6 Great Days in #Colorado! Day 5: Manitou Springs: The Cog Railroad, Beer, Wine, & Water
#Railfans that we are, our penultimate day in Colorado was spent in Manitou Springs, about an hour from Golden, riding the newly restored Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway up and down the mountain, and then enjoying some of the other fun Manitou Springs has to offer! Pikes Peak, known as “America’s Mountain”, is the star attraction of this area, and the Cog Railway journey is pretty spectacular! This 3.5 hour round-trip train excursion has been climbing Pikes Peak since 1891, and it’s truly one of the most unique railroad experiences in the country. Recognized as the world’s highest cog railroad, The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway is literally like walking in the footsteps of history! When we visited Colorado two years ago, we went to the magnificent Garden of the Gods, which is in this region, as well, but because the Cog Railroad was under restoration and wasn’t operational, we didn’t go to Manitou Springs. Now that it had reopened with new trains, track, a depot, and a visitors center, we HAD to ride it on this trip! And let me tell you: it was WICKED COLD up there on the top of the mountain!
As I wrote in my previous blog posts, this trip to Colorado was made possible by my winning Southwest Airline’s “Breathtaking Beats” Sweepstakes, which included round-trip flights for two people to Denver from a Southwest hub, two tickets to a live concert at the world-famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and one night at the uber-hip Origin Red Rocks Hotel! We added 5 days to that one, turning it into a jam-packed mini-vacation, and, as gung-ho railfans, riding the Cog Railway was a “must-do” on our list!
After the railroad excursion we stopped for a Beer Flight at the Manitou Brewing Company , famed for brewing their beer with organic, Colorado-grown & malted barley, and using the pristine waters located near the top of Pikes Peak. Their cellar, pub, and brewery reside in what was formerly the Manitou Burro Line: in the late 1800s visitors would rent a burro there to ride to the top of Pikes Peak! (Now THAT sounds like our kinda fun!)
From there we explored the Manitou Cliff Dwellings, comprised of ancestral Puebloan ruins that date back 800 to 1000 years. The 40-room site, which you can climb, touch, and explore, was originally located near McElmo Canyon, in the southwest corner of Colorado near Mesa Verde and Dolores. The process of relocating these cliff dwellings began in 1904, and was completed in 1907, when the site was opened to the public in order to preserve and protect it from looters.
We then drove around Manitou Springs, stopping at several; of their famous healing springs, so I could taste the waters! (I had the map of the springs I’d printed from the Manitou Springs website, but I had wanted to pop in to the Chamber of Commerce to get my free water cup, and ask about the different tastes of each spring and their mineral content! Unfortunately the office was closed the day we visited, so I had to wing it!) I found several of the waters sweet-tasting, and I read that the source of these famous mineral waters lies deep underground in a system of cavernous aquifers. “As the ancient water erodes the surrounding limestone, carbonic acid is created, which gives the Manitou springs their effervescence. This natural carbonation forces the water back to the surface through cracks in the rocks, where it absorbs high concentrations of sodium bicarbonate (soda) and other minerals, including Lithium!” Among the springs we visited- and that I drank from- were “Wheeler Spring”, named for the mining and railroad magnate, Jerome Wheeler, “Twin Spring”, famed for its sweet taste, calcium, and potassium content, (and for making Manitou Lemonade and Manitou Mojitos, both of which I wish I’d been able to try!), and “7 Minute Spring” named after it was drilled in 1909, and carbonation caused it to erupt every 7 minutes!
Manitou Springs Mineral Springs:
From there we found the Manitou Penny Arcade, a fun, multi-building amusement center in town that boasts hundreds of coin-operated games and kiddie rides, and Dan & I played an assortment of classic shooting games, winning enough coupons to get us some penny candy! Originally called “Bingo Jacks”, a booming bingo parlor, this family business has been operating since the early 1930s, and throughout the decades they’ve amassed one of the largest and oldest collections of games in Colorado, making it not only an arcade, but a one-of-a-kind, interactive museum!
Our final stop in Manitou Springs was made when we happily discovered a “hidden” winery, DVine Wine Manitou Winery, and treated ourselves to a cheese platter and a wine tasting! We flipped over their unique Caramel Apple Riesling, and bought two bottles to take home!
Next: Colorado, Day 6!
