Explore the Gorgeous Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs is a cute mountain town crowned by Pike’s Peak, a mountain that has sold about a million postcards. C-Springs used to be a very, very uncool place--but a tiny bit of improvement never hurt anybody, right? This city is slowly filling up with places as trendy as those in Denver.

Now, the first thing you might be thinking is: where are all the marijuana shops? After Colorado voted to make marijuana legal a few years back, the green plant has become widely associated with the state itself. However, Colorado Springs has actually decided not to include any stores within its city limits, but the nearby town Manitou Springs offers a couple of options. Make a stop at Emerald Fields: the employees have contagious good vibes, and the decor is reminiscent of Tender Greens or another upscale health cafe. Browse the wacky hippie stores while you’re in Manitou, and if you’re a crafty human, hit up Silver Sparrow Beads, one of the best bead stores this side of the Sears Tower.

For lodging in Colorado Springs, try the legendary Broadmoor, a sprawling resort built in an Italian Renaissance style. To be closer to all the fun, book a room in the ritzy Mining Exchange, placed snugly downtown where you can walk or Uber almost anywhere you go.

Downtown is the most fun part of Colorado Springs, and if it were the only place you could go, you’d be just fine. The best thing to ever happen to downtown is the two-year-old Mountain Fold Books. Mountain Fold is a nonprofit bookstore selling small press books such as comics, poetry chapbooks, and zines. It also functions as a reading room and cafe, featuring coffee, tea, and my favorite: the Giant Hunk o’ Bread with a cheese plate. Check the website’s events page for a long list of upcoming readings, workshops, and live music shows.

Other than that, downtown boasts Poor Richard’s: a bookstore, coffee shop, wine bar, toy store, and restaurant all in one. They didn’t spread themselves too thin--they’re A+ in everything they do. Nearby, there’s the Candy Bar, which is the complete candy emporium experience. For new duds, Colorado Co-Op has you covered; they sell Kiehl's bath products and clothes that will leave your friends begging to know where you shop. Also try Terra Verde, which sells a huge selection of clothing for the tastefully dressed woman, along with home accessories and cute knickknacks. If you’re a more youthfully dressed shopper, you need the Leechpit, a huge store near Manitou Springs with a solid record selection, well-curated secondhand clothes, and vintage Nintendo cartridges.

When you get hungry, you’re in luck, because downtown has some very special restaurants. My personal favorite is Shuga’s on the outskirts of downtown: dark and intimate, yet hip and casual. Everything on the menu is good, and they even nail the Japanese ramen dish. Another one of my favorites is the Wild Goose, a café with loaded bookshelves, live music, and delicious gooseberry jam served with all of their hot sandwiches.

Consider the Rabbit Hole, an Alice In Wonderland-themed restaurant (not as garish as it sounds) that’s 100% underground with only stairs and a sign as an aboveground presence. Fifty Fifty Coffee House has a 5pm Thursday club called Stitch n Bitch, where people gather in the café and knit. Supplies are available for purchase in-store if you’ve never knitted before. Odyssey is good for those of you craving a greasy gastropub fix. And for dessert, Josh and John’s has the best American ice cream.

At the edge of downtown is Colorado College, a great way to look at the gorgeous and mismatched architecture that any 130-year-old college might have. Look up the school’s events for things to do. Lots of famous authors speak in Gates Common Room throughout the school year; recent guests include Margaret Atwood.

Next to Colorado College, there’s the Fine Arts Center, which owns a lot of Dale Chihuly sculptures and art workshops. For another museum fix, drive 20 minutes to the May Museum, the world’s largest private bug collection. "You name the bug and we’ve probably got it," their website says. May Museum proudly has over 7,000 bugs on display.

And what would a visit to Colorado Springs be without some nature? Hiking fanatics need to climb the Incline, which ascends 2,000 feet in one mile. Maybe have a spiritual experience on the red rocks at Garden of the Gods, or learn about and see cute wolves at the Wolf and Wildlife Center. You could even drive a little further and see the Calhan Paint Mines full of otherworldly, brilliantly colored rock formations; these mines were occupied by Natives up to 9,000 years ago. Find the other 800,000 Colorado Springs trails on their website.

When you want to reward yourself for your hike (or even if you’ve been sitting around), the SunWater Spa will be there for you, housed in an impressive "modern cabin"-style lodge. For only one Andrew Jackson (soon to be Harriet Tubman), SunWater lets you soak in their hot springs for two hours. There’s also yoga, massage, facials, waxing... the works! For live music at night, try the year-and-a-half-old Flux Capacitor, an all-ages venue embracing the DIY ethos. The space also holds art shows and movie screenings.

By now, I’ve probably given you enough things to do in Colorado Springs to keep you there an entire month. It’s no suburban wasteland, despite the Leechpit’s sticker for sale that says "Keep Colorado Springs Lame." Rather, it’s a cute, outdoorsy, not-so-touristy city pushing on the edges of hot destination-hood. So keep it on your radar for when you need some Colorado time and the big streets of Denver are just too overwhelming.