Colorado Springs brings a wealth of natural beauty accompanied with tons of culture, history, and fun for just about anyone. This city is suitable for visit anytime of the year, though I visited in the summer. If you plan to visit Colorado Springs a weekend visit will not be enough, there is way too much to see. I suggest at least a week. Hikers and bikers will be lavished in paradise. It's hard to take that strenuous bike ride because of all the beauty that will surround you. If bicycling hiking skating white water rafting ect, are your passion, then this is a must visit Colorado Springs. Wherever you go here you cannot lose. You will not be disappointed by this beautiful modern city nestled in the mighty presence of Pikes Peak.

Dining cafes and nightlife

Colorado Springs is no stranger to fine dining. The Stage Coach Inn in Manitou springs offers the old west dining atmosphere with classic American entrees all at a generous price. They offer a wide range of entrees. I had the Fried chicken and was not disappointed. It was crispy with a delicious with just the perfect number of spices. You will find out they have an excellent variety of fine wines here as well. The Stage Coach Inn  is highly recommended. If you are into microbrews then Phantom Canyon Brewery is the place for you. You can find this in Downtown Colorado Springs. They offered an impressive selection of micro brews. I was only able to sample a few. The stout was a brilliant surprisingly smooth though staying true to the essence of a good stout. The porter however wasn't the best I have but it's worth a try. The last one I tried was the Rail Yard ale. I'm not a big fan of ales but this was very impressive. Phantom Canyon Brewery  is definitely a can't miss. They also offer many entrees but I did not sample any while I was there. The Thirsty Parrot is located downtown, it has a nice tropical theme in the middle of the mountains. This is probably a good winter escape for the locals from Colorado Springs but it did not fit well with a traveler's expectation of a mountain town's restaurant and bar. Still, it is a nice place. I ordered the chicken sandwich that was very dry and had no flavor. The entree had a generous number of vegetables, which were okay but were not very impressive. My passion for Jazz brought me to an unique club and cigar bar, Cedars cigar and jazz club  They offer the best in Jamaican and Dominican cigars along with a generous variety of beer and wines. On Tuesdays they offer the thin air poetry slam. On the weekends they have live performances of contemporary Jazz groups. The group I saw had a very rich sound and offers many talented musicians. Jazz lovers will find a home here. Of coarse if you are like me you'll be happy to just take the bicycle and ride around downtown. If you're a Coffee and tea lover there are a couple of good places to visit. Pikes Peak Coffee and Teahouse will give you a nice atmosphere to sip on their wide selection of espressos coffees or teas. Pick up your favorite book relax and enjoy this beautiful coffee house. Manitou springs has tons of coffee houses to choose from. Adams mountain Cafe was a fun place. They offer a wide range of coffees and have musical performances on a regular basis. Patsies' is also a great place they have great Carmel corn. After visiting all the great cafes and restaurants in Colorado Springs it's good to know that there are plenty of places to hike off the extra pounds. I spent days and nights hiking biking and enjoying the tons of entertainment and beauty this city has to offer.

Neighborhoods and attractions

Aside from the many hiking trails, Colorado Springs has many unique Neighborhoods and attractions such as Manitou Springs. One of the first places you have to see is Garden of the Gods. This unique park features beautiful rock formations. Climbers are allowed to climb with a permit. The Gardens offer Hiking biking and horse trails. The tails are not very challenging but it does not matter, because the real fun is in viewing the rock formations in their glory. You can bike along the road that circles the park. Manitou springs is a neighborhood I spent a lot of time in while I was there. There is plenty of dining cafes and shopping here. If you like arts and crafts you will find plenty of them along the street shops. Western clothing shops are also dotted along the busy streets. Also Manitou springs offers the gateway to Pikes Peak. A walk up the very steep street to the Cog Railroad will give you a train ride up to Pikes Peak. This is a breathtaking ride and is a must do for a visit to Colorado Springs. Hikers can't miss the Barr trail. I rank this trail at one of the best trails that I ever hiked. If you successfully make it to the top of the trail, which is approximately twelve miles, and a climb of nearly six thousand feet, you will feel as if you have conquered the world. It is one of the greatest rushes. Another great place to visit in Manitou springs is the cave of the winds. This is a great cave and cave dwellers will love this experience. Old Colorado City is a cool historical neighborhood. You can find tons of history of Colorado City of the old west. The stores and restaurants mimic that Old west town. This is a great place to spend a day in. You'll find plenty of culture and history here. One other place I spent quite a bit of time at was the many trails on Cheyenne Mountain. This is a hiker's paradise. Tons of lush forest wildlife in the midst of mighty mountains. Grab a couple bottles of water and a bag of trail mix because you will be there all day. Colorado Springs is one of the few cities I would ride my bike around and not worry about getting mugged. There is plenty of dining and cafes to choose from. Colorado Springs also offers some great entertainment as well. Another nice monument was the Firefighters memorial. This monument honors fallen fire fighters that lost their lives in service. This is a beautiful monument with a bronze statue of a Fire fighter rescuing a child on a ladder. There is also a museum dedicated to Fire Fighters though I did not get the chance to see it myself.

Arts and Culture

You will find tons of Arts and culture here. Colorado Springs brings the history of the old west and the hustle and bustle of a modern city together in an unique style that only a Colorado city can. There is Native Indian culture and you can find plenty of artifacts in many of the stores in Colorado Springs. There are many museums that are dedicated to the pioneering spirit that brought so many people to this city. As I mentioned above there are plenty of coffee shops and bars that offer live music.

People

In a place of such beauty it attracts a lot of different people. I think that a lot of people that visit here never leave because it is such a wonderful place. You will see a lot of people with advanced degrees with seemingly lower level jobs. The economy is saturated with very educated people. This is a mix of very laid-back people and some that are fast paced. The attitude is a light fun one here. These are the type of people that know how to stop and take a look around. It's impossible not to do this, with so much natural beauty. You will find the people here cheerful and receptive to greeting. It's easy to strike up conversation with a stranger here. They love life here and it shows.

If you like the outdoors Colorado Springs is a gem that just can't be passed up. You could spend two months and still not see everything. To never see Colorado Springs in your lifetime would be doing yourself a disservice. I had to sleep for two days after my visit with all the hiking and biking but there is so much to see you can't help yourself. Crime is low here. Fun is high! People are friendly and there is a ton of fun to be had.

   Colorado Springs 10 out of 10

pictures of the city

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