COME TO LIFE / Pikes Peak Country: Colorado Springs & Manitou Springs PIKES PEAK COUNTRY: COLORADO SPRINGS & MANITOU SPRINGS COLORADO Colorado Springs is the state’s second-largest city, but it’s first in the hearts of many visitors as a place of astonishing beauty with more than 55 unique museums and cultural and natural attractions. 1 DAY 1 2 Use your first day in “The Springs” to explore the town. Downtown has plenty of options for breakfast. Head to Tejon Street for some window-shopping and latte sipping or check out the Colorado Springs Public Market for organic produce from area growers, arts happenings and locally focused restaurants. Spend time at one of the area’s museums, such as the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center (2) (catch the acclaimed theater company in action), the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum , the Penrose Heritage Museum or the historic McAllister House . With more than 50 pieces of permanent public art, esteemed cultural institutions and a roster of events and festivals, it’s no surprise that downtown Colorado Springs was recently named one of 18 Certified Colorado Creative Districts . 4 Stop for lunch at the Ivywild School , a 1916 elementary renovated into a community market featuring Bristol Brewing Co. , commu-nity gardens, music, a deli and a bakery — all selling local items. Next, see where Team USA prepares for competition at the U.S. Olympic Training Center . Tour the athlete training facilities and U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. Get a taste of cadet life and pick up a Falcons sweatshirt at the U.S. Air Force Academy bookstore, then take the short hike to see the striking Cadet Chapel (1) before it closes for renovations in summer 2018. For dinner, there are tons of fine-dining options, including one of Colorado’s two five-star restaurants, The Broadmoor’s Penrose Room . See a show at the Pikes Peak Center for the Performing Arts , host to more than 200 performances every year. Continued on page 115. 3 QUICK TIP 112 / Feeding bunches of lettuce to the giraffes at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is one of visitors’ favorite ways to get eye to eye with these graceful creatures. COLORADO.COM CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY CADET CHAPEL, BETH SCHNEIDER; COLORADO SPRINGS FINE ARTS CENTER; THE BROADMOOR’S SEVEN FALLS, STAN ROSE; CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN ZOO.
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2017: Page 112
