Our friends Jared and Emma (and their fluffy pup Leo!) moved out to Colorado Springs last August. Over Memorial Day weekend, we went out to visit them and got to breathe in some of that Rocky Mountain air. This was both Aisha and my first time visiting Colorado, and what they say about the altitude is true. I don’t think I’ve ever drank so much water and Gatorade in three days, just to stay hydrated.
My biggest takeaway from Colorado Springs is that it is HOT and mountainous. So mountainous, no one seems to really even notice the mountains anymore. This seacoast-dwelling gal couldn’t stop gawking, but the mountains are just there, all of the time, part of the everyday landscape. Pikes Peak was always lurking overhead somewhere. Next trip, I think we’ll drive up Pikes Peak. It was too much of a commitment this trip, especially since it’d just SNOWED the week before.
My second takeaway from Colorado Springs is that Waffle House is The Shit, and someone needs to open one in New England ASAP.
DAY 1
Garden of the Gods & Manitou Springs
While our friends had to work (boo, jobs), Aisha and I made this our “tourist-y” day. First stop—Garden of the Gods! I can’t believe this place is free! The park was very hot (so much sweat… so much) and under heavy construction but totally worth the visit. We walked through some parts, drove through others.
After the Garden of the Gods, somewhat on a whim, we stopped in Manitou Springs (is it man-it-oo, or man-i-toe? No one seems able to confirm). It was busy, and tourist-y, but I’m glad we stopped, if not for the Manitou Brewing Company, where we got a bite to eat and some tasty beer too. Breweries are EVERYWHERE in the Denver/CO Springs area (why is that?) but this was a good one. Manitou Springs is known for its natural mineral springs around town, where you can grab a free drink from a well. Taking others’ lead, I collected some mineral water in my Nalgene to try. It’s supposed to be full of the healthiest minerals but, not gonna lie, it tasted like bum. Like—flat seltzer, but worse. Blech.
We also stopped in Old Colorado City which is just a part of Colorado Springs that is… old? It had cute little shops and a great cafe, Jives. They were setting up for something called “Territory Days” which I guess is a big street fair with cowboys and falcons. We passed on that.
DAY 2
North Cheyenne Cañon Park & Downtown
We decided to do some hiking today. But first—WAFFLE HOUSE. Appalled that I’d never been to a Waffle House before, friends decided that it would be our breakfast destination. Let’s just say, it didn’t disappoint. I’m still thinking about it.
After waffles, we went to North Cheyenne Cañon. Like with Garden of the Gods, I was surprised this was all free. Incredible mountain views just casually up for grabs? There was one spot we stopped where we could see all the way to Kansas. Mind blown, and out of breath, I made the call that we turn around. Covid Winter II and the Colorado altitude got me feeling out of shape, no shame. We encountered a cute green snake on our way back down.
On our way out of the park, we stopped at Helen Hunt Falls which is, in fact, not named after the actress.
After a breather back at the house, we went to downtown Colorado Springs, which is pretty small but happening. We went to C.O.A.T.I. food hall which I lovvvved, and then to Pikes Peak Brewing Company next door. The place had a rooftop view of Pikes Peak which was perfect.
DAY 3
Cave of the Winds
We dedicated the last day of the trip to a local tourist attraction that Jared and Emma had been waiting to visit, but FIRST, we took Leo to the Bear Creek Dog Park. Normally, a dog park wouldn’t be worth mentioning in a travelogue, but I tell you, this dog park was the most incredible space for our furry friends that I have ever seen. It’s like dog heaven. There’s wide open spaces to roam and run and sniff, plus a creek to wade in. So many happy doggie friends! Leo had a blast and got very soggy. Soggy doggie.
After the dog park, we went to Cave of the Winds which is tourist-y and wonderful and weird in all the ways that I love. We decided to do the “Lantern Tour,” which involves all parties carrying an oil lantern and crawling through a dark cave while the tour guide tells ghost stories. So basically, it was right up my alley. I didn’t encounter any ghosts but I definitely saw some things I’d never seen before, including cave spiders!
Somehow Aisha convinced me to get on the Bat-a-Pult which is like a zipline over a canon. I almost died of anxiety, but it’s cool. Jared and Emma did the Terror-dactyl which is even more insane. Yes, Cave of the Winds is a bit cheesy, and South Park parodied it, but it’s actually very fun.
We celebrated our Cave of the Winds experience with some ice cream from Sonic. And then we went back to Denver to catch our red eye flight back to Boston.