The English Maximalista

There are so many fun things to do in the Colorado Springs area, it’s hard to decide where to begin. There is something for all ages, in all seasons.

And so, when two English retirees showed up on my doorstep for a 2-week vacation (not really! I picked my mother and our family friend up from the airport), we really were spoiled for choice over what we would do to fill our days.

Mummy Dearest has already been to Colorado several times in recent years, so she was familiar with the area and knew what to expect; our family friend, however, had never been to the States. I really wanted to showcase the region to her. (More of my showcasing prowess in future blogs…)

In the meantime, whilst they were settling in and recovering a little from the dreaded jet lag, we opted to remain local to the Colorado Springs area for the first few days of their vacation.

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Wednesday was their first full day, so we headed over to Royal Gorge in Cañon City, the drive through which is a pleasure within itself, nestled as the town is with a backdrop of the Rockies.

Royal Gorge is perhaps an hour drive from my house, and is famous locally for being America’s highest suspension bridge: the wooden-planked footbridge is not for the faint-hearted, as it hangs 956 feet above the Arkansas river.

One of my favourite local-ish jaunts is along Phantom Canyon Road, a rather “rustic” — albeit spectacular — road. Unfortunately, we ran out of time after Royal Gorge, and instead opted to do the Phantom Canyon trek some other time.

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Last year, Mummy Dearest and I visited Miramont Castle in Manitou Springs, but had been profoundly disappointed. That is all I am going to say, except to recommend that any discerning travelers shouldn’t bother with it.

So when Mr Maximalista and I recently happened upon a documentary about Glen Eyrie castle in Colorado Springs, we decided this might just be the place where I could redeem myself after last year’s Miramont / Manitou Springs fiasco.

Thankfully, Glen Eyrie did not disappoint. My reputation was saved!

Even though I had driven past the driveway a dozen times, I had no idea of what delightful surprises awaited, hidden back within the canyon. It is not shocking, therefore, that General Palmer had chosen to build this charming family home, tucked in beside the gorgeous Garden of the Gods.

Tours of this smashing house need to be booked in advance: ours started at noon on a Thursday, and lasted for 90 minutes. The tour begins with a ten minute video of the history of Glen Eyrie, which was the perfect length when one is eager to start poking around in the castle.

Our docent was great. She gave an interesting and entertaining tour of this incredible building, and answered everyone’s questions patiently and factually. I took lots of photos, which you can view in my Facebook album entitled Glen Eyrie.

Visitors to English country homes will have no problems imagining the cafeteria and gift shop, transformed from what had formerly been the coaching stables. [For my American readers, it’s similar to what has been done at the Biltmore Estate in NC. If you haven’t yet been, YOU SHOULD GO, as it is awesome!]

Glen Eyrie also offers Afternoon Tea, which I shall be trying myself, in the near future.

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Another local attraction we visited that same day was Garden of the Gods. This is a delightful park, nestled on the west side of Colorado Springs. It’s small by American standards, and a perfect way to spend a couple of hours.

I have linked my short YouTube video at the end of this blog. The Visitor Center is also really interesting and worth stopping at.

Garden of the Gods does get busy during the Summer, especially on weekends and national holidays, so plan your trip accordingly. It’s worth visiting. Happy exploring!

Lots of love,

M xo