16th Anniversary (Kid Free) in Colorado Springs + Canon City, Royal Gorge Bridge, Pikes Peak & More!

Join us as we celebrate our 16th anniversary in Colorado Springs! We flew out of Birmingham airport and landed in Denver, where we picked up our rental car from Turo. From there, we made our way to Colorado Springs and checked into our AirBnb, the "Attic" at the "Downtown Loft".
Our second day was filled with adventure as we hiked the Redemption Trail in Canon City, featuring slot canyons we discovered on TikTok. Next, we visited the breathtaking Royal Gorge Bridge, did some geocaching, and drove along the stunning 3-mile Skyline Drive.
Back at the Attic, we cooked some steaks and sampled local IPA left for us by our host. The following day, we visited the iconic Garden of the Gods before embarking on our Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway ride. At the top, we felt the difference in oxygen levels at altitude, visited the visitors center, and did some shopping in the gift shop before snacking at the cafe. We then visited the Manitou cliff dwellings and Balanced Rock before heading to Phantom Canyon Brewing Company for supper and drinks.
The next morning, we explored the Silver Cascade Trail, Helen Hunt falls, and the North Cheyenne Canon Park area, completing the hardest geocache we've ever done. We then drove to the Rock Ledge Historical Ranch and hiked the area before proceeding to the Mesa Overlook. We made our way back to the Garden of the Gods to catch the sunset.
On Sunday morning, we woke up to an unexpected snowfall. Though we almost cancelled our Manitou Incline climb, we decided to brave it, and it was well worth it. The hike down the Barr Trail from the top was just as amazing. We then headed towards Denver to return the rental car, stopping at Castle Rock to do a few geocaches before catching our flight back to Birmingham that night.
A huge thank you to Nick at Turo for letting us enjoy his yellow jeep for the week and to Jacquie at AirBnb for being a great host and letting us enjoy her home. And an extra honorable mention to Torchys Taco, which was so good that we stopped there twice!
turo.com/us/en/drivers/25914009
www.airbnb.com/rooms/46780944...
torchystacos.com/location/col...
www.alltrails.com/trail/us/co...
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www.alltrails.com/trail/us/ma...
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manitousprings.org/where-to-p...
manitousprings.org/manitou-in...
www.pikes-peak.com/attraction...
phantomcanyon.com/
www.uncovercolorado.com/sceni...
www.cliffdwellingsmuseum.com/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_G...