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Story by Susan McKee
Photography by Susan McKee and Colorado Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau
Colorado Springs
I like to visit places I've never been before, but I also like to return to a favorite destination now and then. Colorado Springs is one of those places I never tire of. There's always something new to discover. From the snow-covered summit of Pike's Peak to the enormous red rock formations of Garden of the Gods, the town in the shadow of the Rockies is an awe-inspiring destination.
Once a “wild west” frontier town, it is now a modern metropolis. Hemmed in on the west by the Rocky Mountains, it extends east into the arid high plains and sprawls with suburban and industrial development along I-25, merging south into Pueblo and north into Denver to form one giant traffic jam during rush hours.
 Pike's Peak held my attention on my first visit – it's the first piece of the Rockies that appears over the horizon as I drive west on U.S. 24. Snow-covered most of the year, jagged and covered with evergreens, it's a wondrous sight to a flatlander.
I just had to drive to the top, where it was easy to imagine poet Katharine Lee Bates standing as she was inspired to write "America, the Beautiful". I, too, just stood there, shivering but stunned by the 360-degree sweep of mountains, megalopolis and endless plains. (I've also taken the cog railway to the summit, and I recommend that transit method to anyone who doesn't like driving around hairpin turns, alongside steep drop-offs or through long stretches of gravel!)
The next visit, I was lured into nearby Manitou Springs. I was in a shopping kind of mood, and it's a browser's paradise. There are the really great handcrafts, of course, at the legendary Commonwheel Artists Co-op, but it's fun to wander in and out of all the funky locally-owned shops filled with watercolors of the Rockies, teddy bears with hand-sewn outfits and hand-blown glass animals (not to mention fudge and ice cream, yum yum!).
 Manitou Springs was home to Native Americans, and then became a frontier boomtown in Colorado's mining days. In the 19th century, it was a renowned spa. You can still drink your fill at a couple of mineral springs that flow freely at fountains in the town center. Many of the elegant Victorian houses from that era have been turned into bed & breakfasts.
Not far away, the Old Colorado City section of Colorado Springs is an equally eclectic browsing experience, with the added spark of New Age merchants and Mexican restaurants.
My Most recent trip included a visit to Garden of the Gods – a Registered National Natural Landmark. The huge public park just west of downtown is famous for its enormous red rock formations, no doubt set in place by extraterrestrial powers (or, so they say).
Start at the Visitors' Center for a great overview of the real story behind the fantastic landscape, but don't miss the old trading post nestled in the middle. Built in the early years of the 20th century by Indian trader and local artist Charles E. Strausenback, its now-enlarged and rambling premises are chock-full of every curio imaginable from the incredibly tacky (lollipops with edible insects) to the astonishingly beautiful (Native American artwork).
But, of course, even that's not all there is to Colorado Springs. The town is home to the famed Van Briggle Art Pottery Studio, founded in 1899 and well known to fans of America's Arts & Crafts movement. While tours are offered at its current location, my favorite spot is the 1907 headquarters. It's now part of the campus of Colorado College. While the interior is off limits to visitors, everyone can enjoy its exterior, lavishly covered with handmade Art Nouveau tile.
My absolute favorite place to stay in Manitou Springs is the recently refurbished grand dame of a spa hotel, the Cliff House, 306 Canon Avenue, Manitou Springs, 1-888-212-7000. (Ask for the Katharine Lee Bates Room!) www.thecliffhouse.com
Two of the funkier places I've stayed are, the El Colorado Lodge, 23 Manitou Avenue, Manitou Springs; 1-719-685-5485; and the Swiss Chalet, 3416 West Colorado Avenue, Colorado Springs, 1-719-471-2260. Oozing Retro charm, both were built in the 1950s. The El Colorado has individual cabins resembling adobe houses, and the Swiss Chalet has a vaguely Alpine theme including flower-filled window boxes outside each room. www.elcolorado.pikes-peak.com
Begin your planning with the Colorado Springs Convention & Visitors Association and the Manitou Springs Chamber of Commerce.
www.experiencecoloradosprings.com
www.manitousprings.org
Garden of the Gods is open year-round, while the Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway runs only from late April through October.
www.gardenofgods.com
www.cograilway.com
© January 2009 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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