March 27 - 31, 2019
Someone recently asked me if I knew anything about Colorado Springs, and I immediately started gushing about the city. It's one of my favorite places, and I got to go there with my best friend in March of 2019. We made some of the most incredible memories and still talk about our time there frequently. Alicia moved from Lafayette, LA to Tulsa, Oklahoma toward the beginning of 2018, so we don't get to see each other very often, and we decided to meet up in Colorado for some much-needed catching up and quality time. We had so much fun planning the trip together and researching what to do and where to eat, so shout-out to her for all the help with what our itinerary turned out to be because it was truly both of our equal efforts that made the trip so incredible. Unlike in my Croatia post, I DO remember the names of the restaurants we ate at, so keep reading for some great recommendations!
One of the best parts of this trip was where we stayed. We found a fair trade pricing hotel that we both vibed with, so we booked there and didn't regret it at all. The hotel's common room had a bar, fireplace, games, coffee, a market (Provision Market) with locally sourced items you could purchase, etc., so basically, it had everything you could possibly want plus some. We also each got a token to get a complimentary beer from their bar when we checked in. The hotel prides itself on being environmentally friendly and had complimentary boxed water in the room when we checked in. If I return to Colorado Springs, I will only stay at this hotel, provided rooms are available. SCP Colorado Springs Hotel. . .Well done! SCP stands for Soul Community Planet, and they definitely make sure they are honoring all three. SCP Hotel is located at 2850 S Circle Dr, Colorado Springs, CO 80906.
Day 1
We met up in the Dallas airport and then landed in Colorado Springs around 10 am. We picked up the rental car and headed over to Pike's Peak, or should I say - America's Mountain. The entire road wasn't open due to the snow and ice, but we (and by we, I mean Alicia) drove as far up as we could. Pike's Peak is a 19-mile toll road that brings you to the top of the mountain. There are pulloffs along the way for photo ops, and we recommend a visit to Crystal Creek Reservoir because it is so stunning. We stopped there, and the lake was still frozen over for the most part. I do believe some dam work is currently ongoing. Watch out for Bigfoot!
Note: You can drive to mile 16 without a reservation, but a reservation system is now used if you want to experience the full 19 miles because Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center recently opened. Reservations are being required until September 30th, and shuttles will take you from mile 16 the rest of the way up (available through June and July)! If you make it to the Visitor Center, be sure to try their world famous donuts.
Current rates are $15/person for adults 16 and over or $5/person for children 6-15. They do have discounted rates for carloads of up to 5 passengers. You can (and should) call this number (option 1) for pre-recorded road conditions before heading out there: 719-385-7325.
Since Alicia was driving, I asked her to contribute to this portion of the post, and these were her key takeaways from driving Pike’s Peak!
"There will be signs to guide you as drive, and the park rangers will give you a brief overview of what to expect on the drive up. That being said, be prepared to take it nice and easy, and be ready for lots of braking, especially on the drive up. Some points on the drive will designate a "mandatory brake." I will say the ranger mentioned the drive down is much easier, and you will have to drive in a low gear the entire time, but in my experience, the descent got a little too quick for my liking at some points."
You can make your reservation to drive Pike's Peak here:
Mediterranean Café aka Med Café was our lunch stop, and oh my god, I still dream about their Gyro Cafe Pita Sandwich. Alicia got their Gyro Platter and was just as impressed with their food as I was.
Med Café is located at 118 E Kiowa St., Colorado Springs, CO 80903.
After lunch, we went and checked into our hotel before heading to the historic shopping district of Old Colorado City to visit Alchemy, which isn't just a pub, for dinner. This was before my era of diligently adhering to "phone eats first," so I don't have pictures of all of our food, but I do remember really enjoying our visit.
Reservations are recommended for parties of six or more. Alchemy is located at 2625 West Colorado Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO 80904.
