“World's Most Complete Neighborpedia”
Explore:   What's happening in your neck of the woods?

Kelly Young ~ Colorado Springs Real Estate ~ 719-226-0126

365 Things to Do In Colorado Springs ~ Day 60 Tour Cave of the Winds

Cave of the Winds, Manitou Springs, 365 things to do in Colorado SpringsThere is a dark, sometimes cold, place you can explore near Manitou Springs, CO. It’s the Cave of the Winds, where you can walk through nearly a mile of caverns, marveling at such formations as Giant’s Bleeding Heart and the Temple of Silence.

There are a few different trips and tours available. The most popular is a guided walk through nearly a mile of caverns with one area going through total cave darkness. Another is the Lantern tour which is said to be more for the adventurous folks, with stopping and shuffling along the routes, children under 5 are not permitted and those with heart issues or pregnant may not feel comfortable during this trek. If neither of these sound quite right, there is one more tour option. It’s the Eco Tour. On this guided tour, turn off the lights and explore the geology and natural history of the most popular caverns – by flashlight! You’ll learn about the importance of caves to our daily lives, including the incredible journey a single drop of rain takes to arrive in your drinking water. Our flashlight tours save enough electricity to power 20 homes for a month.

The duration for each tour varies, but there is enough to see and do should some of your group want to go one way and others another. Prices also vary from $16-22, and some tours have age or ability restrictions, so please read all tour descriptions before selecting the one that is right for you.

the Cave of the Winds website offers all of the details and descriptions to help you plan the perfect day.

ShareThis

The Perfect Weekend Morning Getaway

The Margarita at Pine Creek is a restaurant here in Colorado Springs that is tucked back off of Woodmen & I-25. Winding your way around the restaurants and hotels itt starts to seem like you are heading into the country and almost immediately on your left two gigantic carrots are seen sprouting out of the ground. This is the entry to the Margarita at Pine Creek.

Saturday mornings drive in their was such a suprise as it was a first for me and the parking lot (really a large field out front) was overflowing with cars and people. My first thought was we are going to be waiting a long time to get in here.

What a reminder about not jumping to conclusions. Walking back beside the restaurant the scene below looked like a busy European market with happy people milling around everywhere. To my right was a multi-tiered deck with a band setting up and the Margarita chef busy cooking on the outdoor grill.

What happens is the Farmers Market uses the land below for their Saturday morning market while the Margarita serves food (breakfast or lunch) was well as morning coctails and a setting that is perfect to sit with friends and enjoy the weekend day.

I purposefully did not post photos as I believe seeing it for yourself is half the fun. Getting there is easy once you have done it the first time. Take I-25 to Woodmen Road and head West. At the first light (Campus Dr) turn right (North) and wind around by the restaurants & hotels. Just after the second curve look for the tall Carrot entry on your left.

Colorado Springs Outdoor Art

I hear a lot about some of the art sculputres and other exhibits found in the downtown area of Colorado Springs. There is another great find for outdoor art located over at the Gold Hill Mesa Community. Once a year artists are judged and one choosen to put their art in for the community.

Colorado Springs Outdoor Art

Stop by for a walk outside, or this year, coming by to see one of the houses in the Colorado Springs Parade of Homes. Once you have been here coming back is fun to see what new art (and artist) is here every year.

Colorado Springs Gold Hill Mesa Outdoor Art

Don Green & Michael Thiesen are both featured artsists with work currently exhibited at Gold Hill Mesa. Along the walking tour of the area to see the art work you will also find postings talking about the rich history of the area.

The art door art was fun to see because of the unique shapes, different takes on regular objects (ie trees made of wrought iron) and the comments generated. The beauty of the area is a great backdrop for the artwork itself.

Stop by for a walk, a visit or check out the new homes in the area. Townhomes here have been incredibly popular with great floorplans to choose from.

365 Things to Do In Colorado Springs ~ Day 59 Spend a Day at the Denver Art Museum

The Denver Art Museum is a suprise for many because of its appeal to a wide age group. In an economy where many have been watching their budget and incorporating, "Dave Ramsey" style family fun events here is a great option. The Denver Art Museum opens it’s doors for a FREE admission day to the public once a month, the first Saturday of every month. Open 10am – 5pm every day, until 8pm on Fridays, and closed on Mondays.

Explore the artist within or simply be inspired by other amazing artists. Why is art so important to our society? It’s a visual way to express ourselves, tell a story, show history as it really was, show history as someone else wanted it shown as, and to emulate the natural beauty which surrounds us and we often forget to look at.

Art, like beauty is said to be in the eye of the beholder. If you don’t like a piece, keep it to yourself until you are outside or at a cafe discussing the pieces with friends. Just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean it isn’t someone else’s favorite piece on display.

Speaking of a cafe, there is food and drink available at the DAM, and many restaurants are nearby as well. Park and green space is directly north of the DAM if you want to picnic before or after viewing the art. Food and drinks are not allowed within the museum areas.

This month features a super fun exhibit for kids title, "Marvelous Mud Clay Around The World". Today's Mile Hi Mamas blog has a great personal feature about this exhibit. Mile Hi Mammas is also a great blog for Moms to follow on a regular basis. Look for future blog posts here about blog posts for Mom's.

ShareThis

365 Things to Do In Colorado Springs ~ Day 58 Bring Friends & Make Your Own Wine

Have you ever wanted to create your own drink, your own sophisticated wine with the subtle notes you like? If you don’t have the making supplies, or knowledge but want a drinkable glass to showcase at an upcoming event (perfect for wedding season! Or if you’re really on top of it, make a red and give it as gifts for Christmas!) then head on down to D’Vine Wine at 934 Manitou Ave., Suite 108. Here you can create your own wine, choosing the grape type, flavors, wood chips, even design the labels.

Manitou Springs, Colorado Springs things to do

Each batch yields approximately 30 bottles of wine, and when it is time to bottle, you come back in and have a bottling party, bottling the wine, corking and adding the labels. Pricing varies depending on the grape variety, just like any wine from a store.

If you are only in the area visiting, stop in for taste testing of the wines created by the staff. It might be an idea to take home with you and try out in your own space! The winery also hosts wine tasting parties, and rents the space if you would like to host your own party there.

Visit: D’Vine Wine Manitou Springs for more information.