My wife and I visited the Castle, and it was, in a word, "Perfect"…read more The location, the people, the staff, and the wonderful environment. Great place to reflect and enjoy. Mel

Found this place today. It is Crazy! Middle of nowhere and the castle is huge. The wife loved…read moreit and climbed to the top. I hate heights and since most of the walkways were see thru grates, I did not go too high. Floor felt like it would fall thru any minute. Lots of people there. Got to see it to believe it. Lots of parking on the side of the road. Port-a-potties.

Highly recommend stopping here for even a minute after seeing the sand dunes. Great way to cool off…read moreand see a beautiful waterfall! The water is shine height so we walked in our shoes in the river to the water fall, scaling the wall is slick and we had a change of shoes in the car. The water is cold so it's refreshing on a hot day! The hike from the parking lot is just 0.33 miles but it's uphill and rocky. Make sure you got good shoes and there benches for rest breaks. The walk down is much easier and goes quick. Our dog thought it was an easy hike and enjoyed the cold water too. The fall is right before you enter the sand dunes so no entry required and there are plenty of parking spaces.

Zapata Falls and the Great Sand Dunes were 2 things on our 2019 Colorado Roadtrip bucket list and…read morewe were excited that we could check them both off in one awesomely fun day! Getting to the Zapata trailhead is a challenge. We have a small AWD SUV and it made it with no problem, and frankly I think this could easily be done by a 2WD sedan! The road is very rocky and bumpy and bouncy BUT completely passable by any vehicle type. Many times on the road up we questioned whether it was worth it. Just take it slow knowing there's a great reward at the end. From the parking lot the hike to the falls is short. That said, it's a good incline for those unaccustomed to our altitude and the trail is fairly loose and rocky. Being from Denver we're used to this but if you're from out of state we have some tips below. When you get to the river you can hear the falls but you'll have to wade upstream and around a bend to see them. (And by "upstream" I do mean "in the stream".). All water in Colorado is cold, but this water at this altitude is particularly brisk. At the time we visited (July 2019) Colorado was experiencing record runoffs and the water was high and fast! It made for a thrilling experience getting to the falls! T I P S : - take mosquito spray! In early July, the mosquitoes were the worst we've ever witnessed in Colorado. We never use mosquito spray and didn't have any with us. We got about 30 feet into the hike before turning back to the parking lot to bum some spray off a sweet family we met who was also heading up. (They saved our hike! We were ready to call it off!) - wear water shoes/sandals that strap to your feet; no flip flops unless you want to hike back down with only one shoe after losing one in the current! - suck it up. I mean this in the nicest way. No one is a bigger wimp about cold water than I am, but I sucked it up and am so glad I did! We'd go about 15-20 feet in the stream, then stand on a rock while our feet thawed out, then go another 20' and so on. Trust me when I say this is a family hike we will never forget! - take a buddy. Don't be an idiot and try to cross the stream alone. B O T T O M L I N E : Worth it! A truly memorable hike.

Had to wait for the shuttle ( Karen ) on numerous occasions for my disabled mom. They have 1 person…read moredriving the entire guest back and forth. Apparently no one wants to help her get people around.

As a California native who recently moved to Colorado, I enjoyed the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park!…read moreIt's a huge canyon that makes you feel small and I would argue that it's an iconic landmark of Colorado. My family and I opted to take the gondola from the office / main dining hall across the gorge and then zipline back. The line seems to move slow, but it's mainly for the gondolas with the clear floors. The other line moves a lot faster. Because we were doing the zipline back, we didn't feel the need to do the gondola with the clear floor. The views are majestic! It really makes you feel small and awestruck. The zipline was super fun and an awesome experience. I feel like it's little pricey, but the experience was still breathtaking! Plus, you'll the option to purchase your zipline photos and videos. The bridge itself is very cool. Nicknamed "America's bridge," it has the flags of all the states posted up throughout the bridge so it's fun to see people find their home states and take pics with the flags. There's also a playground area for kids and a theatre showroom. The BBQ restaurant by the theatre seemed delicious, at least it was busy when I walked by. The main dining hall has some decent standard options. They also have beer and some cocktails available for purchase, which is a plus for such a family friendly park. Would definitely recommend, especially to out of state visitors

Great place to get natural idea of the surrounding area with maps, data and inside look at nature!…read more If you're in the area this place is a wonderful place to stop and gather data. If you're looking for trail maps, they have them. They are part of the US government and get most of their money from there, but they do have several opportunities for donations. They can help you plan out a back packing event! They can tell you also how fast bad weather can move into the area! Even fly fishing trips can also be planned out here. They can show you where you can put into the rivers. On maps they can point out public, private and state owned land. Lots of land owners will post no trespassing signs, so folks will have get in and out of the local rivers through public land. And don't forget all of the great wildlife posters for the little ones.

