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| Colorado Springs, Colorado city |
Colorado Springs is a city in the state of Colorado, in the central part of the United States with an area of 482.1 km² and a population of more than 600 thousand people.
The unusual location gives the city a special charm - it is located on the eastern spurs of rocky mountains, at an altitude of almost 2 thousand meters above sea level. To the east of Colorado Springs lies the Great Plains, from the west the city is covered with mountains.
From Colorado Springs to the capital of Colorado, Denver, about 100 kilometers.
See also: Free things to do in Denver (Colorado)
Colorado Springs, Colorado
This city is especially popular with winter sports enthusiasts and is sometimes called the “capital of winter sports”. It is here that the headquarters of the National Ski Association and the US National Olympic Committee are located. The best ski resorts in the city are within a three-hour accessibility: Vale, Aspen and Beaver Creek. But the main tourist season is still in the summer.
Climate in Colorado Springs
The local climate is characterized as alpine semi-desert. High cliffs reliably protect the city from cold winds and extreme weather conditions.
Winters are quite mild here, with temperatures dropping slightly below zero at this time of the year. Summers are generally very warm, often dry, with occasional showers.
Bad weather in Colorado Springs is rare, with over 300 sunny days a year.
Colorado springs city history:
In the places where Colorado Springs is located today, people have settled since ancient times. History goes back centuries. Even 5 thousand years ago, the first settlers were here who chose the eastern slopes of Pikes Peak for their residence. It is believed that the Indians, the indigenous inhabitants of the continent, lived here closer to the 16th century. Since 1682, the French have owned picturesque places on the slopes of the mountains, since 1762 - by the Spaniards, and only in 1803 these lands began to belong to the States.
In 1859, a small town was formed in this place, it was called Colorado City. Once the railway tycoon and civil war hero William Jackson Palmer drew attention to these places and the city. Once he saw the beauty of the local valley, he decided to buy these lands and build a resort town here. A huge number of trees were planted, wide streets were laid, and luxurious European-style buildings were erected. Natural conditions - clean mountain air, a large number of sunny days, dry climate, the presence of healing mineral springs - did their job, and the popularity of the resort grew.
By 1871, the city of Colorado Springs appeared, presented by Palmer as a luxury resort. At first, not only tourists and vacationers came here, but also seekers of gold and silver. At one time, the settlement even began to be called - "Little London".
Since 1885, a service was launched between Colorado Springs and the Midland, a little later, in 1889, lines to Chicago, Rock Island and Pacifica were opened. In the same period, the city began to be actively populated, the population growth by 1890 was more than 164%.
Another "wave" of active settlement of the city fell on the period of the Second World War. At this time, two large military bases were established in Colorado Springs - Ent Air Base (1941) and Peterson Air Force Base (1942). The influx of military personnel and their families has become another reason for the sharp increase in the city's population.
About economy
Of course, the main field of activity is tourism and resort services, as well as related industries - transport, services, etc. Due to the presence of military facilities, one can also talk about the development of the military industry, represented by such well-known companies as General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, etc.
Also, the IT industry is developing well in the city, the production of high-tech goods and products.
The presence of Olympic bases contributes to a constant influx of not only professional athletes, but also people of all specialties and professions, whose activities are directly related to the training of world-class athletes - from doctors and rehabilitation therapists to coaches.
Colorado Springs attractions
Speaking about the main attractions, first of all it is worth highlighting:
1. Garden of the Gods Landscape Park - It is located 6 miles northwest of the city and is a natural park. Its main objects are colored sandstone rocks of the most bizarre shapes and sizes. they have served as the backdrop for over a hundred films, including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. And also ancient cypresses grow in this park.
In the park, you can walk, ride bicycles or horses, admiring the beautiful landscapes, and even practice rock climbing.
2. Mount Pikes Peak, its height is 4302 m. It is believed that in terms of the number of tourists visiting the mountains, Pikes Peak is second only to Mount Fuji. You can climb to the top of the mountain in one of three available ways - by car, by rail or on foot. The last miles to the top of tourists are delivered by a shuttle, from where you can see the territory of 5 states: Colorado itself, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona and Kansas. Every year a unique event of its kind is held on the mountain - a car race to the top of the mountain. A huge number of extreme lovers come to Pikes Peak during this event.
3. Mount Cheyenne, with its two main attractions, is the Colorado Springs Zoo, where you can see exotic animals, and the historic site of the Will Rogers Temple of the Sun. A chairlift goes up through the zoo to the Temple of the Sun.
4. Resort and hotel complex "Broadmoor", located at the foot of the Cheyenne Mountain. It was built back in 1873. Here, in this complex, you can climb to the observation deck and enjoy the delightful beauty of the Seven Broadmoor Falls, a cascade of cascading streams of water.
5. Red rock Canyon open space is located in the western part of the city. And in the northeastern part there is another park, Palmer Park, which can be called real "pearls" of local nature with a peculiar local flora and fauna.
IMPORTANT! These territories are not the same as the parks we are accustomed to. Rather, these are picturesque corners of nature, where among the rocks there are many paths for walking or cycling. The parks are free to visit.
6. The US Air Force Academy is located just north of the city. Interesting is the cadet chapel - an Art Nouveau building with 17 spiers, a planetarium and a museum. If you're lucky, you can even watch the training of the academy cadets.
7. Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum is located in the building of the former local court, built in 1903. The museum keeps the history of the city and its environs. There are works of regional art, collections of artistic pottery, blankets and other objects of life and everyday life of the indigenous inhabitants of the area of the Arapaho, Ute, Cheyenne Indian tribes.
In the list of attractions that will be interesting for tourists to visit, it is also worth noting such objects as:
- Peterson Museum of Aviation and Astronautics;
- Colorado Springs Center for the Visual Arts;
- Mining and Industry Museum;
- Olympic Complex Training Center;
- The Numismatic Museum, as well as the headquarters of the Numismatic Association of America;
- Rock dwellings of Manitou;
- Glen Airy Castle;
- Rodeo and Cowboy Museum;
- Figure Skating Museum and Hall of Fame;
- Colorado Wolves and Wildlife Center, etc.
FUN FACT: American pop-rock group OneRepublic hails from Colorado Springs.
Summing up, I would like to note that Colorado Springs is actively growing and developing today, following the rhythm's of modern life. Clean and well-groomed, the sunny city offers its guests and residents a well-developed infrastructure, high-class recreation and health improvement, a wide range of entertainment programs for every taste.
