06/29/2026
Colorado Vacation Journal – Day 7 Colorado Springs, Garden of the Gods, Old Colorado City, Manitou Springs
Today's adventure began around 8:30 a.m. as we headed south toward Colorado Springs and Garden of the Gods.
We arrived around 10:15 and, judging by the crowds, so did at least 5,000 others. Our first stop was the Central Garden Trail, where we joined those same 5,000 people for a leisurely walk among some of Colorado's most famous rock formations. Despite the crowds, it was easy to see why so many people visit. The towering red rocks against the blue Colorado sky made for some incredible photos.
After about an hour of wandering the paved trails, we headed toward the Siamese Twins Trail. Unfortunately, the parking lot looked like Black Friday at a shopping mall. Every space was taken, cars were circling, and we quickly decided to move on.
Next up was Old Colorado City, which was established in 1859 during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush. We spent the afternoon exploring the historic district, reading signs, wandering through shops, and soaking in the history.
Lunch was on the rooftop at Pizzeria Leopold. I enjoyed what was listed on the menu as the "Queen La-Meat-Ah" pizza, followed by a chocolate-chip-dipped cannoli that was worth every calorie.
By around 2:00 p.m., storm clouds began rolling in, so we decided to head toward the Seven Bridges Trail for an afternoon hike. Unfortunately, that plan didn't work out quite as expected. We drove and drove and drove, trying every route we could find to reach the trailhead before finally discovering that all access roads were closed due to previous storm and road damage.
At that point, we officially surrendered our hiking plans for the day and headed to Manitou Springs, where we would be spending the night.
One thing became immediately obvious: the people of Manitou Springs have mastered the art of charging for parking. I'm convinced the parking meters are one of the town's biggest tourist attractions.
We spent the afternoon doing what tourists do best—walking up and down the streets, sampling local treats, trying lemonade and raspberry drinks, taking entirely too many pictures, and laughing at ourselves.
For dinner, we stopped at Border Burger Bar, located in the old Manitou Bath House. Travis ordered a salad topped with elk. While waiting on the food, I stepped outside to call my dad and wish him a happy birthday.
Apparently I still don't have Travis completely trained.
By the time I returned, the elk was gone. Completely gone. I have no idea what elk tastes like or even what it looked like because he had already eaten every bite. The only photo I managed was an after-picture.
We eventually made our way to the Eagle Motel, which we booked through Airbnb. As we pulled in, Travis looked at it and said, "This looks like the kind of place people come to die in a horror movie." The outside was very clean and neat. He is just always making funny comments.
However, once we got inside, we were pleasantly surprised. It was very clean, recently renovated, spacious, and much nicer than either of us expected.
So there was no horror movie ending to our day—just unhiked trails, a missing elk salad, a birthday phone call home, and another memorable Colorado adventure.
Day 7: Sometimes the best travel days are the ones where none of the plans work out quite the way you expected.
