So you like a little luxury when you travel — or a lot? Want to experience elevated culture? But still keep things real with an authentic sense of the Colorado spirit and a touch of local history? This Creative Stay has you covered, thanks to your host Nathan Newbrough, President and CEO of the Colorado Springs Philharmonic.
“It’s about all of it, from the luxurious, gracious welcome at The Broadmoor to the contemplation and captivation you’ll find at the Colorado Springs Philharmonic to the outrageous Cheyenne Mountain Zoo to the dining, the nightlife, the local adventures, all of these wonderful experiences put together. This is my creative stay in Colorado Springs.”
As a bonus, this itinerary includes some favorite local traditions and celebrations if your stay coincides with the holiday season.
Where to Stay: Lodging at The Broadmoor
The Broadmoor occupies a special place in Colorado Springs history and culture. The resort was founded over 100 years ago by Spencer Penrose, a mining baron, entrepreneur, venture capitalist and philanthropist who contributed greatly to the foundations of Colorado Springs along with his wife Julie Penrose. Now a 784-room resort and conference center, The Broadmoor has always blended the spirit of Colorado with full-service luxury. As a result, it is honored as the world’s longest-running consecutive Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond resort, and it has hosted a vast collection of celebrities, dignitaries and world leaders throughout the decades.
“This is a destination. There’s so much to do here,” Nathan says. “You can have your spa packages. The Broadmoor is famous for its golf. You can have the great dining experiences, the luxury lodging experiences, but also you can have adventure. This is a place to come and feel like you’re away from it all.”
DAY 1
Check in and settle in to take advantage of the long list of amenities at The Broadmoor. You can’t help but marvel at the spectacular scenery. You might want to immediately indulge in some relaxation at the top-shelf spa. And you should definitely take advantage of the multiple delicious and award-winning restaurants. Several of them are included on our list of 30 Best Restaurants in Colorado Springs.
“The restaurants here are exceptional, including Summit, the Golden Bee and Ristorante Del Lago, which is right next to the lake,” Nathan says. “They have amazing atmosphere, and there is a dining experience for everyone. Whether your taste is cool and casual or upscale, there’s something here for every kind of taste.”
If you are here during the holiday season, you’re in for an extra treat as The Broadmoor transforms itself into a winter wonderland arrayed in millions of twinkling lights, towering ornate Christmas trees, and concerts and shows to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
“It has been a family tradition with our girls to bring them here every Christmastime,” Nathan says. “It’s about seeing the mystery and magic that happens around the holidays here at the Broadmoor. We walk around the lake and have a hot toddy for me or a hot chocolate for the girls at the Lakeside Bar. And we see the gingerbread constructions that the pastry chefs create. Every year it seems to be more elaborate.”
Each year, the main building mezzanine becomes home to a giant, intricately detailed gingerbread construction by the team of Broadmoor pastry chefs. The creation involves thousands of pounds of edible ingredients and impressive imagination. This year’s gingerbread creation is a nearly life-sized recreation of Spencer Penrose’s 1937 Flathead V-8 Cadillac Touring Car, with Santa behind the wheel and chocolate elves riding along. Whatever the final construction, you know it will impress.
For another favorite local winter tradition, head downtown to Skate in the Park. “It’s a temporary ice skating rink that goes up for the entire winter season, and it’s walkable to all sorts of restaurants and bars in the area,” Nathan says.
Skate in the Park is a short 10-minute drive to Acacia Park, 115 E. Platte Avenue. From mid-November through January, you’ll find the outdoor ice skating rink in the heart of downtown Colorado Springs. Festive lights line the rink and trees, and stars twinkle higher overhead. If you’re there on the right day, you can watch demonstrations and skate alongside Olympians and Paralympians from the U.S. Figure Skating team or hockey players from the Colorado College and U.S. Air Force Academy teams. But on any given day, skaters of all abilities glide or shuffle around the oval, with little kids and beginners pushing bright blue dolphins for extra stability. “I learned to ice skate there, so watch out if I’m on the ice. You see people there who are very skilled on their feet to beginners like me. But it’s great fun.”
