Colorful Colorado

Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak

Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs are two of my favorite cities and I’ve written about them previously, so if you want to know more about the area take a look at Springing to Manitou. From Capulin National Monument it’s a short drive (about 244 miles or 393 kilometers) to Colorado Springs giving us just enough time to plan our attack on the Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak. The Garden of the Gods is actually a public park that was designated a National Natural Landmark (NNL) in 1971. The NNL Program is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in both public and private ownership. The program supports voluntary preservation of sites that strengthen the public's appreciation of the country's natural heritage. The National Park Service administers the NNL Program and may assist NNL owners with the conservation of these sites. At the Garden of the Gods there is a Visitor’s Center with lots of information about the geology and ecology of the park; there is also a restaurant and a gift shop.

Springing to Manitou and Review of Restaurants

View from Sunkist Cabin, Crystal Park

I’ve been to Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs during all four seasons and I can’t decide which one I like the best. This winter I spent a week with my friends, Bek and Mr. Twister, playing in the snow. We always start out in Manitou Springs, but this year was a bit different. We did have a quick lunch but rather than wandering around the streets checking out the small shops, we headed ‘up the mountain’ to Crystal Park. Crystal Park, once a well-known tourist attraction, is now a 2000 acre gated community perched on the side of Mount Arthur (one of the several ‘foothills’ of Pikes Peak). This lovely residential area backs up on the Hurricane Canyon Natural Area with great views of Mount Garfield, Cameron’s Cone, Mount Manitou, Pikes Peak and the Garden on the Gods ~ when there isn’t a snow storm.