We found only 4 of 8 springs in Manitou Springs on a snowy March afternoon on a Saturday: Shoshone…read moreSpring (not working), Cheyenne Spring, Stratton Spring (my favorite), and this curious oddity. We would have never found it if it wasn't for a woman who saw us at the Cheyenne Spring drinking the water out of Cheyenne and trying to bottle it to take home. She said, "you gotta try the water at the Navajo Spring, it tastes like spicy carbonated water". When I asked her where it was, she said "right there!" and pointed to Navajo Spring a few feet away from where we were standing. I don't think we would have found this place unless it was pointed out to us as it's in a curious location, housed in a building where Patsy's Candy and Gift shop sits. The water here didn't taste that spicy to me, maybe more saltier than the Cheyenne's, but it was definitely carbonated. The history of this spring is fascinating. I got some information from The Mineral Springs Foundation: it was popular in the 1870s and young boys were hired to dip cups into the spring to quench the thirst of travelers and tourists. Cups and ladles on chains were also fastened to lower into the springs so everyone could taste the carbonated waters. The water from Navajo Springs were incorporated into Manitou Ginger Champagne, Manitou table water and cola drinks and were shipped all across the country by the Manitou Mineral Water Company. I was so enamored by the fact that this historical spring sits right in the middle of a candy store (outside and accessible) and right next door to an old-fashioned penny arcade! Right below our feet we could see the spring rushing by through the wooden floor slats. Amazing. Here's to 154 years of good health! I hope the springs stick around for another 150 years or more!

This was my favorite mineral spring in Manitou because of the sculpture, the interesting way we…read morefound it, and it just says "magic" to me. We only found 4 out of the 8 springs in town, but that's because we were walking around in snow and it was getting late. Prior to finding this spring (by accident) - This particular spring makes a high pitch noise that I mistook for birds screeching, so we walked over to investigate, and here it was! We also found the Shoshone Spring (not working), Cheyenne Spring and the Navajo Spring. All of these springs have their own stories. According to the Mineral Springs Foundation, this particular spring was named after Winfried Scott Stratton, who struck it rich with gold in the early 1900's. When he died he left his fortune of several millions of dollars to indigent children and the elderly. "On February 21, 1936, at a depth of 283 feet, sparkling soda water was struck flowing at 25 gallons per minute. Today, Stratton Spring stands as one of Manitou's iconic mineral spring assets along its downtown corridor, ensuring Winfield Scott Stratton's legacy. (from Mineral Springs Foundation webpage)" The water here is sparkling, but not as salty as the Cheyenne Spring. It had the mildest taste of all the springs in town and the sodium, potassium and calcium content here was less than all of the other springs.

You will find this natural spring right on the Manitou Springs strip near the traffic circle. It…read morenot only serves as a spring but is also has a nice sculpture on it. The bronze sculpture depicts a lady, known as "the maiden of the water", bending over. The statue is on a semicircular pedestal and under a semi-circular pergola. It is a very nice spring set-up and draws you to the spring. The statue, spring, and little plaza area that it is located could use a little TLC and is in need of some maintenance. It is still operational, but just needs some attention. The spring is named in honor of Winfield Scott Stratton, who became the region's first self-made millionaire in 1891, after discovering a huge payload of 1.3 million ounces of gold. In 1936 his Foundation drilled the Spring in his honor after his untimely death in 1902. The spring flows at about 25 gallons per minute and appeared to having air coming out with the water as evident from its hissing. It has a seltzer water taste, and this and water from the other springs are rumored to have healing properties. The water is an acquired taste, but drinkable. This is not a very long stop and is one of many springs in the area. This is something that you would probably just stumble across and not a destination. There is metered street parking within a reasonable walking distance from here but I recommend combining a stop here with other activities like a visit to the tourist strip, with shops and restaurants, that it is located. The good news is that you can fill your water bottles here as well as look at a nice piece of street art. It is definitely worth a look if you are in the area.

