Colorado Springs Offers a Variety of Activities

Fun Times from a Jeep Tour to Golf to Visiting an Academy

Any visit to Colorado Springs, Colorado has visitors deciding, “What to do?”  With over 55 attractions in the Pikes Peak Region there are a variety of activities from a gentle stroll to a thrilling experience.  Definitely no shortage of activities, so visitors should carefully pick and choose their desired and preferred activities.

This is our third visit to Colorado Springs, so we have already visited some main attractions.  On this visit we stay to activities that best fit our schedule and desire.  Wanting a return visit to see the Garden of the Gods, an Adventures Out West Jeep Tour sounds exciting, plus we don’t have to drive.  As avid golfers, we always enjoy a round of golf on a local course, so we delight in an afternoon at Kings Deer Golf Club.  Another special place we choose to visit is the United States Air Force Academy.  Other activities are shared in our articles of Manitou Springs, Colorado:  Rejuvenating and Historic, Colorado Springs a Foodies Delight and Fantastic Golf at The Club at Flying Horse.

HOP IN A JEEP FOR AN EXCITING TOUR
Experience North Cheyenne Cañon Park in a Jeep
Hopping in a bright red jeep at Adventures Out West, Prairie Dog, our guide, begins an exciting afternoon of traveling narrow winding roads in North Cheyenne Cañon Park and the Garden of the Gods.  Yep!  The road going through North Cheyenne Cañon Park is a narrow road that winds its way 2.5 miles up the mountain.  It is actually the old railroad bed that went through the mountains to Cripple Creek, Colorado.  North Cheyenne Cañon Park is a regional park located in Colorado Springs and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The Park is cut 1,000-feet deep into the 1.5 billion-year-old granite rock.  On our visit we see lots of people biking, hiking, and sightseeing as we travel up the narrow road.
As Prairie Dog, drives this often steep, narrow and winding road he shares a history of the railroad, the land and Colorado Springs.  “Look it’s a MAMIL,” yells Prairie Dog, that’s a “Middle Age Man In Lycra!”  Approaching tunnels, Prairie Dog honks to warn drivers coming the other way, that we are “comin’ thru”.  Inside the tunnels we see soot on the ceiling from the trains over the years.  Prairie Dog educates us on how to drive these narrow roads with steep terrain and no guardrails.  Keep to the right!  Keep the edge of the tires on the berm on edge of the road.  This assures a safe trip and not hogging the middle of the road.
We make a few stops along the way for pictures and to better see the magnificent views from North Cheyenne Cañon Park.  As we ascend to the top, we can see the winding road below that we just drove up.  At one stop near the top, there are magnificent view of Colorado Springs and The Broadmoor.  There we also see the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun.  We are so glad that Prairie Dog is driving, allowing us to enjoy the magnificent scenery.  Next stop is the Trading Post at Garden of the Gods.  After a respite at the Trading Post and doing a bit of souvenir shopping, we are back in the jeep to continue our tour to the beautiful Garden of the Gods.

BEHOLD:  THE GARDEN OF THE GODS
Entering the Garden of the Gods, Prairie Dog shares the story of how it got this name.  In August 1859, two surveyors from Denver City were to begin a townsite in the area of now Colorado Springs.  Exploring nearby locations, they came upon magnificent sandstone formations.  Seeing the area with its beautiful formations, Rufus Cable, exclaimed it is a fit place for the Gods to assemble.  He named it the Garden of the Gods.

Driving through the Garden of the Gods, we are astonished by these massive and scenic rock formations.  The rocks were created as ancient mountains eroded and buried in their own sediment.  Over time with other geological activities, the formations were uplifted and slowly brought to the surface by a series of mountain-building events.  Each formation brings its own unique beauty to the Garden.  We make several stops along the way, to get a better view, and take pictures of these unique formations.  Prairie Dog continues pointing our specific formations and their fun names like the “kissing camels.”

Prairie Dog stops at Balanced Rock for photos.  Yes, it is a rock that has balanced in place for years.  It’s HUGE!  The balanced rock rises 35 feet above its pedestal base, and it weighs approximately 1.4 million pounds.  Impressive!  A great photo spot.  Even more impressive is that the Garden of the Gods will always be a public park.  We learn the fascinating history of William Jackson Palmer, the founder of Colorado Springs.  Palmer’s friend, Charles Elliott Perkins, the head of “the Q” Railroad, purchased two-hundred acres in the Garden of the Gods for a summer home.  He added to the property but never built on it, preferring to leave his “wonderland” in its natural state for the public to enjoy.  After his death in 1907, he had not made arrangements for the land as a public park.  In 1909 his children knowing his wish, conveyed his four-hundred eighty acres to the City of Colorado Springs.  It is to be known forever as the Garden of the Gods, “where it will remain free to the public.”  This vision of Perkins and his children assures that future generations will continue to have the opportunity to experience this beautiful natural setting.  Seeing these magnificent formations, we appreciate the vision to preserve the Garden of the Gods as public land.

