Ten things I love about Colorado Springs

1. The thing that I love most about Colorado Springs is the weather.  Advertisements will tell you that we have 300+ days of sunshine, but I think it is a lot more than that.  Because of our location at its base, we are protected by Pikes Peak from a lot of the harsh weather that the neighboring towns receive.  The summers see warm but not stifling temperatures, and because of the dryness of our Colorado Mountain air, rarely do we have bitter cold.  Fall is my favorite time of year ~ cooler weather, gorgeous change of seasons, and incredible crispness in everything around you.  Well, Spring is pretty spectacular also.
2. We are blessed with some breathtaking natural wonders.  Pikes Peak is, of course, the most obvious.  Not many places that you can be in town without seeing this magnificent mountain. Garden of the Gods is a spectacular sight.  Seven Falls, Cave of the Winds, Manitou Springs, Helen Hunt Falls, are just a few of the beautiful wonders around us to enjoy.
3. The people are some of the friendliest that you will find anywhere.  Wherever you go, they are helpful and solicitous and genuine.
4. Colorado Springs is a very clean City.  For such a large town (approximately 600,000 people in the connected areas), the days are generally crisp and clean and clear with no pollution, no black cloud that you find in larger cities.
5. There are Parks everywhere in the Colorado Springs area. The City boasts 7000 acres of parkland and 85 miles of trails.  Acacia Park was the first designated Park in the City, and set the tone for things to come.
6. While keeping a small town feel, Colorado Springs is large enough to have most amenities of a larger town.  Denver is less than an hour away if there’s something here you just can’t find.  Colorado Springs is also conveniently located near many of the world’s finest ski resorts.
7. Because of the rolling hills throughout the City, there are views from most places in town (and directions are easy because Pikes Peak is always to the West).
8. The sunrises and sunsets are second to none, and worth a few minutes out of most days to just sit and take in the beauty.
9. Because we have five military establishments in town, it seems to be a more polite society.  (Air Force Academy, Ft. Carson, Shriever Air Force Base, NORAD, and Peterson Air Force Base) While there are always exceptions to any kind of rules, manners are something that you find more in Colorado Springs than in other large towns because of the training of the extensive military population.
10. The rich history of our City is preserved in the Old North End.  Homes built in the late 1800s by gold and silver miners (Millionaire Row), and those built by the average citizenry that helped to settle what was known at the time as Newport of the Rockies, have been richly preserved and maintained in the historic section of Downtown Colorado Springs.

If you are ever blessed with the opportunity to visit the beautiful City of Colorado Springs, I know that you will truly appreciate the sights and sounds that are an everyday part of life here.  And tell ‘em Mimi sent you . . .