DAY 2
Start your morning with some shopping in The Broadmoor’s 19 specialty retail shops and galleries. Located throughout the resort’s main campus, you’ll find many shops concentrated along the entry plaza and outdoor corridors to the north and south of the main entrance. These independent shops feature a wide variety of bespoke wares, such as clothing, jewelry, original art, spa products, home accessories and gifts, that allow you take home a piece of the resort. Golf and tennis fans will also find plenty of options in the respective pro shops.
When you’re all shopped out, head for the Springs’ Westside to explore some natural beauty and historic heritage at the Rock Ledge Ranch. But plan your visit around a late lunch or afternoon snack in Old Colorado City at Tapateria, 2607 W. Colorado Avenue. The popular tapas bar is 100% gluten free, and its wide-ranging menu of small plates is a delight. “I can always go there and find something that I love,” Nathan says. “Tapas restaurants are unique unto themselves, but this one has a terrific wine list. The menu is always changing. The people are very friendly, and it’s a place I love to go and find something new.”
You’ll find Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site nestled up against Garden of the Gods at 3105 Gateway Road, but it can be easy to miss if you don’t know it’s there. “Garden of the Gods hosts millions of visitors per year, and right next door is a sleepy city-owned park known as Rock Ledge Ranch,” Nathan says. “At this historic site, you can walk through different periods highlighting the foundations of Colorado Springs, from American Indian settlements to an example of an early pioneering cabin up to an Edwardian era building.”
In the summertime, costumed docents will guide you around and demonstrate how people lived at that time. Blacksmith demonstrations and workshops are always popular. And year-round annual events bring the ranch to life. Check the events calendar to see if your stay coincides with the Harvest Festival, Native American Powwow, Sheep Shearing, Labor Day vintage baseball game, Holiday Teas or other popular events that will take you back in time.
“Rock Ledge Ranch is a special place, and my family has enjoyed it a great deal,” Nathan says. “It’s a hidden gem that more people should know about.”
In keeping with a historic theme, make your next stop downtown at Phantom Canyon Brewing Company, 2 E. Pikes Peak Avenue. The Springs’ original brewpub is housed in the restored, historic Cheyenne Building, named after Cheyenne Mountain, a prominent peak on the city’s western horizon, and Chief Two Moons of the Cheyenne Indian Tribe. His stone visage watches over the front entrance at the corner of the building.
“Phantom Canyon is a place every local knows about — and visitors should know about it because the food is terrific, the beer is even better, and the entertainment is like nothing else.”
Phantom Canyon is a perfect stop for a locally crafted beer, pub snack or full meal. The menu features a blend of pub-style favorites with Colorado inspiration. You can choose to eat in the main dining room with views of the brew tanks, on the covered second-story patio with mountain and downtown views, at one of the large carved wooden bars or around the high-top tables in the second-story billiards hall.
If your trip timing is right, your evening entertainment will center around a performance by the Colorado Springs Philharmonic. As a cornerstone arts organization and creative driver in Colorado Springs, the Philharmonic offers a full range of musical performances throughout its primary season of October through May — but watch for occasional summer performances as well.
“The Philharmonic got started in 1927, and ever since then, we’ve upheld the very highest standards of artistic excellence,” Nathan says. “These are some of the greatest musicians you will hear. They are auditioned from all over the world, and we are very fortunate to have them in our community.”
Located downtown at 190 S. Cascade Avenue, the Pikes Peak Center for the Performing Arts is the primary home of the Philharmonic, but each year the Phil hosts its Signature Series of more intimate concerts at the Ent Center for the Performing Arts at UCCS, 5225 N. Nevada Avenue. Of course you can find concerts featuring master works you would expect to hear from an American symphony orchestra. “We’re talking about great contemporary composers, but also Tchaikovsky and Beethoven and the music of Mozart and all of the greats that we think of as classical music,” Nathan says.
But other performances feature Broadway, rock and roll, jazz and more. Part of the Pops series features screenings of popular films, such as Black Panther this season, with the soundtrack played live onstage by the Philharmonic musicians.
