Strawberry Hot Springs and Old Town Hot Springs

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This morning Bill, Rebecca and I came into town to MacDonalds for coffee and internet access. Or at least Bill and I did. MacDonalds was much too much Plebeian for Rebecca. She tolerated us being there just long enough for her to use the restroom and Bill to finish his coffee. Afterwards Bill and Rebecca went to Starbucks and then to hike up above Fish Creek Falls for the day. I stayed at the MacDonalds with the rest of the Plebs and drank my coffee while using their free Internet access. I could only stay on it as long as my battery held up as someone else was camped out at the only table that had an electrical outlet. The table was set up in such a way that I could not sit at a table next to it and run a cord to it because it would go across a walk area.

I decided to have another look about town and then go by Walmart on Pine Grove Road and Central Park Dr., to get some swimming stuff and water shoes. Then I would go to Strawberry Hot Springs at the end of CR 36 and check it out. It is swimsuit optional in the evenings so I will go during the afternoon. I really don't see what the appeal is for some people to sit around or swim naked. To me it is just plain nasty.

It is a bit tricky and not really marked well getting out of town to get to CR. 36 so here are the directions: Go North off of Lincoln Ave. onto 3^rd Ave. at the Post Office one block to Fish Creek Falls Road. Go right onto Fish Creek Falls Road about ¼ mile and turn Left onto AMETHYST Dr. Amethyst drive will take you around the town and connect with CR. 36. Go Right on CR. 36 and it will start climbing up the mountain and turn into a rough, steep, washboard dirt road about 1.8 miles from the Strawberry Hot Springs. The narrow dirt road climbs up the mountain till it dead ends at the parking lot for Strawberry Hot Springs. There is also a shuttle that will take you to the springs and back from Steamboat springs.

Admission to the springs is $10. If you walk past the post to go in it is $10 whether you get in the water or not. I guess they have had some people say they wanted to just “take a look” and then didn’t come back out.

The Springs are landscaped and quite nice with different temperatures to suit most everyone. They have a changing station in a cabin with 3 curtained booths down the hill a bit, and a tepee right next to the springs with a flap that doesn’t close where the less modest or exhibitionist may change. I enjoyed about an hour and a half at the springs and then headed back into Steamboat as Bill and Rebecca had said they would meet me around 3:30 there. So since I had said I would meet them there at 3:30 I headed back down to town.

http://www.strawberryhotsprings.com/2005/

Good info on Strawberry Hot Springs http://voices.yahoo.com/strawberry-park-hot-springs-steamboat-springs-colorado-3605401.html?cat=16

Old Town Hot Springs - http://steamboathotsprings.org/

When I got to the Old Town Springs in Steamboat I found out it would cost $16. I asked how much it would cost if I just wanted to take a shower and they said $16.

In any case the springs here were quite nice with varying temperatures from bathwater warm to HOT. I took a shower going in and another going out so I guess I got my $16 worth.

So I enjoyed a few hours there and after a bit decided the others weren’t coming and as I was leaving about 6PM they showed up. So I turned around and went back in again for a bit.

So I had spent some time in 2 hot springs today and I must say I cannot remember a time in quite a while when I felt so relaxed and refreshed. I intend to come back here sometime this winter when I will be able to view the skiers skiing down the slopes from the town.

After a bit we decided to go eat at the Greek restaurant I saw on the previous day and so went there. I ate a Greek Salad with some lamb. Rebecca didn’t like the restaurant and wanted to eat at a Vietnamese restaurant she saw nearby. I told her those people tried to kill me back in 72 after I was drafted, and I wasn’t about to give them another chance. So they went and ate at the Vietnamese place and I ate at the Greek Restaurant.

Since we were in separate vehicles they went to check out a chocolate place and I eased back up Rabbit Ears Pass to the Meadows Campground.

It had been a really good day.

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