Colorado Springs

When will we see you in Colorado Springs?

Are you planning a vacation to the Colorado Springs area? Or maybe a Fabulous weekend getaway…either way, will you allow Scenes-to-see to help you with your hotel planning We also have B & B’s and vacation homes available for your stay! If you have already set your vacation dates in stone, here are a list of accommodations available during your time frame. Airfare and Airline schedules …we’ve got that covered also! If you fly into town, you’ll probably want to hire or rent a car once you are here.

A Center of Civility

General William J. Palmer was the President and a founder of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. He planned a city to be developed along the rail lines, which is now Colorado Springs. General Palmer wanted a society that would be a regional leader in education, art and civilization in general. My guess is that General Palmer’s experience as a P.O.W. during the American Civil War was a major driving force behind keeping things civil and decent. His goal from the start was to create a city with a very high quality of life available to all.

Here is more to learn about General William Jackson Palmer, but be sure to come back here, We have a ton of info that you’ll miss if you don’t!

In those early days, the city was actually named “Fountain Colony.” At various times throughout it’s history, Colorado Springs has been known as El Paso, Fountain Colony, and, of course…Colorado Springs. It’s also had the nicknames of Little London and Athens of the Plains because of the culture, arts and society that was strongly encouraged here in the shadows of Pikes Peak.

In addition to the tranquil setting of the original city, the natural beauty of the area reaches out and grabs you as your eyes soak in the views! Pikes Peak makes a spectacular foundation for such a splendid city. In an effort to create a city as beautiful as the landscape, General Palmer and the railroad set aside land for churches, schools and plenty of nice big parks for adults and all the children. This is the Uncle Wilber Water Fountain for kids in Acacia Park in downtown Colorado Springs. You should hear the laughter and gleeful pleasure coming from the children playing in the park and fountain during the summer months!

A leisurely walk around the downtown area will allow you to see several of the original churches. Most were built from moss rock, native stone and brick. The architecture is stunningly beautiful, yet fairly simple in most of these historic churches. All over the city of Colorado Springs, but especially in the older, more historic parts of town, you’ll see plenty of beautifully crafted churches and parks. General Palmer felt the need for churches was great to help keep the city civil and the parks were very important for civic happenings and personal solitude. Even today, in most of the downtown intersections, you will find beautiful bronze statues and dividing medians filled with a stunningly splendid assortment of flowers and artwork that create a park like atmosphere.

Education is Vital!

“The Colorado Institute for the Education of Mutes”, was founded here, in Colorado Springs in 1874 by Mr. Jonathan R. Kennedy. The world class school is now known as The Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind and is now run by the State of Colorado. Approximately 10 acres of prime real estate were donated by General Palmer in 1876 to facilitate the creation of a first class educational facility. Today The Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind sits on just under 40 acres and is such a first class facility.

Also in 1874, Colorado College was formed as a private school via an article of incorporation with the Reverend Thomas Nelson Haskell heading up the school in it’s infancy. The land for Colorado College was set aside and donated by General Palmer when he originally planned the city of Colorado Springs.

Colorado College is a vibrant and active liberal arts college today. In 2005 the Men’s Ice Hockey team made to the “Frozen Four” to further the schools reputation as a collegiate hockey powerhouse! Congratulations to the Colorado College Tigers on the terrific 2004 – 2005 Ice Hockey season!

Today, these two schools are still going strong. In addition there are several other colleges and universities, both public and private in the Pikes Peak and Colorado Springs region. The region was so highly thought of that the U.S. Air Force Academy was located here in the 1950′s. Another fine institution of higher learning!

The Heart of the City

Nearly everything in the Pikes Peak region is within just a few minutes of downtown Colorado Springs. The downtown area truly is at the center of it all!

To give you some examples of distances the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is only 6 miles southwest, The Broadmoor Golf Club is only 2.5 miles in the same direction. The Garden of the Gods is about 6 miles northeast and the Air Force Academy is 18 miles north, along with Focus on the Family and The Industry and Mining Museum. It’s all highway mileage, so they are only a few minutes away. The Colorado Springs airport is only 11 miles east of downtown with Peterson Air Force Base immediately north of the airport.

Going south, Fort Carson is about 10 miles and Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Base is immediately west of Fort Carson.

When looking to the west towards majestic Pikes Peak, remember it’s only 11 miles away (as the crow flies), Seven Falls is also 11 miles, Cave of the Winds is about 8 miles, Manitou Springs is about 6 miles and it’s 7.5 miles to the cog railway, which takes you to the top of Pikes Peak! About 4 miles to the Old Colorado City Historical District, which includes the Van Briggle showroom and factory, and the Ghost Town Wild West Museum. As you can see, the center of the city truly is the center of the region and a great place to start your trek from.

In Downtown Colorado Springs one can stroll down the wide avenues, bask in the normally sunny skies, spend time with the local merchants, admire the different types of architecture, eat at the some of the finest restaurants in the area and marvel at how it all fits perfectly to create one of the nicest and most beautiful cities in America.

