10 Things to Do in Colorado Springs #visitcos #sponsored

This post is sponsored by Colorado Springs CVB and reflects my honest opinion.

     

My family has visited eastern states, southern states and all around our Midwestern home in Illinois, but we have never really gone anywhere west. One state that keeps popping up when I ask friends and family where to visit is Colorado. I even read that Colorado Springs, Colorado is named among the top family-friendly cities and places to vacation. As a family of five, with kids ranging from ages 6 to 11 years old, I am all about a family-friendly vacation where all of us can enjoy our destination. I admit too that I always think of skiing when I think of Colorado, but really there is so much more to do there!

Here are 10 things I have found to do in Colorado Springs:

Go on a hike! Check out Fountain Creek Nature Trail or The Quarry for hiking in Colorado Springs which are both around two miles only – perfect for all ages. Getting out in nature is a great way to unwind and explore together.

Eat in The Airplane Restuarant. This restaurant was used as a refueling plane it became a dining spot full of 100’s of pictures, memorabilia, and rare artifacts. I know my kids would think it is pretty cool to eat in a plane-turned-restaurant!

Colorado Jeep Tours. One thing we love to do when we visit a new spot is to take some type of tour and what better way to embrace Colorado than through an a open-air jeep ride viewing scenery and Colorado wildlife.

Colorado Springs Flea Market. Okay so this sounds like a strange thing to do on vacation but Colorado does it different than you might expect. While viewing Pikes Peak, families can enjoy tasty food, kids rides, live music, cold beer and amazing deals from up to 500 vendors. Shopping with locals and checking out what they have to offer sounds like a fun way to really feel what Colorado Springs is all about.

Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center. Now that my kids are getting older, they really got into the Olympics and checking out where Olympic Dreams Begin sounds pretty awesome! There is even a guided tour and of course one-stop shopping for Olympic-related gifts.

Dinosaur Resource Center. My boys loved dinosaurs growing up and still secretly do. This center is all about dinosaurs and even has an actual fossil preparation laboratory.

Explore Cripple Creek. Cripple Creek is a former mining camp that after you learn all about its history you can then check out an underground gold mine tour!

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. While we have two amazing zoos here near Chicago, I do love visiting zoos wherever we travel to see what animals they feature. This zoo is actually home to the largest herd of reticulated giraffes and an out-of-the-ordinary reptile exhibit. There is also a Mountaineer Sky Ride to check out gorillas and orangutans and a big backyard with free-roaming chickens.

Ghost Town Museum. We love checking out museums wherever we go and what better museum to explore than a ghost one! Actually, this museum is contained in the original 1899 Colorado Midland railroad complex and contains a complete town made from the very structures that were once decaying into the mountainside.

Battlefield Colorado is an attraction that gets your family out on a real outdoor battlefield in this unique experience. The minimum age is 7 years old and their website says the oldest player they have ever had is 88 years old! I love that it would be a fun experience for all of us to do and we could work together on missions. Oh, and there are no projectiles to worry about so no pain either!

Have you been to Colorado Springs? What should I add to our list?