This little town is historic and quaint, but also eclectic. Manitou Springs has plenty of local…read moreshopping, art, and interesting finds. The hubs and I pop over often for the Garden of the Gods, but there's so much to see and explore here. Manitou Springs is basically at the base of Pikes Peak, and has a small town western town feel mixed with a splash of Austin, TX (lol). I'm enjoying the art of exploring, but good luck with parking, unless you arrive early.

Walking into the Manitou Springs Chamber of Commerce felt like being welcomed by old friends who…read moreactually want to help you have the best trip ever. Right there on Manitou Avenue, the staff greeted us with big smiles and hooked us up with maps, guides, and the kind of insider tips only locals know--like where to find hidden waterfalls and the best spots for hot springs. They weren't just helpful, they were genuinely excited to share their town. Whether it was pointing us toward quirky shops or telling us about the famous Emma Crawford Coffin Races, they made planning our days easy and fun. It felt less like an office and more like a hub of mountain energy and good vibes. If you're heading to Manitou Springs, this is the place to start--five stars for making us feel right at home and ready for adventure.

Millions of years ago, natural forces pushed massive sheets of red rock hundreds of feet straight…read moreup into the air, presumably because standard horizontal dirt seemed boring. Humans eventually discovered these giant stone slabs and named the location Garden of the Gods. The gods themselves left no forwarding address, but they clearly possessed a flair for dramatic architecture. In 1909, the family of a railroad executive named Charles Elliott Perkins deeded four hundred and eighty acres of this land to the City of Colorado Springs. They attached a single mandatory condition: the park must remain forever free to all people of the earth. In a world where people routinely attempt to place turnstiles around ordinary scenery, this legal clause remains a magnificent anomaly. It was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1971. Inside the main park, paved paths such as the Perkins Central Garden Trail allow our fragile bodies to walk among giant monoliths without tripping over tree roots. Famous formations with names like Balanced Rock and the Kissing Camels sit silently against the backdrop of Pikes Peak. You can hike, ride a bicycle, scale the sandstone with ropes, or simply stand on the asphalt staring upward with your mouth slightly open. The entire landscape manages to remain accessible without feeling like a commercial theme park. The rocks are the main attraction, and they do not require artificial lighting, recorded sound effects, or ticket booths to command respect. If you spend a day in Colorado Springs, you will likely spend the rest of your life comparing every other rock formation on Earth to these red stones. Most of them will disappoint you.

I wish I could give this attraction a higher rating, but our experience was negatively impacted by…read moretiming and crowd levels. Due to scheduling constraints, we were unable to visit Garden of the Gods until mid-afternoon. Based on other reviews, this appears to be one of the busiest times to visit, and that was certainly our experience. The roadways and walkways were extremely crowded, with people frequently crossing roads and climbing on the rock formations. Parking was also completely full, making it difficult to stop and explore. As a result, we ended up driving through the park without getting out of our vehicle and were unable to fully enjoy the experience. I would recommend visiting early in the morning or closer to closing time to avoid the crowds. A midsummer Sunday afternoon is likely not the best time to experience this beautiful destination.

If you're heading north on Interstate 25 coming from New Mexico, you'll notice this Welcome to…read moreColorful Colorado Sign of Raton Pass off to the right hand side of the highway. There'll be a small pullover area to park where you can safely exit your car and grab a photo with the sign. For any person looking to say they've "arrived" in Colorado, it's a playful picture moment, lol. Also, for stopping by around 10am the sun was in perfect positioning in the sky for photos. It'll be at your back and the Colorful Colorado Sign will stand out exceptionally. So...therefore, if you show up in afternoon time, it'll be a poor time to visit as you'll obviously be facing the sun, lol. If anyone out there is actually really reading this...make sure to be driving in the morning. Hahaha And when getting your pictures in, you may notice the Huerfano Butte situated in the backdrop making for a scenic setting, especially in summertime. It's actually a pretty photogenic moment. Lastly, when finishing up driving 13 miles north into the town of Trinidad, Colorado, don't forget to visit Simpson's Rest, a fantastic overlook viewpoint from high above the downtown suburbs of Trinidad. It's a terrific introduction into your Colorado explorations and wherever your next destination may be. Overall, I give two thumbs up for this Welcome to Colorful Colorado Sign of Raton Pass.

Iconic and absolutely worth the stop! The "Welcome to Colorful Colorado" sign is the perfect photo…read moreop to kick off your Colorado adventure. We pulled over for a quick picture and it felt like a classic road trip moment. Beautiful backdrop, easy to access, and a fun way to mark your journey. Five stars for this memorable roadside landmark!