COLORADO SPRINGS, CO

by

Steve Giordano and Lynn Rosen

Photos by Steve Giordano

Six million people per year visit Colorado Springs. It was founded in 1871, and by the turn of the 19th century, it was the leading mining exchange center of the world and was called "the city of millionaires." By 1904, Colorado Springs had 35 of the nation's 100 millionaires from gold mined in Cripple Creek. At an elevation of 6,300 feet, Colorado Springs is in an "alpine desert" 80 miles south of Denver's International Airport. The Colorado Springs Airport receives approximately 120 flights per day on eight airlines.

A few of the local attractions include Garden of the Gods, Air Force Academy, Pikes Peak, Royal Gorge Bridge, Focus on the Family, Olympic Training Center, the ProRodeo Hall of Fame, and the World Figure Skating Museum.

Colorado Springs is also home to several military installations including Peterson Air Force Base, NORAD (North American Radar and Air Defense), Shriever Air Force Base, the United States Air Force Academy and the US Space Command. The military is the largest employer in Colorado Springs. Tourism is ranked number three.

Pikes Peak:

View from the top of Pikes Peak at 14,110 feet

The Pikes Peak cog train has been running since 1891. The view from the top inspired Katharine Lee Bates to compose "America the Beautiful" over 100 years ago. These days, four 350-horsepower engines pull the cog train up to the 14,110 peak. Up top it's normally 30 degrees cooler than down below, even in the bright sunshine. The train's seats are hard and the trip takes about an hour each way. It's five minutes faster going down. Windy Point, on the way, is at 12,129 feet. It's former block housing for track workers.

Pikes Peak Train	Pikes Peak Marmot

On the way, there are lots of yellow-bellied marmots snacking on the tundra. They hibernate sixty percent of the time. The Summit House features high-altitude donuts, made on the premises, and hot chocolate.

Summer round-trip fares are $29 for adults ($31.00 - from July 1st through August 20th) and $16 for children age 3-11 ($16.50 - from July 1st through August 20th). For more information, call the depot in Manitou Springs at 719-685-5401 or visit www.cograilway.com.

Flying W Ranch chuckwagon suppers and western show

The working cowboy exhibits in the old western town, like horseshoeing, are amazing enough to see, but what really boggles the mind is how the ranch can feed 1,200 people in less than an hour. It's all done with good humor, like the sign announcing "Wrangler vegetarians." It's a photograph of cows. Cowboy music is provided by the Flying W Wranglers. For more information, call 800-232-3599 or visit www.flyingw.com.

Gardenof the Gods	Garden of the Gods

Garden of the Gods:

The Garden of the Gods is a free city park of 1,350 acres, dedicated in 1909. Early inhabitants of the area - Ute, Cheyenne, Kiowa and Arapahoe Indians - gathered here in the summer at their sacred grounds. The red sandstone rock formations result from 300 million years or erosion. It is a registered national landmark and a very popular place to climb. Lessons are available locally. You'll be taught to "smear" your foot onto the wall and keep your heels down. For climbing information, call Gravity Play at 800-984-9068 or visit www.gravityplay.net.

Student climber Maxine Cass of San Francisco shows what to do when you hit the wall - climb it!

The Cliff House at Pikes Peak:

Originally built in 1874 with 220 rooms, the Cliff House underwent a $10 million renovation in 1997 that resulted in a 55-room country inn. The hotel now offers studios, junior and deluxe suites, and celebrity suites favoring earlier guests like Theodore Roosevelt, Clark Gable, and P.T. Barnum. It's the second oldest hotel operating in Colorado. Prices from $144.00 to $475.00. For more information, call 888-212-7000or visit www.thecliffhouse.com.

Cliff House	Sweet Deal	Cliff House

Broadmoor:

The Broadmoor is another excellent choice for resort lodging. The stunningly beautiful hotel is about 10 miles from the Colorado Springs airport at the edge of Colorado Springs. The 700 rooms are divided between two buildings on either side of 300-acre Cheyenne Lake. The footbridge over the lake or the walk around it gets you closer to the resident black and white swans. Deer nibble as they move across the manicured hotel grounds.

The Broadmoor has a full spa, three golf courses, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, a two-lane outdoor lap pool, indoor pool, 11 restaurants and bars and 15 shops.

Broadmoor

Midweek summer rates are $340 to $530 a night. For more information and reservations, call (800) 634-7711 or visit www.broadmoor.com.

For more information on any of the area's attractions, check out the Pikes Peak Country Attractions Association website at www.pikes-peak.com. The Colorado Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau can be reached at 800-888-4748, or visit www.coloradosprings-travel.com.