Day 2
We started our morning with a one-hour Garden of the Gods Scenic Horseback Ride at Academy Riding Stables. Alicia had never been on a horse before, and I was so excited for her to try something new. She and Copenhagen really hit it off! Duke and I had a great time taking in the views together while I snapped a few photos. This tour was so magical, and Garden of the Gods is one of the most beautiful places - to experience some of it on horseback was really something else.
Academy Riding Stables is located at 4 El Paso Boulevard, Colorado Springs, CO 80904.
Next, we did some driving and hiking through Garden of the Gods. We already stayed there longer than we planned, but we really could have spent the entire day exploring all that this wonderful place has to offer. There are 21 miles of trails in the park, and we ended up doing three of them: Siamese Twins Trail (1 mi roundtrip), Ridge Trail (1/2 mi loop), and Perkins Central Garden Trail, including a section of the Gateway Trail. Perkins Central Garden Trail is wheelchair accessible, so many people were out and about on this one! You can also rock climb in this park if you obtain the proper climbing permit, which you can get online or at the visitor center.
Be sure you check out the Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center. One thing I loved about CO Springs was that they minimized plastic bag use. We bought some souvenirs at the visitor center's gift shop, and they gave us reusable CO bags! I still have them actually.
Admission into the park and visitor center is free, but they do accept donations! If you’re worried about parking in the Summer months, you can park at the visitor center and take the free public shuttle, which operates from 9 am - 5 pm through the third week in August. It also operates Labor Day weekend. Shuttles depart the parking lot every 15 minutes, and please check out their website for more information (linked below).
From November 1st through April 30th, the park is open from 5 AM - 9 PM, and from May 1st through October 31st, the park is open from 5 AM to 10 PM. The visitor center is open from 9 AM - 5 PM in the Winter months and 9 AM - 6 PM in the Summer months (Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend).
It is extremely important to adhere to Leave No Trace in this park!
Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center is located at 1805 N. 30th St., Colorado Springs, CO 80904.
After our long morning, we stopped at Loyal Coffee because we needed some caffeine and a snack to keep going, and we really fell in love with it. My iced latte was great, and their blackberry and pear jam was YUM. I actually forgot my wallet here, and we ended up calling to see if they had it and frantically had to turn around to get it. They did have it, the staff kept it safe for me, and they were so kind about it!
Loyal Coffee is located at 408 S Nevada Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80903.
We spent the late afternoon checking out Old Colorado City and Manitou Springs. I absolutely loved this area, and it is so worth a visit - very charming. We didn’t get to do this, but I have heard amazing things about hiking the Manitou Incline (reservations needed).
We highly recommend stopping in at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in Old Colorado City to stock up on assorted truffles!
We stopped at Manitou Brewing Company for a late afternoon snack and drinks before heading back to the hotel to get ready for our much-anticipated dinner at The Rabbit Hole.
Manitou Brewing Company is located at 725 Manitou Ave., Manitou Springs, CO 80828.
The Rabbit Hole, nicknamed the Wonderland of the Springs, is situated underground and is speakeasy-style. It’s ornamented in gothic decor and holds a haunting history, as it used to be the city’s morgue. It was the coolest dinner spot and of course is a nod to Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. We went down a set of subway steps draped in Christmas lights and stepped into the restaurant for some cocktails and food to end our long day. We highly, highly recommend a visit here!
The Rabbit Hole is open seven days a week from 4 PM to 11 PM, and you can make your reservation on OpenTable. The Rabbit Hole is located at 101 N. Tejon St., Colorado Springs, CO 80903.
Day 3
We grabbed brunch at Urban Egg, a daytime eatery, to gear up for the long day and roadtrip ahead of us.
Urban Egg is located at 28B S. Tejon St., Colorado Springs, CO 80903.
If you’re going to visit Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, make time to hike Zapata Falls first as it’s a hidden gem.
