Colorado ...
An Incredible Summertime Destination!
Hiking Cheyenne Mountain near Colorado Springs
For this month’s Travel Tales and tips, we are bringing the conversation closer to home for a great summertime destination … Colorado. This beautiful state is known more for its wintertime resorts and sports. Still, Colorado is also a fantastic summer vacation destination, especially when you need a break from the hot August Texas summer. Another great benefit is that Colorado is not only just a short flight away but also within driving distance: a leisurely two-day drive or a reasonably long but beautiful 10-11 hour drive to Colorado Springs and Denver.
Here are our Colorado summertime vacation tips …
- There is so much to do, but everything is spread out across the magnificent landscape, so you need a vehicle. You can either drive to Colorado or fly and rent a car.
- Colorado Springs is a great place to start, as it is home to several fantastic attractions such as Pike’s Peak, the U.S. Air Force Academy, Garden of the Gods, Manitou Springs, Royal Gorge, Cave of the Winds, the U.S. Olympic Training Center & Museum, and fantastic hiking and camping.
- Pike’s Peak is a majestic 14,000-foot mountain accessible by cog train, car, or even by hiking. The summit is above the treeline and offers beautiful views from the newly renovated visitors center.
- The U.S. Air Force Academy sits against the Rocky Mountain front range just north of Colorado Springs. During the summer, incoming freshmen receive Basic Military Training, while many upper-class cadets are doing flight and skydiving training, all of which are often visible while driving through the Academy.
- South of Colorado Springs is Royal Gorge, which has the highest pedestrian suspension bridge in America, nearly 1,000 feet above the canyon floor. Visitors can also enjoy scenic cable car rides, a zip line, or bungee jumping from the suspension bridge.
- Manitou Springs is a village of beautiful shops nestled at the base of Pikes Peaks. From here, you can take the cog train on an hour-long scenic ride to the 14,000-foot summit. For hiking enthusiasts, two bucket-list hikes start here: one to the summit of Pike’s Peak, and the other is the Manitou Incline, a 2,000-foot vertical “stair style” hike straight up an abandoned cog railway line with 2,744 steps! A must for the outdoor adventurist.
- Along the front range towards Denver are several other great hikes, including the Devil's Head hike to an operational National Forest Service fire tower, Independence Mountain hike, and Squaw Pass, which even has a former fire lookout tower you can rent for overnight stays.
- Denver has excellent restaurants, abundant accommodations, theme and water parks, biking and hiking trails, and a great football team … Go Broncos!
- The world-famous Colorado ski resorts are also great summertime destinations. Most have chairlifts and gondolas running that can take you on a scenic ride or up the mountain for some hiking. They also have ATVs for rental and abundant trails. The resorts also have great lodging, camping, and fishing.
So, consider Colorado as a potential summertime escape from the Texas heat!
As neighbors, we hope you find our Travel Tales exciting and helpful. We travel for a living and welcome any suggestions on destinations or travel subjects you’d like to see featured in a future article. We can be reached through Stroll The Resort magazine or through our Instagram accounts, @captscott737 and @pilotjenn737.