MVW*: Colorado Springs, CO

February 10, 2010

*Happy Mini-Vacation Wednesday to you!

In anticipation of the Olympics in Vancouver starting this week (!), we’re headed to Colorado Springs, where many Olympians train.

Full disclosure here: I used to live in “the Springs” and it was, to date, the best place I’ve ever lived.  Ev-ah.  So if you are lucky enough to call Colorado Springs home, pinch yourself and giggle.

Here’s why:

That’s Pike Peak looming large over Garden of the Gods.

Enough said, really.

But if you need more, here’s the To-Do List:

1) Take the highest cog train in world to the summit of 14,115 ft Pikes Peak and see beauty eye to eye.  Pikes Peak inspired Kathy Bates to write “America the Beautiful”.

2) Hike or horseback ride in the Garden of Gods park. It is jaw-dropping cool.

3) Stay at, or perhaps just visit, the beautiful Broadmoor Resort. Make a reservation for the Sunday Brunch and eat yourself silly.

4) Take a seat inside the Airplane Restaurant’s fully intact Boeing KC-97 tanker. Forty-two passengers can actually eat in the plane of the 275-seat restaurant.

5) Feed one of the largest giraffe herds at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

6) Take the family to eat at Fargo’s Pizza Co, the world’s largest family Pizza restaurant.

7) See Olympic hopefuls up close at the Olympic Training Center.

8) Enjoy the Tex-Mex fare at Jose Muldoons downtown.

And in the surrounding Pikes Peak region:

9) Whitewater rafting down the Arkansas River.

10) Explore the stalactites and stalagmites of Cave of the Winds.

11) Get an up close look of the rescued big cats at Serenity Springs Wildlife Center.

12) A must-see is the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park, the highest suspension bridge in the world.

Some wonderful family events include the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo every July, the Colorado Balloon Classic Labor Day Weekend and Territory Days Memorial Day Weekend.

And just because I can never get enough of that mountain…

Now go about your day.  Have a great one!

Special thanks to the Colorado Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau (and especially Chelsy) for several of these ideas and the use of their gorgeous photos.

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Category: Family Trippin'
Tags: Colorado Springs, Mini-vacation Wednesday |