I know I mention my favorites frequently throughout my posts, but hiking Zapata Falls was one of my favorite experiences ever. I don’t think anything will ever top that day. The trail wasn’t too busy, and sometimes, it felt like it was just me and Alicia in the world, walking through the snow, talking about our dreams and travels we hoped to experience together in the future. No other cares or worries existed in that time and space. Our realities were far away, and we felt more grounded than ever.
You’ll want to have great, water-resistant hiking shoes for this trek. This is a 0.9 mi out and back trail, and the difficulty is listed as easy, but you might come across very slippery areas and the need to cross a creek. It dead-ends at a 25-foot tall waterfall hidden inside a rocky cavern. We had no idea that the falls freeze in the Winter months. If you don’t often stop to take in your surroundings and be thankful for the beauty of the earth and some of the marvelous geological features, a frozen waterfall will stop you in your tracks.
We do not, however, recommend driving to the parking lot for the trailhead in anything other than a 4-wheel drive vehicle. It’s an incredibly rocky, unpaved, 3 mi road to the trailhead! We were in a rental car and how we didn’t pop a tire is beyond me. Alicia was driving again and took her sweet time making sure we remained safe. Zapata Falls isn’t exactly located in the most happening of areas, so were were ecstatic we didn’t have to call anyone for help. This trouble was worth what our afternoon turned out to be.
In the San Luis Valley, Zapata Falls is located East of the town of Mosca, CO and just South of Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Alamosa County, Colorado. The Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the sand dunes can be seen off in the distance from sections of the trail! Keep an eye out for the Zapata Falls Recreation Area sign to find the road to the trailhead.
Zapata Falls Trail, Mosca, CO 81146.
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve rests at the base of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains. Medano Creek is a seasonal stream that you’ll sometimes see near the Dunes Parking Area. Because we were there in late March, the creek bed was dry, and the winds were blowing. Another thing you can do is go sand sledding or sand boarding! If you don’t have the proper gear to do this, you can rent it from some nearby areas (the closest one being Great Sand Dunes Oasis | 4 mi from visitor center | http://www.greatdunes.com/ | they sell sand board and sand sled rentals for $20/day plus tax).
We took Highway 150 from the South into the park and parked at the Dunes Parking Area (1 mi north of visitor center). We didn’t explore too much of this park because we were short on time, but we basically felt like we had this park to ourselves when we visited. It was incredibly windy and chilly (do not recommend a knit beanie - do recommend wearing something over your nose and mouth). While hiking Zapata Falls was easy and exciting, hiking up one of the dunes is no easy feat. We opted to just walk around some and stay until the sun set. As you might have guessed, sunrises/sunsets tend to be my favorite part of the day to be outside.
I was in complete and utter awe by this landscape. I’ll share a few of my pictures, but they don’t do the park justice.
As of 2019, this park became an International Dark Sky Park, which means the park at night is stunning due to limitations in place to reduce light pollution. On many nights, the Milky Way galaxy is visible.
A Basic Entrance Pass, which is good for up to 7 days, for a normal-sized car is $25. You can find more information on pricing on their website. Fees are only charged when the entrance station is open in Spring, Summer, or Fall or when the visitor center is open in Winter! The Visitor Center is located at 11999 State Highway 150, Mosca, CO 81146.
If you drive back to Colorado Springs at night around this area, be very careful. The roads are DARK, wildlife is active, and storm systems are frequent in mountainous areas. Alicia flexed her driving skills once again to get us back to safety.
We were so exhausted by the time that we made it back to the hotel, and a light snowfall had just begun. We door-dashed Louie’s Pizza to our hotel and had absolutely no regrets. This is supposedly Colorado Springs’ best pizza, and you’ll hear no arguments about that from us.
Day 4
We woke up to a winter wonderland and headed over to Seven Falls near the Broadmoor. Because of the weather, we couldn’t take the 224 steps to the hiking trails, which lead to streams that feed into the falls. Even still, walking around in the snow was a dream come true.
