Your Colorado Springs Life & Home

More Than Beautiful Mountains: Discovering Colorado Springs' Hidden Treasures

• Lori Thompson • Episode 5

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What Local Events Or Attractions Should Newcomers Check Out?

Dreaming of mountain views with none of the humidity (or bugs)? Colorado Springs might just be your perfect match. This episode takes you on a virtual tour through one of America's most gorgeous mountain towns, guided by local legend Lori Thompson, who's been helping families find their dream homes here for over 40 years.

The crown jewel of the Springs has to be Garden of the Gods – a spectacular collection of towering red rock formations that Lori humorously declares "illegal to skip" when visiting. The best part? It's completely free, thanks to a thoughtful deed that prevents the park from ever charging admission. Whether you're driving through, picnicking, or rock climbing (with proper permits), these ancient formations create unforgettable memories against the backdrop of Pikes Peak.

Military families will discover a community that truly embraces them, with nearly every business offering military discounts and numerous resources available. From the free Focus on the Family Visitor Center with its three-story slide for kids to the five-star brunch experience at The Broadmoor overlooking the lake, Colorado Springs seamlessly blends outdoor adventure, family-friendly activities, and sophisticated offerings. Don't miss seasonal attractions like the Chili Cook-off, Scottish Festival with traditional food, or the Renaissance Festival in nearby Larkspur where you can "get your turkey leg and carry your sword and nobody will look at you strange."

Whether you're relocating, visiting, or just curious about life in this vibrant mountain community, Lori's insider perspective gives you the authentic scoop on what makes Colorado Springs so special. Have questions about real estate or looking to make your move? Call or text Lori directly at 719-332-1807 – yes, she actually answers her phone!

To learn more about RE/MAX Properties Inc. visit:
https://www.LoriThompson.REMAX.com
RE/MAX Properties Inc.
Colorado Springs
719-332-1807

Speaker 1:

Welcome to your Colorado Springs life and home, where real estate meets real talk and maybe a little too much coffee. Hosted by Remax Properties, licensed realtor, broker and top producer Lori Thompson, a local legend who's been helping military families and civilians buy and sell homes for over 40 years. Whether you're PCSing, upsizing, downsizing or just daydreaming, lori's got you covered. Why? Because she's your lifetime realtor and she actually answers her phone. Imagine that.

Speaker 2:

Just moved to the springs. Well, consider this episode your welcome. Mat Lori shares her top picks, from trails and traditions to food, festivals and family fun that make this mountain town unforgettable. Hello everyone, welcome back. I'm Millie M, co-host and producer back in the studio with Remax Properties, licensed realtor and broker, lori Thompson. How are you, miss Lori?

Speaker 3:

Good. How are you doing today?

Speaker 2:

Doing quite well. Always great to see your bright, shining and smiling face With your love of coffee and community. I know this was going to be a lively tour through all things Colorado Springs. Tell us what local events or attractions should newcomers check out?

Speaker 3:

Well, I'm going to try to narrow it down to just a few, because there's so many exciting things you can do here. My favorite has to be Garden of the Gods. I tell people that it's against the law to visit Colorado Springs and not go through Garden of the Gods. And you would think, okay, what's Garden of the Gods? Well, they are enormous and beautiful rock formations that were caused by the shifting of the ground, earthquakes back when dinosaurs ruled the earth, and that park was deeded in perpetuity to the children of Colorado Springs on one condition that they could never charge admission. So you could drive through it, you could have picnics there, you can climb the rocks, but I think you need a permit and you must have the proper gear. But they are incredible. They're absolutely beautiful. What other things can you do for free?

Speaker 3:

Monday through Saturday, you can visit the Focus on the Family Visitor Center, which is a great place for kids. They have a three-story slide and they have all kinds of interactive activities for kids. It's almost like a miniature little Disneyland for younger kids and, of course, I like the fact that I could browse the bookstore there. You can get tours, when they're available, of the United States Air Force Academy and learn more about the history of the Air Force. You can go out east and you can tour the painted mines, which is really, really exciting. That doesn't cost any money Now, for a small fee.

