Our friends who live in Colorado Springs say Blue Star is their favorite restaurant and they eat there often. They meet friends in the trendy bar to catch up while sipping on wine and sampling tapas. The menu in the dining room, which changes monthly, travels around the world, with entrees ranging from Mediterranean to Pacific Rim. Open for lunch...
The Broadmoor is the longest running AAA Five Diamond, Forbes (formerly Mobil) Five Star resort in the United States, and every award won is well deserved. (There could be 20 events going on and you’re still treated as if you’re the only one there.) You don’t have to be guest, to enjoy a meal in one of the restaurants or...
Although not as large as the Denver Art Museum, the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center is exceptional, and for art lovers a reason to drive to the Springs. We stop there almost every time we’re in the Springs. The permanent collection has a good selection of Native American art with a regular rotating exhibit, and a fine collection of glass...
Garden of the Gods is our top “must visit” suggestion in Colorado Springs. The park is full of colorful, spectacular formations created by the erosion of the sedimentary rock by wind and water after the ground faulted, and raised the layered strata into the air. These rocks are some 60 to 70 million years old. They were tilted toward the...
You get top-of-the-world views from the tip of Pikes Peak. Reaching the 14,115 foot summit can be done on foot, by bike, by car (19 miles on partially paved road) or railway. Although open all year (weather permitting) the gates at the base open and close at different hours so check the website first. Riding in the Broadmoor Pikes Peak...
You’re walking between the “Towers of Hercules”, which are only 41 feet apart at the most narrow point. And, you’re going to climb up 224 steps alongside the falls that tumble 181 feet downward. The Broadmoor Seven Falls is a park set in a dramatic steep-walled 1,250-foot-high box canyon. You’ll want to climb slowly, both because of the altitude and...
The United States Air Force Academy is the second most popular tourist attraction in the state, for good reasons. Our favorites there are the Cadet Lunch Formation and the architecturally stunning chapel. Start in the Visitor Center and watch the 14-minute film about Academy life, the pick up a map and take a self-guided tour. You may visit the Cadet...
A Royal Gorge Train ride is a trip through history and the opportunity to see some of the most incredible scenery in Colorado. The train leaves from Canon City, travels through the Royal Gorge alongside the Arkansas River reverses and returns to Canon City. The day trips during which you can enjoy breakfast or lunch take two hours. The dinner...
Lodging in Canon City and the nearby Royal Gorge consists primarily of standard chain hotels, such as the Super 8, Hampton Inn, and Best Western. These are okay but, the new upscale Royal Gorge Cabins, which are affiliated with Echo Canyon River Expeditions, are unique to the area and a special treat. The cabins at Echo Canyon have one or...
Water drenches me when our raft rocks then rolls through a rapid while rafting Colorado’s Arkansas River with Echo Canyon River Expeditions. We paddle hard as our skillful guide steers us past the rock pile that creates the frigid wave pouring over us. When the water is calmer, we can’t stop grinning as we drift through the sheer-sided Big Horn...