The Nomad Retirees: Colorado Springs, CO

Colorado Springs, CO is a fun city at the foothills of the Rockies. Weary from driving, we decided to stop and explore for a day or two. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Garden of the Gods and tour of the United States Air Force Academy.

Garden of the Gods is ranked as the #1 city park in the US by Trip Advisor. http://m.gazette.com/garden-of-the-gods-ranked-best-in-the-us-nearly-tops-in-the-world/article/1521923

It is gorgeous, filled with unbelievable geologic formations (cool rocks) and a great network of trails. We joined a park tour given by a park volunteer who was a retired professor from Michigan State University. He was quite knowledgeable of the park, its history and lore - well worth the time and price (free). After the tour we hiked a few trails, drove the park and stopped at the visitors center (yes - we did this backwards). It's easy to spend many hours in the park, which we did. It's very popular with locals and visitors, so go early as parking fills quickly. The park is well worth the visit!

Interesting tidbit about the park, it was donated to the city of Colorado Springs in the early 1900s by a philanthropist who stipulated, among other things, that no alcohol be sold or served in the park. We chucked because while they do comply with the alcohol provision, with Colorado's position on cannabis, we noticed more than a few folks partaking in the serenity and beauty of the park.

We spent the afternoon at the United States Air Force Academy. This place is very special since Bob's brother is a graduate. This is an impressive institution! The Academy is one of four service academies in the US. At the visitors center, we learned about life at the Academy and its history and then walked to the chapel. It was spring break so we did not see many cadets. The Academy is a military installation and well worth a tour.