Looking for Recommendations: Colorado

Planning on taking a road trip out to Colorado in the vanbulance in a few weeks. I've intentionally left the itinerary open up to this point, but as I now begin some planning, I'd love to get some recommendations from anyone that's from the area or has spent some time in the rockies. 

I'll be out there September 12th to the 18th. Looking to do a bunch of hiking and generally enjoying the views. That said, the sorts of recommendations I'm most interested in would be:

-Day hikes

-Natural hot springs to relax in (ideally free)

-Lakes to swim in/relax near

-Scenic drives

-Reasonably easy mountains to summit. I'd really like to be able to say I did a 14er, but I'm more interested in going somewhere that's especially scenic than I am with saying I summited a particular mountain. 

Try the Glenwood springs area.

Sand Dunes National Park in Alamosa.

Pagosa Springs is a must see but it isn't free. 

If you can stay till October you can do the Glenwood Springs Rally...

https://mgcc.org/rallye-glenwood-springs/

When exactly will the Glenwood Springs rally start? Thank you!

Go to Durango, and do day trips all around (Mesa Verde, Animas trail, Telluride, any of the 10Ks in the area). Drive the Million dollar highway north at least to Ouray. From there, Breckenridge, Aspen, Steamboat Springs, Glenwood, etc. Really, you can't go wrong West of the Divide.

If you go to ouray look up the hotel that was a hospital that has a hot springs underground. 
 

super cool place to stay

jfryjfry (Forum Supporter) said:

If you go to ouray look up the hotel that was a hospital that has a hot springs underground. 
 

super cool place to stay

The Weisbaden.