Rustic cabins, hot springs, glorious fall weather…..yes please!  That’s exactly what you get at Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort in October.

My friends Melissa and Noreen joined me for a little R&R.  Our one night getaway turned into two after we spent several hours basking in the sunshine by the hot springs.  The resort is in Nathrop, between Buena Vista and Salida, Colorado.

After spending the day in Buena Vista, we checked in to Cabin 8.  It’s one of the cabins by Chalk Creek, which runs through the resort.  When I saw two rocking chairs on the porch and could hear the creek, I knew we had hit the jackpot with Cabin 8.  As we said multiple times, “Cabin 8 is great.”

We settled in then headed over the Princeton Club Restaurant’s deck for wine and to watch the sunset. A bottle of Jordan paired nicely with our Princeton Club Fries.  They’re sinfully savory with truffle oil and parmesan cheese.  Yep, a dinner of wine and fries – that’s when you know you’re on a girls getaway.  I also had the soup of the day, a cream of corn chowder, and Melissa and Noreen each got the “BLT” Wedge Salad.

As the sun went down we moved inside to warm up by the fire and enjoy dessert.  Chocolate was dessert of choice, especially since it involved chocolate granache!

Relaxed and with tummies full, we traded travel clothes for our swimsuits and headed over to soak the evening away in the hot springs.  At the source, the hot springs water is 120 degrees.  The water is 100% natural and odorless, which is really nice because sometimes hot springs can have a strong sulphur smell.  From regular looking swimming pools to hot springs creekside, there are plenty of options for your soak.  There’s a series of three small soaking pools that get progressively hotter.  We decided on the middle one, where we actually stayed all evening.

The next morning, we just relaxed with coffee and the Today Show.  As someone who’s always on the go, a leisurely morning in a cabin was a pleasant treat.

I had to get out and enjoy Mt. Princeton before soakers hit the pools.  The resort is so peaceful, especially with Chalk Creek following through it.  When you stroll along the creek, you have to look for the cars in the creek.

Getting hungry, we made our way over to the Princeton Club Restaurant.  Melissa and Noreen both went for an omelet.  I decided on the traditional breakfast of eggs, home fries and bacon.

Needing to work off the hearty breakfast, I headed off on a solo walk with Melissa and Noreen practiced drafting with their Bernese mountain dogs for upcoming dog shows.  It was a glorious morning to stroll and soak in the beauty of the Chalk Cliffs.   The grayish white cliffs look like chalk, but are really granite and a crumbling quartz monzonite. The hydrothermal hot springs leaches out all other minerals.  True to Colorado’s mining history, there’s a legend.  According to it, Spaniards in the 17th-century hid gold in the cliffs’ crevices and it has yet to be discovered.

Cabin 8 was booked for the next night so we checked out, but did check on availability for the night.  So off we went for a couple of hours in the sun relaxing by the pool.  As the afternoon wore on, none of us wanted to leave.  So a quick call to the front desk and we scored the last cabin for the night.  Cabin 7 was our home for the night.  It was just behind the spa and ultra convenient to pools like Cabin 8.

It was a colder evening so we opted for inside at Princeton Club Restaurant.  Since we’d only had a late breakfast, we were really hungry.  We started with the Steak House Mushrooms and yes, more Princeton Club Fries.  I went for the Pan Seared Rocky Mountain Trout.  Melissa opted for a steak and Noreen had the Crab & Citrus Salad.  Somehow we have a little room to split another chocolate dessert!  A little splurging is a necessary part of an R&R getaway.

That evening Melissa and I relaxed in the cabin.  Noreen wanted another soak, so off she went to the pools.  The next morning, I woke up in time to see a pretty sunrise.

We had to head out early…all wishing we had just one more day to soak in the peacefulness of Mount Princeton Hot Springs.  Of course, we had to take the country road less traveled and the view payoff was huge!