This past weekend, one of our good friends and former co-workers got married out in Colorado Springs! When she sent us the save-the-date, we were so excited that it was only two weeks after our wedding reception — it was easy to decide to stay in the U.S. at least until after her wedding. And it had been a few years since our last visit to Colorado, so we figured we might as well make a trip of it. So on Thursday afternoon, we flew to Denver, and we returned to KC on Monday night.
We had about three and a half full days in Colorado Springs, and we sure packed a lot in! Of course, we did some of the “typical” Colorado Springs things like going to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and Garden of the Gods, but I feel like we also had a few less-common experiences that really made our trip special.
October in Colorado Springs
We were hoping to see peak fall foliage in Colorado Springs, but according to this 2024 fall foliage map, we were about a week too early. There were quite a few yellow trees mixed in with the green though, and it made for great contrast against the blue skies and red rocks.
And the weather was pretty close to perfect. No humidity, which I loved. But the temperatures did swing wildly, which made it a little bit hard to pack. 😂 In the mornings it was in the 50s and by the afternoon it could be in the 80s, with evening temps in the 50s again. I probably had way too many pairs of shoes for the amount of time we were there, but it all worked out. The only time I was really questioning my packing choices was when we (unexpectedly) went up to Pikes Peak — but more on that later!
The only real downside of October in Colorado Springs was that my allergies, which I seem to have acquired for the first time in the last few years, were going kind of crazy. So be sure to pack the Zyrtec!
What to Do in Colorado Springs
While I’d been to Colorado Springs a couple of times — once as a kid while on vacation with my family, and once with my friend Hanna on a road trip after college — it was Matt’s first time visiting. Here’s what we got up to (and these are all things I highly recommend doing!).
Feed Giraffes at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
When we told some of our friends we were going to Colorado Springs, they immediately said: “Are you going to feed the giraffes at the zoo? You have to feed the giraffes at the zoo!” So on Sunday morning, the day after the wedding, we decided to drive toward the famous Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.
As we got stuck in traffic near the entrance, I was checking my phone to see if we could buy tickets online — and it turns out that pre-booking and buying your tickets online is required. It was noon, and the next available tickets were for 2 p.m., so be sure to plan ahead better than we did. However, getting our tickets for three hours before the zoo’s closing time meant that our tickets were discounted: $19 per person instead of $29, so it was actually perfect.
We did get to feed the giraffes, pretty much immediately upon entering the park, and I suddenly had flashbacks to feeding the giraffes there with my family when I was nine years old. The rest of the zoo was really unique, being built on the side of the mountain, and I thought all the exhibits were well done and interesting. We got to pet a Moroccan Spiny-Tailed Lizard who was being put back in his tank, watch black-footed ferrets getting baths in the sink, and feed parakeets in the bird house. The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is ranked fifth-best in the U.S., and I can totally see why!
Take a Hike at Garden of the Gods
If you go to Colorado Springs, you absolutely cannot miss the Garden of the Gods. While it seems like it should be a national park or something, it’s actually considered a “National Natural Landmark,” and it is free to visit! (And when the park was gifted to the city of Colorado Springs in 1909, it was done with the promise that it would always be free for visitors.)
Garden of the Gods is actually pretty small — only two square miles. Which makes it really easy and accessible to visit, even if you’re short on time. We spent about an hour and a half at Garden of the Gods, starting at the Visitors Center and then taking the Gateway Trail over to the Central Garden trail. Most of it was paved and fairly flat, and the 2.5-mile loop only took us about one hour to complete.
Even if you just park at the main parking lot and check out the Central Garden loop, you’re sure to be amazed by the stunning red rock formations! And if you’re interested in other hikes, there are 21 miles worth of hiking trails to explore in the park. An E-Bike ride through Garden of the Gods would also be super fun!
Ride the Cog Train to Pikes Peak
Despite my prior two visits to Pikes Peak, this was a new experience for me — both times before, I’d driven up to Pikes Peak by car. But this time, we decided to check out the Cog Train. Because why not? We’re all about unique experiences!
We got extra lucky during our trip, because the last of the year’s four sunrise cog train rides was taking place! On Sunday morning, we booked our tickets for the October 14th sunrise train ride. (I don’t know how we snagged those tickets, but we did.) While it cost $40 more than a typical cog train ride — $99 per person instead of $59 — we had a feeling it was going to be worth it.