Speaker 3:

There's also paid for attractions too, like Cave of the Winds, which is underground stalagmites. There are castle tours in Manitou Springs. If you drive for just a bit, you can go tour Bishop's Castle, which was built by a very eccentric man over the years and would add new pieces to this castle. They're skiing during the winter, which is roughly two and a half hours from Colorado Springs to most of the major ski slopes. You can go up to Denver if you're into Broadway performances and fine dining, although we do have many excellent dining opportunities here and great programming at the Pikes Peak Center. Plus, we have a lot less traffic than Denver does.

Speaker 2:

I can imagine you told me about some food festivals. Tell us about that.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, we have the chili cook-off. That happens, which is always fun. Then they have a Scottish festival that serves traditional Scottish food, if you enjoy dressing up for Knights of the Round Table. They do have a Renaissance festival, which is roughly 45 minutes from Colorado Springs, in Larkspur, colorado, where you can get your turkey leg and carry your sword and nobody will look at you. Strange, there's just so many different opportunities for fun outdoor things to do. Now, one thing that people who are moving here or visiting here should know we have really low humidity and what that means. We don't have a lot of bugs, so the important thing is remember to always stay hydrated, drink lots of water, because it is higher altitude, but you don't have to worry about bugs and we don't really even know how to spell humidity because it is such a rare factor around here.

Speaker 2:

You got me sold on no bugs. I might seem a little bit greedy, but I'm go back to food. Where's the best spot for a weekend brunch with a mountain view?

Speaker 3:

Oh my gosh, the Broadmoor. The Broadmoor is a five-star resort. Okay, it's held the G7 before. Numerous presidents and dignitaries from around the globe have stayed there. But they have a brunch there complete with ice sculptures, and you overlook the lake, so that one's a little bit pricier, but boy is it worth it just to walk around the lake afterwards and feed the ducks and the swans. It's absolutely beautiful. There are other brunch places that you can go to that have I would think most of the really unique ones would be more on the west side, or manitou springs, and there's even a castle you can visit in Manitou Springs. Glen Eyrie has a high tea, so if you ever want a fun event, you can go to Glen Eyrie and you can enjoy high tea. There's just so many different fun places to visit here.

Speaker 2:

I love it because you kind of covered it all. There's the outside, with the rocks and the hiking, and then there's the culture, with the Renaissance and the Scottish Fest, and then there's things for kids to do. I'm a mother of four. We're always looking for free and low cost things to do with the kids, so it just sounds like there's something for everyone there in Colorado Springs. So how does the local culture embrace military families and new residents? How do you guys welcome them in?

Speaker 3:

That is something that is really amazing. There is almost no business here in Colorado Springs that does not offer some sort of military discount, and so there are different events for military families as well, and I have to add in, we even have events for homeless veterans or people who've been through a rough time, where they are given clean clothes, a haircut and resources to help them. Even though that's a really small percentage of the population, it's a very important one that deserves extra care, and so for military families, they have events, they have resources, back-to-school programs. It's just a very military friendly town, from the young family to those who might need a little bit extra help. We have a beautiful VA clinic on the west side of Colorado Springs, and almost every hospital or medical facility here also works with TRICARE, so it's hard to narrow something specific down to just the military, but there's lots of discounts for military families.

Speaker 3:

Well, it sounds like military doesn't need to be embraced because they are part, they are, they are and a lot of people who came here from different bases and they said, wow, they just really felt accepted here. I love that Well.

Speaker 2:

Thank you so much for taking us through a virtual stroll through your town. Thank you for helping every newcomer feel like they've got a front row seat, and I can't wait to experience some of the things you spoke about. See you next time. No problem, bring those four kids out here they're going to have a blast? Yep, they will.

Speaker 3:

There's four kids out here they're going to have a blast.

Speaker 1:

Yep they will. That's a wrap for this episode of your Colorado Springs Life and Home. Got questions, need advice? Just want to talk about interest rates and granite countertops? Call or text Lori at 719-332-1807. Yes, she'll really respond. Or visit lorithompsonremaxcom to get started with your lifetime realtor, because when it comes to Colorado real estate, lori doesn't just know the market, she is the market. Thank you.