This past weekend I travel with my oldest son to visit his godfather and family on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains in a small town near the Grand Mesa National Forest. We arrive in Denver to mostly cool and dry weather and drive a ride share the 4+ hours it takes to get to the western part of the state. Besides fresh, dry air, another feature of this land looms large: in every direction are mountains in the distance.

We arrive at our host family on Thursday and explore close to their home after a long journey. The father is a priest at a medium-sized parish in nearby Delta, Colorado named St. Andrew’s Orthodox Church. He receives us with great warmth and hospitality as we take in the breathtaking scenery near their farmhouse nestled in the valley below the Grand Mesa.

The next morning,  we pack a lunch and head one hour north up into the San Juan Mountains to the wild west town of Ouray. After a brief hike to a soaring and misty waterfall, we cooled off in the hot springs run by the town. Hot springs are several geothermal pools of water of various temperatures ranging from jacuzzi to slightly warmer than a standard pool; coming from the earth, they also possess healing properties from the rich minerals contained in them. The experience of swimming in hot springs is worth the price of admission and these at Ouray are not as expensive as many others in the state.