Midsummer Getaway to Olympic City USA

5 Reasons Why Colorado Springs is a Great Escape

By Chris Duthie

Among the sumptuous perks of living in Colorado is that we often can pair our favorite outdoor pursuits with a nearby, better-weather locale: When it’s hot and dry, we take our games to the mountains; and when summer monsoons sweep into the Rockies, we sidestep the wet and go explore the Front Range.

Right now, with rains coming early and often to the West Slope, it’s a fine time visit Colorado Springs. Here are five reasons why:

1. Start your trip at The Broadmoor (pictured above), which next year marks its 100-year anniversary. Sporting one of the most recognized and celebrated resorts in the world, this Forbes Five Star property features two spectacular 18-hole golf courses including the Donald Ross/Robert Trent Jones II-designed East Course, site of numerous national championships including the 2018 U.S. Senior Open.

2. I’m equally fond of The Lodge at Flying Horse (pictured below), a 48-room boutique property that serves up uncompromising elegance and, for golfers, daily-fee access to the private, Tom Weiskopf-crafted Club at Flying Horse. The hotel’s luxe guest amenities also include superlative dining and a 50,000-square-foot athletic club with four pools, nine indoor clay tennis courts and one of the top spas in the state.

3. Make your Colorado Springs vacation a family affair at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort (pictured below). This four-diamond destination’s pampering distractions include a 35-acre private lake for swimming, kayaking, standup paddle boarding and beach activities, plus an aquatics center with a 50-meter swimming pool and kids splash pad. Add to that a spa and wellness retreat, casual dining, tennis, fitness center, Pete Dye golf and sweet stay-and-play packages.

4. Wrap your getaway around a major Colorado Springs event or festival. The El Paso County Fair is scheduled July 15-22, followed by the Rocky Mountain State Games (July 22-24 and July 29-31), the initial stage of the professional bikers’ Colorado Classic (Aug. 10), and the Rocky Mountain Rampage pro-am skateboard spectacle (Aug. 18-20).

5. More golf awaits at 27-hole Kissing Camels (J. Press Maxwell/Mark Rathert), semi-private Woodmoor (Maxwell), Pine Creek (Richard Phelps, pictured at bottom) and historic 27-hole Patty Jewett. For non-golf diversions, go experience the Space Foundation Discovery Center, Garden of the Gods Park, Paint Mines Park, Arkansas River whitewater rafting, rock climbing, or the new Cloudscraper Zip Line across the Royal Gorge in nearby Cañon City.

For more about Colorado Springs, go online to visitcos.com.

What are your favorite memories of Colorado Springs? Share your comments below.

RELATED LINKS

2017 CAGGY Awards

Kick Off Summer in Colorado Springs

Teeing Up in Colorado Springs

5 Reasons to Love Colorado Springs

Live Well in Colorado Springs

Chris Duthie is a Durango-based contributor to Colorado AvidGolfer.

Colorado AvidGolfer is the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it, publishing eight issues annually and proudly delivering daily content via coloradoavidgolfer.com.