One goal for this adventure was to swim in pools in every state along the journey. Some areas, like Yellowstone, present challenge as there are no public pools anywhere within the park. But generally thanks to a great website I am able to find a lap pool within 20 minutes of wherever I happen to be staying for the night.
Now don’t get me wrong, although I can find a pool, so far nothing beats the great group of swimmers I left in Sacramento. I wear my SAC Masters cap proudly when I swim along the journey and have to provide my own motivation to get in the pool and put in those laps (thanks for the workouts Coach!). Coffee just isn’t the same without great conversation and camaraderie – miss you guys!
All of that being said – here are some of the pools that I have found along the way so far:
Fruita Colorado community center had an indoor and an outdoor pool. Interestingly enough there was no black line on the bottom of the outdoor pool so it made for a challenging swim. The second day there the outdoor pool was closed due to lightning so it was time for an indoor swim – 84 degrees is a bit on the warm side but at least there as a line on the bottom!
Cortez Colorado Recreation Center was the closest pool to Mesa Verde where we stayed for 6 days. One nice thing about recreation centers is that it is generally inexpensive to drop in for a swim. For somewhere between $3-6 you can have full access to the facilities. The Cortez pool was a good choice and uncrowded.
Utah Park Pool – Denver Colorado
Many pools to choose from in Denver. This pool had good hours available for morning swimmers.
Teton County Recreation Center – Jackson Wyoming
Good recreation center located in Jackson Hole.
University of Montana – Missoula Montana
Open to the public for a small fee you also have to pay for parking on campus. Good pool and a little more crowded than most of the others.
The Wave Aquatic & Fitness Center – Whitefish Montana
Probably the nicest facility so far (and also the most expensive). They do have weekly rates, which works well as I will be here for at least two weeks, and the fee includes all the amenities including a nice pool, swimsuit spinner (swimmers will know what that is!), hairdryers and upgraded locker rooms.
Some of the things I am always happy to find in a pool facility are:
- Temperature (not too warm)
- Outdoors is preferable but not too many have been outside so far!
- At least 6 lanes and not too crowded
- Clean locker rooms – hairdryers and towels are a plus!
So that’s it for now. Motivation to get out of bed and drive to the local pool will continue to be a challenge – but challenge is what makes life fun!
Just for the record, we weren’t drinking coffee in that picture.