Ramble Around

An Overnight Retreat At Joyful Journey Hot Springs

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.

The rooms are comfortable with radiant floor heat and a patio put the back of each room.

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.

Alpenglow on the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

A beautiful sunset in the San Luis Valley from our patio!

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.

The lodgings and event center where meals are served and yoga was held the next morning.

Dinner and desert were delicious, as well as the full breakfast after our morning soak.

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.

The best pool in our opinion, with views of the mountains all around you.

Pools of varying temperatures and depths.

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.

Snowshoeing In The Rio Grande National Forest

Written by Kyle

It feels like if you’re going to live in the mountains, you need to take advantage of all the opportunities you can… especially in the winter, which is pretty long here. Out of the blue Bee asked, “Do you want to go snowshoeing?” Being that she’s not usually that down for cold-weather activities I immediately said yes. We decided to go on a Sunday, sunny and a high of 30° with some fresh powder on the ground seemed like perfect conditions. We headed to San Juan Sports in town to pick up some free loaner equipment. This is such a great little outfitter and I highly recommend checking it out whether you need gear, clothing, or a beer at the Sunnyside Bar next-door.

We took our newly acquired gear and headed up to Ivy and Lime Creek Trail at about 9400 feet elevation in the Rio Grande National Forest. We decided to head down the road first which had a trail broken already from some snowmobiles, we figured we’d get our feet wet so to speak and see how these guys worked. It’s actually super simple and intuitive to use snowshoes, you just have to adjust your stance a little wider and be careful when turning around so you don’t trip yourself (or whoever is behind you) up. I decided to take a stroll off the road to see how it would do on very deep powder. It ends up snowshoes only do so much, if it’s 4 feet deep powder…you will sink four feet!

Maybe some poles would help in the deep powder!

After some laughs, we made our way down to a good spot to look down the valley, absolutely stunning in winter. We made our way back to the trailhead and up a snowshoe path. It’s definitely a bit more challenging going uphill and through the woods, especially when you reach areas where the trail has not been broken yet.

Such a different experience compared to summer.

It’s still amazing to get back into the woods and some of these areas which we haven’t seen since snow started in October. We decided to call it a day and head back down to the truck. It was a great time and something we’d like to try to do further. If you’re looking to break that cabin fever go borrow a pair of snowshoes, and give it a shot!

On the way home we spotted some deer with Creede in the background!

A Winter Ride On The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

Written by Kyle

There’s definitely something a little bit nerdy about my interest in trains. My father was into model railroading and as a kid I was exposed to trains both small and full-size. As an adult, I found myself riding more than a few around the country and enjoying the experience immensely. There’s a massive difference between traveling by train, car, or airplane. Trains have a romance and nostalgia other methods lack; you can picture yourself in a black and white movie traveling across the country, perhaps having a cocktail in the bar car as the scenery passes by and the cars rock and sway. In the case of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, this is amplified even further as it is a narrow gauge track, which is about 27” narrower than standard train tracks, and many of the cars date back to the 1800’s so the atmosphere is quite different from a modern passenger train.

The train runs from Durango, Colorado to Silverton, Colorado, and has been hauling passengers and freight since 1882. From the very beginning the railroad was promoted as a scenic route for passenger service, although the line was constructed primarily to haul gold and silver ores mined from the San Juan Mountains. It is estimated over $300 million in precious metals have been transported over this route.

During the normal season the train runs the full route from Durango to Silverton, allowing you to disembark and explore Silverton and grab lunch and sightsee a little bit before heading back down the valley. We came up at the end of November, when the train is only running a partial route to Cascade Canyon because of snow. It goes about halfway up the valley and allows you to get off the train for an hour while it turns around and then heads back to the station. What’s really unique about this area is the only way you could get there is by train or raft. The Million Dollar highway running between Durango and Silverton more or less parallels this route however the train runs down through the gorgeous canyon along the Animas River, originally named the Rio de Las Animas, translated as the River of Souls.

From the end of the train we were able to catch the engine rounding turns throughout the trip

We were especially lucky as the first real snow of the year started literally as we were pulling out from the train station. By the time we reached Cascade Canyon, big fluffy snowflakes were coming down, and we were able to walk around the canyon, see the river, and warm ourselves by the fire.

The train turns around in a Wye (yes that is spelled correctly!) in the canyon, giving everyone time to stretch their legs

We made sure to get a photograph in front of the engine at our stop in Cascade Canyon

The Cinco Animas Presidential car at the rear of the train dates to the 1800s and features an observation deck for passengers as well as a bar with private service

The return ride was absolutely gorgeous with the snow blanketing the trees, and from the observation deck at the back of the car we were able to listen to the silence, broken only by the train.

A view you can only get while riding the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad!

If you’re in Durango, this is a true experience that many people can appreciate and is not to be missed!

Mare sure to check out this video taken from the observation deck!

We Ramble Around

Written By Kyle

We figured for the first post we would introduce ourselves and let you know what this blog is all about. We (Kyle & Bee) are based out of Creede, Colorado, high up in the San Juan mountains in Southern Colorado. We both love traveling, adventuring, discovering new places, and riding our motorcycles when the season allows!

Kyle & Bee riding horseback through Monument Valley Utah. Living those John Wayne dreams!

This site is more our travel journal than anything else. We aren’t sponsored or paid for anything, these are just places we want to go, things we want to do, and we want to share our experiences.

Snowshoeing in Creede, Colorado at 9500ft elevation

Follow us, Kyle & Bee, while we ramble around southern Colorado, our amazing country, and beyond. Whether it’s four wheels, two wheels, or two legs, we are looking for adventure, cool places, and interesting people.