A Godly Garden

Allow us a quick, virtual visit to the World famous Garden of the Gods. The Garden of the Gods was a wintering place for the Utes among others.
In the protected valleys of the area, they were relatively safe from the winter storms that can be grueling at times. Legend is that it was a gathering place for the Ute, Arapaho, Cheyenne and Kiowa Indians because of it’s proximity to the mineral and soda springs in Manitou Springs, just a few hundred feet from the west end of the Garden of the Gods. In 1859, two young men from Eastern Kansas (Rufus Cable and Melancthon Beach) happened upon a place the Ute Indians had been visiting for centuries. Upon seeing the Brilliant Red, sandstone images for the first time ole Mel’ said something about a “perfect place for a beer garden” (obviously a retailer and marketer at heart!), Rufus then exclaimed…. “This is a place for the Gods to assemble, A Garden of the Gods!” As you may have already guessed, that name stuck. The name was guaranteed by the Perkins family (former landowners in the area), in 1909, the Perkins Family gifted the land to Colorado Springs with the stipulation that it be called “The Garden of the Gods” in perpetuity.

Garden of the Gods is now part of the Colorado Springs city parks system. The park is approximately 1350 acres and is filled with wonderful, stunning and beautiful natural red sandstone rock formations, which in many cases are over 300 million years old. Garden of the Gods presents great hiking, picnicking, rock climbing (if you are a technical climber), horse riding, bird watching and photographic opportunities.

One way to see the Garden of the Gods and experience all it’s grandeur and beauty is on horseback! The Academy Riding Stables are almost within spittin’ distance of the west end of the Garden of the Gods and is just the place to get the horses from. There are tons of hiking trails and roads everywhere, but to see the park on horseback does something for the soul and cements the scenes in your mind. It truly is a spectacular experience. This is definitely a remarkable place to create memories for you to treasure forever and photos of scenes-to-see to pass to your next generations.

While at The Garden of the Gods, be sure to stop at Rock Ledge Ranch Historic site and the American Indian Heritage at Rock Ledge. They are relatively close to the Garden of the Gods Trading Post and the Visitors and Nature Center. These are both living and working museums and allow you to see, feel, and experience what life was really like in the historic past for the Ute Indians and the early settlers in the Pikes Peak region.

The great outdoors

Colorado Springs is near paradise if you’re an outdoors person. The area caters to nearly everyone, so if you are not interested in Museums then how about outdoor activities? Colorado Springs has a whole host of activities in the area, these include horse riding through great scenes-to-see Garden of the Gods,

Whitewater Trips on the nearby Arkansas River, Hiking, Biking and Photography. What about a Jeep or Van tour, or even go on an air ballooning trip across the Colorado Springs skies in front of Pikes Peak! Now that’s a scene to see!

There is an abundance of hiking and biking trails in and around Colorado Springs. Between Garden of the Gods, Palmer Park, North Cheyenne Canyon Park, Memorial Park, Quail Lake, Bear Creek Canyon Park and all the other city or county run parks there are miles and miles of hiking and biking trails. Some of the trails are for the beginning hiker and a few are for those that are really in shape! The vast majority can be conquered by nearly all who will try and several are wheelchair accessible. Keep checking back with us as we will have a page to highlight hiking trails here and around the state soon.

Bird watching is a popular pastime here also, and with the Fountain Creek Regional Park and the Colorado Springs State Wildlife Area within minutes of downtown Colorado Springs, it is close to wherever you are in town! Over 250 species have been sighted between the 2 areas and all over the Pikes Peak region ranging from Grebes, Cranes and Herons to several types of Owls, Hawks, Eagles, Falcons and even Turkey Vultures. Aside from the fantastic amount and variety of our feathered friends, the scenery is beautiful, stunning and serene all at the same time!

Another must see in a visit to Colorado Springs is Seven Falls. A great scene-to-see without a doubt. The falls are 181 ft high and at night the falls are completely lit, with each of the seven steps being a different color! If you would to hike to the top of the falls then that’s just dandy as next to the falls is a stairway of 224 stairs which will take you a scenes-to-see nature trail. Don’t want to hike? Then take the in-mountain elevator to the top and take in the breathtaking view. If you keep your eyes open you may even see some of the beautiful birds and deer in the area. There is so much to see and do here in and around Colorado Springs.

Is Golf your thing? This area is blessed with some splendid courses such as The Broadmoor Golf Club, and Patty Jewett Golf Course. These are just two of the many wonderful and award winning Golf Courses in the area. Up here, your drive goes a little further and the scenery is unbeatable. A perfect combination to make your day at the course enjoyable, no matter what your score is!

Other Springs things

Sams Worlds Smallest Bar, is the worlds smallest bar! He has a certificate from the Guiness Book of World Records to prove it! You’ll have to look closely as Sams is sandwiched between a nightclub and the Bikers Dream, Sams is another of the oddities in the area!

The U.S. Olympic Complex, which includes a very extensive training center and the U.S.O.C. headquarters are here in Colorado Springs! On the corner of Union Boulevard and Boulder Street, the Olympic complex now occupies what was formerly ENT Air Force Base and the headquarters of NORAD (North American Air Defense Command). The facilities were state-of-the-art when the Olympic committee moved in and have only gone up from there! Be sure to visit the Olympic visitors center to learn all about the history of the U.S.O.C. and the Olympics in general. Also in the complex are the International Center for Aquatic Research, the Sports Centers, a Velodrome and the Olympic Shooting Center. The U.S. Olympic Complex truly is a scene-to-see.

Colorado Springs is also home to the Space Foundation and Hall of Fame. This organization works to promote the use of space technologies in everyday life and is a very interesting stop filled with fantastic information. Located just a little east of Van Briggles and The Ghost Town and Wild West Museum.