that was getting ready to rise above the mountains. Things seemed pretty quiet for a Friday evening, I’m sure in the summer when there are more campers and visitors it is much livelier but this quiet retreat is exactly what I needed. The temperatures were dipping down in to the 20’s and it was a refreshing feeling walking between the pools with steam trailing off our bodies. The grounds are softly lit making this steamy winter night under a full moon look just magical.
I got a great nights sleep and opted out of the morning soak to take a yoga class instead. I practice regularly on my own, but I always look forward to learning something new from a new instructor. It was a fun class and I think even a beginner could feel comfortable following along. After yoga I met Kyle for breakfast. There are some quick self-serve options but we decided to wait for a fresh made breakfast from the kitchen and took our plates back to our rooms.
We will definitely be back, I’m excited to try a stay in a yurt or tipi in the summer and explore more of the grounds. Since it was cold I was focused on keeping cozy and getting a good nights sleep so I didn’t take tour of the greenhouse or visit the labyrinth and meditation hill. Luckily, it’s not too far from us and it will give us an opportunity to experience the resort again in a new way.
One last thing worth mentioning is what I call the “fifth element” of a trip, the element of surprise. The things you can’t pay for or plan, you just have to be lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. At Joyful Journey we were greeted by the sounds of red-winged blackbirds singing away on what seemed like every branch of every tree at the resort. The second surprise was on the way back into our little hometown and catching a large herd of elk crossing the road followed by one little antelope. If we had been a minute earlier or a minute later, we would have missed the whole thing. The fifth element is what fuels my adventurous heart. You can only plan so much; you should always leave room for surprises.
Ramble Around 