Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs sits at about 1,840m on the edge of the Rockies, far from any coast. Swimming here means a hotel pool, a public pool or a summer dip in a reservoir or city lake, and the water in the mountains stays cold well into summer. Visitors who want water time tend to look to rafting on the Arkansas River instead, which is a different kind of day out.

Eating here is solid, casual and American. Expect craft breweries with food trucks outside, Southwestern cooking with green chile on most menus, burger and barbecue joints, and a reliable spread of Mexican and Asian restaurants along the main roads. The pleasantest places to eat are downtown around Tejon Street, in the old brick blocks of Old Colorado City and in Manitou Springs at the foot of the mountain.

The resort dining rooms at the historic Broadmoor provide the formal end of the scale. Between that and the brewpubs the middle is thin, and few visitors come for the food. Local beer is the strongest part of it.

The city's sights are few and spread out. The most striking building is the Cadet Chapel at the US Air Force Academy, with its row of aluminium spires against the mountains. The US Olympic and Paralympic Museum reflects the city's role as the home of the American Olympic movement. The Fine Arts Center has a good regional collection with a strong Southwestern focus. The Pioneers Museum, in the old county courthouse, tells the story of the Gold Rush era and the founding of the resort town.

Old Colorado City and the Victorian streets of Manitou Springs have some historic character. Still, most visitors spend their time outdoors rather than in museums.

Going out is mostly downtown on Tejon Street. A few blocks there hold sports bars, cocktail bars, brewpubs and a handful of dance spots, and they fill at weekends with college students and young soldiers from the nearby bases. Manitou Springs adds a few relaxed bars along its main street.

Much of the evening drinking happens in brewery taprooms, many of which close well before midnight. There are few clubs, little goes on late, and on weeknights the town is quiet early. Come for a pint after a day on the trails, not for a big night out.

Here the mountains are the reason to come. Pikes Peak rises above the western edge of town to more than 4,300m, and you can hike, drive or ride the cog railway from Manitou Springs to the summit. Below it, the red sandstone fins of Garden of the Gods and Red Rock Canyon have easy walking paths and serious rock climbing. North Cheyenne Cañon has waterfalls and trails a few minutes from the suburbs, and the Manitou Incline is a famously punishing staircase climb.

Mountain biking is excellent, and the dry, sunny climate keeps the trails open for much of the year. Rafting on the Arkansas River and the Great Sand Dunes are both within reach, while the ski resorts are about two hours away. The altitude is real, so newcomers should take the first day gently.

There is a decent spread of towns within easy reach. Manitou Springs is right next door and makes a half day of Victorian streets and mineral springs. Denver is a little over an hour north, with major museums and a full city day, and Boulder is a bit further. Up in the mountains, the gold-mining towns of Cripple Creek and Victor are about an hour away along steep, scenic roads, and the head frames and old brick streets are still standing.

Cañon City and the Royal Gorge Bridge are about an hour south-west. With a long drive you can reach old mining and ski towns such as Breckenridge and Salida. Almost every trip needs a car.

The city works well with children who like being outdoors. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is built on a steep mountainside and is known for its large giraffe herd, which children can hand-feed. The cog railway up Pikes Peak, the cave tours at Cave of the Winds, the Manitou Cliff Dwellings and the flat paths of Garden of the Gods are all short outings. There is a small, long-running Christmas-themed amusement park in the hills, and the Olympic museum keeps sporty older children busy.

On the downside, distances mean a lot of time in the car, the altitude and strong sun call for care, and there is no big theme park or aquarium.

This is a city built for the car. The attractions are spread along the foothills, the zoo sits up a mountain road and the city bus network is thin and infrequent. Downtown, Old Colorado City and Manitou Springs are each pleasant to walk around, and in summer a few shuttles link Manitou with nearby sights. Anyone planning more than a couple of outings should hire a car.

Shopping is modest. Old Colorado City and Manitou Springs have the most character, with art galleries, Western wear, rock and gem shops, outdoor-gear stores and local crafts in old storefronts. Beyond those, it is open-air malls and big-box retail along the highways, plus outlet stores on the north side of town. There is no luxury or design shopping to speak of.

For an American destination, Colorado Springs is moderately priced. Chain hotels and motels along the interstate are reasonably priced, while the historic resort at the foot of Cheyenne Mountain is at the other end of the scale. Eating out costs the usual American amount once tipping is included, and car hire is an extra cost that most visitors can't avoid. On the other hand, Garden of the Gods, the canyon parks and most trails are free, which keeps the daily spend down.

There is a respectable local programme, but nothing here is worth travelling for. The Colorado Springs Philharmonic plays a season at the Pikes Peak Center. The Fine Arts Center runs a theatre company that stages plays and musicals, and the university's arts centre adds concerts and student productions. In summer, touring bands play the arena and the outdoor amphitheatre.

The gaps are clear. There is no major opera house, big touring musicals come only occasionally, and on most nights live music is limited to a few small rooms and brewery stages. A visitor can find a concert or a play on the right evening, but it will rarely shape the trip.

Manitou Springs was founded as a health resort around its naturally carbonated mineral springs. You can still fill a cup from the public fountains around town, and there is a small soaking spa there with outdoor tubs looking towards the mountains. The Broadmoor, the city's century-old grand hotel, has the most complete resort spa. Otherwise, wellness means hotel spas and the calm of a sunny, unhurried mid-sized city. The well-known Colorado hot-spring pools are further into the mountains, more than two hours away.