The holidays are a wonderful time for the Philharmonic too, with a series of annual performances that are especially accessible for families, thanks to their festive traditions and celebrations. “It starts with The Nutcracker on Thanksgiving weekend featuring our friends at the Oklahoma City Ballet,” Nathan says. Then the Christmas Symphony embraces the spirit of the season with a mix of traditional chorale arrangements and cheerful singalongs. And each year, the New Year’s Eve concert celebrates the changing calendar with a triumphant, unforgettable performance. “We welcome everyone to come out and enjoy our great orchestra at any time of year,” Nathan says.
After your Philharmonic concert, walk one block to MacKenzie’s Chop House at 128 S. Tejon Street. “Enjoy something from the bar, talk about how the evening went and unpack what we just heard with our friends who just attended that performance, because this is about the experience of being together in community,” Nathan says. “The food is terrific. Yes, you can get an enormous steak at McKenzie’s Chop House, but the variety of food there is outstanding as well.”
DAY 3
Before you leave town, you must take in some of the natural beauty you’ve been surrounded by, and you have two excellent options close to The Broadmoor: the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and North Cheyenne Cañon Park.
The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is America’s mountain zoo, and it has been named the No. 3 Best Zoo in North America by USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. Perched high on the hillside, the zoo offers sweeping views across Colorado Springs, as well as a variety of opportunities to do more than just look at the animals. The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is home to more than 30 species of endangered animals living in large habitats built to recreate their natural environments, with sections of the zoo devoted to animals from the Rocky Mountains, the African Rift Valley and more. The most popular exhibit is the home of the giraffes, where you can hand feed lettuce to the graceful creatures.
“You can touch them. You can be an arm’s length away from them. I don’t care if you’re 3 years old or 63 years old, this is a terrific experience,” Nathan says. “To be that close to such a majestic animal and to create a connection through feeding them is something very special. I’ve shared it with my kids and with my parents when they visit. Everyone who goes just loves it.”
If you want to hit the local trails, head for North Cheyenne Cañon Park, 2120 S Cheyenne Cañon Rd. “One of the great things about Colorado Springs is that we are right next to the mountains — which means there are outdoor activities where you feel like you are escaping it all off the grid, and yet you’re really close to the city,” Nathan says.
Although it feels like you’re deep in the mountains, occasional views of the city below will remind you that downtown is merely 15 minutes away. Cheyenne Cañon offers lower easy trails and picnic pull-offs alongside Cheyenne Creek, but if you drive all the way up the canyon to the parking lot at the end of the paved road, you can access a variety of higher trails.
“I love Seven Bridges Trail,” Nathan says. “It’s accessible to many different ability levels, and it’s just a few hours commitment.” That trail begins on a closed portion of dirt road, then turns off to an intermediate singletrack trail that crosses the creek many times, as you can surmise from its name. It’s a 6-mile round trip from parking lot to the end of Seven Bridges Trail, but you can easily turn around at any point sooner and still enjoy the outdoor experience.
Before leaving town, make sure your stay at The Broadmoor includes a meal or drink at the Golden Bee, where you’ll also enjoy an authentic English pub experience. The wooden bar came from a pub in the United Kingdom that functioned in the 1800s before being warehoused for years. It was transported panel by panel to the Golden Bee, which opened in 1961 and has been a favorite watering hole ever since. Yes, you should try the fish and chips, and a half-yard of ale from the extensive British beer collection. And for the full experience, catch a nightly singalong with the piano player.
“I’ve had some memorable nights at the Golden Bee,” Nathan says. “I remember going after Philharmonic performances with our maestro Josep Caballé-Domenech and the visiting performing artists and singing along and teaching them John Denver songs.”
It’s also a tradition at the Golden Bee for patrons to receive a tiny bee sticker. The bartender flicks it toward each patron, and the tiny bee inevitably sticks to their lapel. It’s a perfect souvenir to take home from your Creative Stay in Colorado Springs.
Map Your Itinerary
Want to build your custom Colorado Springs itinerary based at the Broadmoor? Use the Visit Colorado Springs Trip Planner tool to enter your destinations and create your maps and schedules in one spot.
For up-to-date event information when you’re in town, be sure to visit PeakRadar.com, the cultural calendar for the Pikes Peak region.
