Manitou Springs, CO May 20-23

My parents rented a cabin and took on us on a big weekend vacation to the Manitou Springs, CO area to kick off summer! Colorado is ALWAYS a great place to vacation! We're lucky we are so close to it and it has so many things to see and do, you could go back several times in your lifetime and not see them all!

Manitou Springs, CO

We hit up the tourist area in Manitou Springs right when we got into town. I'm all for taking the less traveled path, but come on, you have to see SOME of the tourist things also!

Manitou was a delightful little town (just over 5,000!) with quaint shops, restaurants and bars all lined up ready to serve you!

First thing was first, it was lunch at the local brewery, Manitou Brewing Company!

We were so impressed with this place! Wonderful little patio to enjoy the Colorado sunshine, great service, a big and fresh menu, and awesome beer! We would highly recommend this restaurant and brewery!

Manitou also has a famous little arcade...well, it's not so little! It's called the Penny Arcade and it features 100's of vintage arcade games and most are only 25 cents! This arcade takes up at least 1 block with several different buildings and lots of small rides outside around them. My kids definitely could have stayed here for hours, but we eventually had to leave!

Our cabin was an old rangers station my parents rented off of Vrbo. It was quaint and easily-accessible. It was like staying at grannies house. Lots of old, country decor, creaky stairs, tiny bathroom, old furniture and no a/c. But the front porch was large and it was right next to a really good pizza place, so we basically slept there, and ate pizza on the porch! Not a bad stay!

The Royal Gorge

Our next adventure took us The Royal Gorge Bridge. I remember going here as a child and being in awe of America's largest suspended bridge, and I knew my kids would love it also! So after quite a windy, curvy ride, we made it! Apparently in 2013 the area around the bridge was in a forest fire and destroyed everything. They have really built it up to cater to tourist, including a $30/person ticket to walk across! However, it was a beautiful day for a long (and high up) walk!

The other side had a "movie theater" that featured a 17 minute film on the history of the bridge. I would have been interested in seeing that, but my 2-year-old wouldn't have found it too entertaining! So we ventured to a playground for the kids, and they could have stayed there all day! Luckily, there was a drink station nearby to hang out while the kids played!

Cripple Creek, CO

The next day we headed to Cripple Creek, a small town with a big history of gold mining! In fact, we met present-day gold miners eating in a restaurant, so it's still a big industry in the area! Cripple Creek is not only known for it's gold mining, but also for it's many casinos! Their official tourist season didn't open until the next weekend (Memorial Weekend), so many of the gold mining tours, train tours and restaurants were closed still. However, we did find one fun family attraction and that was an old jail museum. I love history! And for some reason I'm also fascinated my jails! So this was right up my alley!

The Outlaws & Lawmen Jail Museum was Cripple Creeks working jail for 90 years, from 1901 to 1992! It was such an interesting place! You could walk through the whole jail, including cells, see the markings inmates left, and even stand in solitary confinement where the tv show Ghost Hunters confirmed a lot of paranormal activity! They had a ton of information about the crimes committed, pictures of inmates, and the general feel of what Cripple Creek was like back in the 1900's. My 8-year-old son loved this too! It will definitely take you at least an hour, if not more, to walk around.

And the best night was the last night (as most vacations are!). We couldn't decide on a place to eat, and most places we visited had a long line and we had 2 hungry kids who didn't want to wait! We finally stopped at BierWerks in Woodland Park, which was just a few

minutes drive from where our cabin was. I looked online and they just had sausages, cheese and beer, so I was worried the kids wouldn't have many options. But we all LOVED it! It was a small place but they had a nice patio. Unfortunately it was cold and windy so we didn't sit on the patio. There was room for us inside and we all ordered some great German beers along with cheese, crackers and hummus. We chowed down and loved our beers! The kids had fun eating the snacky food and the grownups chatted and laughed! It was a great way to spend the last night! And instead of feeling stuffed and miserable after a big last meal, we went home happy and the snacks made us focus more on each other than the food.

Here are some things we learned on this trip!

1. Check out Roadside Attractions. When traveling with kids, don't be in such a hurry to not check out the random attractions along the way. I am guilty of this, because I'm in such a hurry to get where we want to go! But kids need breaks, and some of the attractions were their favorites of the whole trip! This included the Sinclair dinosaur and the bear at a gift shop.

2. Bring Activities and Be Patient. Restaurants are being hit hard right now with lots of customers, not enough help, and distributors are not providing everything they need. So we brought books for my 8-year-old and colors for my 2-year-old. They only get "special" drinks at restaurants, like lemonade or root beer, so make sure they are stocked with that. And just enjoy your beverages and good conversation. Don't be in a rush, remember, you're on vacation! Sit back and relax!

3. Pick 1 Important Thing to do Each Day, and then Be Flexible!

There is SO MANY fun things to do in Colorado! Like SO...MANY! It's pretty overwhelming on what to choose! Our first day, we planned to do the Royal Gorge and then go to Garden of the Gods but could only muster a drive through it because we were sooo tired! And the kids were done! So if you are visiting a place for 2 days (like us), plan your 2 most important things, do 1 of them each day, and then if you can squeeze anything else in it's a bonus! But if you are tired, there is no shame in relaxing in your hotel room or cabin. It is vacation, and you don't want to take a vacation from your vacation when you get home!

We can't wait to go back and see the Manitou Incline, The North Pole, Pike's Peak, Cave of the Winds and so many other sites! Please let us know your favorite place to stay and visit when you are in Colorado!