FORE!  IT’s TIME FOR GOLF!
Thrill in the Feel of a Scottish Links Style Golf in Colorado
Arriving at Kings Deer Golf Club, we first notice the cooler temperatures at its higher elevation of over 7,000 feet.  After the 95 plus higher temperatures in Colorado Springs on this visit, the 10 degree lower temperature are welcome for an afternoon of golf.  King’s Deer is a regulation 18-hole championship golf course that was built by the Redstone Golf Group.  Opening in 1999, it offers golfers of all skill levels a challenging golf course with the feel of a Scottish links style course.  Additionally, the views from Deer’s creek are terrific as we can see Pikes Peak and the Front Range.  After warming up on the practice area, we’re off for an exciting game of golf.  Thankfully we are paired with another couple, who are familiar with the course.  Their knowledge is extremely helpful as we play each hole.

Kings Deer Front Nine
As we tee off we notice the lush rolling fairways.  Playing the course, it does give the feel of a Scottish links style course.  It definitely keeps us alert to its many nuances.  Beware, there are many unexpected hazards and waste areas that come into play from the tee box and approaching the greens.  The front nine is bit more spread out as it winds in a large valley.  We quickly learn to play close attention to our GPS Range Finder, for accuracy on our distances.  The couple playing with us forewarn us of the hazards.  Richard is on track on the front nine and even has a birdie on No. 4 a par-4 adding to a bit of excitement.

Kings Deer Back Nine
It’s a windy day!  We also watch thunderclouds gathering in the distance – that reminds us of golfing in Scotland, too, where weather changes quickly.  Will we finish before the storm?  As we make the turn, the holes on the back nine are closer together with wider and more defined fairways.  Yep, there are still plenty of challenges with hazards, bunkers and even water coming into play.  Richard continues to be playing the course well, getting pars and bogies on the back nine.  A few holes have surprises.  No. 17 a par-3 is all downhill, so I am thrilled with a par.  The storm is coming!  Winds pick up as we head to No. 18, an all uphill hole.  Just as we are finishing the hole we see the rains coming toward us.  We quickly get clubs in the car, drop off the golf cart and just barely avoid getting drenched.  Hurrah, we finished!  Golfers of all levels will really enjoy this dynamic course.  While it is not officially a Scottish links style course, it does have that feel.  Be sure to take time to look at the magnificent mountain scenery.  It offers great views of Pikes Peak and the Front Range.

US Airforce Academy
We visited the US Air Force Academy many years ago, and wanted to make another visit on this trip to Colorado Springs.  We start our visit doing a self-tour of the Barry Goldwater Visitor Center, which has a fantastic museum about the Academy, its history and life of a cadet.  Truly an education on the selection process to become a cadet, the various training required and goals for each year from freshman to senior in the Academy.  The Museum also explains the various specialty options for a cadet, as well as, what a cadet’s life is like.  The displays are extremely educational and we leave both impressed and with a better understanding of being a cadet in the United States Air Force.

The Visitor Center map provides recommended places to stop, view, or visit at the Academy.  We visited the Academy and had toured the Chapel many years ago.  Glad we did, as the Chapel is under renovation.  It is totally enclosed in a large rectangular box while it undergoes major renovations.  We stroll through the plaza of academic buildings and see cadets marching in formation in the area.  At the Chapel Overlook it’s a short hike where we have a great view of the base.  Since the Stadium is being renovated it was also closed for the overlook. We enjoy the Thunderbird overlook of the airport and watching planes taking off.  The best part of the visit on this trip is the Barry Goldwater Visitor Center with the magnificent museum on the US Air Force Academy.

If you go:
With Colorado Springs having so many visitors each year, be sure for any premier or major attractions to register early.  We found some activities booked several days or weeks out.  This assures you get to enjoy preferred attractions.  Depending on weekdays to be less busy, didn’t apply on our visit.  Be sure to get information from the Visit Colorado Springs on all the activities to best choose preferred activities.  Our visit in July, seemed to be a peak time and it was hot.  Visiting on shoulder seasons may have cooler weather and a little less tourist congestion.