Colorado Springs!

It had been forever since Doug and I had had a break. Okay, forever is an exaggeration but aside from weekend trips to my parents (an hour away) we hadn’t had multiple days off in a row since our Palm Springs trip (post one and two) June 2013. We got double whammied this summer with wedding invites and saw it as a sign that we simply had to get out of town. Our first trip was to Colorado in May. Mere weeks after closing on our condo, it seemed like it was going to be impossible to swing the trip, but we scored an awesome deal on airfare (and paid for it later, by being stranded in the airport) and sold a bunch of stuff on Craigslist to help offset the costs. We were moving and it seemed like a good time to pare down anyway!

Some of our favorite people in the world live in Colorado Springs. We used to spend weekends with them when they lived in Lawrence, KS, so spending a few days with them in their new stomping grounds was awesome!

Fun fact: I lived in Colorado Springs for my elementary school days in the mid 90s. When we went back to Garden of the Gods (above) it was awesome since I spent a lot of time there at a young age. Other things we did were totally new to me! Mom, how did we not go to this amazing old arcade every weekend when I was little??

The arcade in Manitou Springs was incredible. There were probably a hundred or more game machines dating way, way back (which you’ll see below), including “modern vintage” ones, also known as games that came out in the 90s but are now approaching 15, 20 years old (Area 51 anyone?) and new new ones like the addictive Deal or No Deal. After pooling all our tickets we were able to earn a kazoo and pixie stick apiece. Man, the exchange rate on tickets is steep! 

As far as food goes, our friends live super close to downtown so we walked over for brunch and dinner. I loved the food at Wild Goose Meeting House. The night we went there was very good live music so the place was packed! We snagged a couch in the way way back and had to balance our plates on our knees. Nobody spilled though, if I remember right!

Another amazing place that I wish I had photographed is Ivywild School. It is an old school building in the midst of being renovated. The school has been broken up into sections and each section is its own small business. On the far end, the largest rooms have been converted into a brewery (they probably pay the lion’s share of the rent to keep the place open); in the middle area right after going up the stairs there is a deli, pastry shop, and coffee shop! The coffee was very good and the pastries were super cheap– cheap enough for me to buy three (I couldn’t decide between them!) There are still lots of rooms yet to be claimed by businesses. It was so inspiring to me! I want to get an old building and breathe new life into it by making something cool.

Every time we get to spend time with Paul and Sarah we are inspired by their endless quest for thrift store gems and overall zeal for an interesting, easygoing, but anything but boring, life. Two great things to be reminded of every so often! Growing up is so hard–close friends scattered all over the country. The good part is… you have people to visit when the time is right!

Eat: The Wild Goose Meeting House, Ivywild School
Play: Manitou Springs Arcade // Hike: Garden of the Gods, Helen Hunt Falls

Check back for a handful of Denver pics on Friday!