After a 4:45 a.m. wakeup call, we arrived at the Manitou Cog Depot lot around 5:30. Normally, train passengers need to pay for parking, which is $20, but sunrise train passengers get free parking, so that helped offset the extra cost of the trip. We found our seats for the 5:45 a.m. departure and settled in for the one-hour trip up the mountain.
We arrived at Pikes Peak just before sunrise. It was sooooo cold, especially since the sun wasn’t up and I hadn’t packed well for this unplanned experience. We spent a few minutes watching the sun rise over Colorado Springs and the peaks in front of us, as a special sunrise blessing ceremony led by Tribal Nation Elders took place — it was Indigenous Peoples’ Day. When we couldn’t take the cold any longer, we went inside to the visitors’ center, where the famous Pikes Peak donuts and coffee were waiting to warm us up. About an hour later, at 7:45 a.m., it was time to board the train for the trip back down the mountain.
Even if you aren’t able to do the sunrise train experience, riding the cog train was still super cool! Also, the train’s conductor/tour guide shares a lot of interesting history about the train and how the cog railway was built. Fun fact: The Pikes Peak Cog Railway is the world’s highest and the world’s longest cog railroad, and the highest railroad in the entire Northern Hemisphere.
Explore Olympic History at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum
Did anyone else get totally obsessed with the Olympics this year like I did? The combination of being a remote worker (being at home all day) and being in the same time zone as Paris meant that I spent a loooooot of time in front of the TV. I was definitely feeling some withdrawals when it was all over.
But Colorado Springs is apparently known as “Olympic City USA,” due to the U.S. Olympic Training Center located there. And it’s also home to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum, which just opened in summer 2020. On the day of the wedding, we weren’t sure what to do because most Colorado Springs activities are outdoors, and we didn’t want to get all sweaty, so we decided to check out the Olympic Museum. I had read online that there was a lobby that you could visit without paying, and we weren’t sold on actually going through the museum. But once we got there, it didn’t take us long to decide to go for it. It cost $23.95 per person.
The whole thing was actually so cool?! When you buy your tickets, you get a little badge that you register with your name, and then you pick your favorite Olympic sport to make your “avatar” for the rest of your visit. It’s super interactive and there are even six or seven different Olympic activities you can participate in — like racing an Olympic sprinter or testing your reaction time for Paralympic sport Goalball.
We spent about two hours in the museum, which culminated with a display of pretty much every Olympic and Paralympic medal since 1896. I was hoping they’d have the Paris medals there, but not yet — maybe soon!
Find more things to do in Colorado Springs.
Where to Eat and Drink in Colorado Springs
Manitou Winery: You’ll probably find yourself in Manitou Springs during your trip to Colorado Springs, and our favorite thing there was the Manitou Winery. They had an amazing tasting deal going on — $12 for four tasters and a glass of wine. Their whole menu was available for this offer, including their seasonal flavors, so between the two of us, we got eight flavors of wine to try. We went all in on the fall menu, trying these unique flavors: Pueblo Chili Viognier, Chocolate Peanut Butter Port, Pumpkin Spice Port, Caramel Apple Riesling, Raspberry Pinot Noir, Peach Chardonnay, Blackberry Merlot, and Blood Orange Sangria. All were delicious, but the Caramel Apple Riesling was my fav!
Jives Coffee Lounge: On our first day in Colorado Springs, a Friday, we had some work to get done, so we found Jives Coffee in Old Colorado City. I read online that there was plenty of seating and laptops were welcome, and we weren’t disappointed! The staff were very friendly and it was a great place to pass a couple of hours while I worked on a whitepaper about small business loans for my real job.
Kangaroo Coffee: We needed somewhere for our weekly Spanish-speaking coffee date, and we found Kangaroo Coffee on Hancock Avenue by Memorial Park. The barista was super nice and made us seasonal drinks (can you tell I’m a sucker for seasonal drinks) including a banana bread latte and an off-menu pumpkin pie latte. We sat outside for a bit before wandering over to watch the cricket match taking place at the park.
Tacos El Korita: This is a food truck that was approximately two minutes’ walk from our hotel, the Quality Inn on Harrison Road. For being a Friday night, it was really busy! There were cars lined up waiting for their order, and it took us about 40 minutes to get our food after ordering. But I’d say it was worth it for some authentic Mexican food.
Alright, there you have it — our busy few days in Colorado Springs! What are your favorite things to do in Colorado Springs, or what are you adding to your list? Let me know in the comments!
-Cathy
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