If you do get to take the steps to the trailheads, you’ll find two trails: one to Inspiration Point and one to Midnight Falls.
You can’t buy tickets online, and they don’t take advance reservations, but your ticket will be good for entry and re-entry through the date of purchase. For adults aged 13 and older, the entry fee is $17. You can visit their website for hours of operation and other pricing details. Parking for Seven Falls is located at 9 El Pomar Road (The Saint Paul Catholic Church parking lot). From there, they have a complimentary shuttle that will bring you to the falls. Seven Falls is located at S Cheyenne Canyon Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80905.
One other thing that we didn’t get to do but that comes highly recommended is the Pikes Peak Cog Railway, linked below.
I have so many good things to say about Royal Gorge Zipline Tours. I still brag to friends about how cool this day was! We did the 9-Line Classic Half-Day Tour. You’ll hike to each zipline, and the last one is a dual side-by-side race running 1,002 feet long! I did, in fact, win this race! Sorry, Alicia! You’ll also zip over the Royal Gorge plateau.
You’ll want to fill out your waiver beforehand and arrive 30 minutes prior to the start of your tour. The guides will outfit you, and you’ll start out with a ground school where they will teach you everything you need to know and give you the opportunity to ask questions. A photo-guide will accompany you and will snap pictures of your entire tour. They ask that you tag them or give them photo credit if you repost the photos on social media. Wear closed-toe shoes, dress appropriately, and don’t bring any valuables with you. They had water stations strategically placed to help with hydration because of the elevation changes!
Our tour guides were named Lindsey and John, and our photographer’s name was Sammi. They were so fun, down-to-earth, and knowledgeable. They really elevated our experience. This was my first time ziplining, but one of them complimented me and joked I could come back the following season to be a tour guide!
For Winter tours (October through March), you’ll check into Royal Gorge Zipline Tours' Outpost location at 302 Royal Gorge Blvd., Cañon City, CO 81212.
For Summer tours (April through September), you’ll check into Royal Gorge Zipline Tours’ Base location at 45045 US Hwy 50 West, Cañon City, CO 81212.
We stopped for coffee at The Perk Downtown after we got back to Colorado Springs. We just so happened to be there when an open-mic night was starting, which was so fun, but we didn’t stay too long. One act really shouldn’t have been striving to make a career out of their performance, if you know what I mean. Our lattes were delicious, and we loved the “Before I Die I Want To…” wall.
The Perk Downtown is located at 14 S Tejon St., Colorado Springs, CO 80903.
I used to have very bad acid reflux, and I could not fully enjoy TAPAteria because I was having a flare up, but I loved the space and what I did get to try. We were seated in a cozy corner right by the window looking out into the heart of Old Colorado City. Tapas restaurants are my favorite because they serve two of my favorite things: sangria and shareable dishes. There is nothing better, in my opinion, than getting to sample more than one menu item and sharing food with someone you love. I would make a point to go back here if and when I find myself in this city again.
TAPAteria is located at 2607 W. Colorado Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80904.
Day 5
We spent our last morning at The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, the highest zoo in America, before heading to the airport to turn in the rental car. The zoo sits 6,800 feet above sea level.
We spent the morning feeding giraffes in the African Rift Valley, walking around, and taking the Mountaineer Sky Ride to The Mountaineer Summit, which will bring you to stunning views of the zoo, Cheyenne Mountain, and Colorado Springs itself. This is a 7-minute open-air chairlift, and I was pretty scared on the way up, but the views were worth it! The skyride is an additional cost, and tickets are not currently available online but can be purchased at the front entry gate or the Sky Ride ticket booth. The tickets aren’t costly, so if you aren’t afraid of heights, I’d opt to do this!
Advanced tickets are required and can be purchased on the zoo's website. This zoo was voted the top 3 in North American in 2022, so it’s 100% worth a visit! It is open 365 days/year. The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is located at 4250 CheyenneMountain Zoo Rd., Colorado Springs, CO 80906.
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