After Santa’s record-breaking night of gift-giving and shimmying down chimneys the world over, he, Mrs. Claus and the elves are looking forward to their post-holiday winter escape in Glenwood Springs.
With Santa at the helm, Rudolf guiding the sleigh and the holiday hustle behind them, the North Pole celebs have the freedom to visit any destination of their choosing. Yet, when it comes to unwinding post-festivities, Santa and his team consistently opt for Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Check out the official itinerary of Claus and crew to discover their preferred spots for relaxation and recreation in Glenwood Springs.
Ho Ho Hot Springs Hopping
For starters, the red-clad duo will kick off their well-deserved relaxation retreat with a stop at each of Glenwood’s three geothermal amenities. First up, Glenwood Hot Springs Pool where Santa and Mrs. Claus plan to float away any remaining holiday weariness in the mineral-charged waters of the world’s largest hot springs pool.
At Iron Mountain Hot Springs, the couple will explore the newly opened WorldSprings where they look forward to dashing around the globe faster than a night in a magical sled. How is that? WorldSprings at Iron Mountain Hot Springs features a dozen experience pools that mimic the mineral content of fabled waters worldwide. The rosy-cheeked northerners plan to take a dip in all 12—France, Turkey, South Korea, Iceland, Romania, Japan, Italy, New Zealand, Israel, Australia, Mexico, and Guatemala—and do it all within 3 hours!
For their final stop, Mr. and Mrs. Claus will pay a visit to Yampah Spa & Vapor Caves, which they’ve learned is under new ownership, complete with dramatic new property refurbishment. The couple is anticipating a steamy session in the historic caves as well as indulging in a well-deserved and ultra-relaxing couple’s massage.
Elven Extreme Sports
As for Santa’s industrious elves, they’ll partake in winter sports offered at Sunlight Mountain Resort, including skiing, snowboarding, and snowmobiling. Since elves are naturally driven to make the most of their time whether in Santa’s workshop or on vacation, the tiny toymakers are hoping to explore all 730 acres of terrain and 72 trails at Sunlight Mountain Resort.
Whereas the North Pole is a vertically challenged landscape, Sunlight Mountain is the polar opposite of an ice-covered flatland. In fact, the resort boasts some of the steepest terrain in Colorado as well as one of the longest, continuous runs in the state. The East Ridge, an expert-only area, is rife with double-black-diamond runs while Ute is a rolling green cruiser that gently undulates from summit to base.
For the elves that don’t ski or want a backcountry adventure, they’ll trade in their flying sled for a motorized one and play in Sunlight’s backcountry powder fields. With experienced snowmobiling guides leading the way, Santa and Mrs. Claus can be confident their little helpers will have the time of their lives while not getting lost in the woods.
Reindeer Rendezvous at Glenwood Caverns
Now, for the reindeer, their preference for higher ground makes Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, America a natural landing pad for the four-footed flyers. With Rudolf leading the charge, Santa’s transportation crew will explore every inch of America’s only mountaintop theme park, beginning with snow-free cave tours that promise the enticement of encountering fairy kisses, a stone-hearted dragon, and cave bacon treats. The group will also have the pleasure of meeting Halvor Flowstone and Chantico Defender of Fire, larger-than-life magical creatures who reside at the park.
During their visit, Santa’s antlered entourage will also engage their competitive nature, using their value-packed Winter Funday tickets to take turns racing down Iron Mountain aboard the Alpine Coaster until they hear the call of Santa’s whistle summoning them to downtown Glenwood Springs.
Curtain Call for Claus & Co
As a grand finale to their vacation, the entire gift-giving crew will gather at Glenwood Vaudeville Revue. Welcoming the world-renowned celebrities will be John Goss, owner, and host extraordinaire. The retinue plans to make themselves at home, order food and drinks from the menu, and sit back to enjoy the show. The evening will feature Mrs. Claus joining Vaudeville performers on stage, showcasing a song and dance number reminiscent of a NYC Rockette. Goss will also reveal the wonders of the Vaudeville’s 1918 Wurlitzer Photoplayer, sure to delight the elves as much as the show’s hilarious skits, songs, and dance numbers.
When the time comes, Santa plans a stealthy exit. Under the cover of darkness, he’ll guide his reindeer-drawn sled down the snow-covered streets of Glenwood Springs—with a wink and a flash, he will be gone—until next year.
Make Santa-Approved Vacation Plans
Fortunately, you can follow in Santa’s boot-steps and revel in all the same activities from hot springs soaking and skiing at Sunlight Mountain to mountaintop cave tours and gut-busting comedy shows. Learn more about visiting Glenwood Springs and plan your post-holiday getaway today.
