My husband and I typically don’t repeat vacations. But then again, Colorado Springs is no ordinary destination. Our first trip here for Cloud Camp — overlooking 14,000-foot Pikes Peak — was all at once romantic and rustic, evoking the essence of the Old West. Cozy log cabins perched high atop Cheyenne Mountain tuck into fragrant pines and rustling aspens, while the banquet table at the stone-and-timber main lodge invites some major tucking into.

We wanted to return as soon as we checked out, but the world had other plans. Welcoming our son, Jimmy, into the mix just as the pandemic began meant while we were all grounded, he spent the majority of his early years outdoors. Today that’s yielded for him an adventurous spirit just as much nurture as nature. We wanted to know if Jimmy would love Colorado Springs as much as we once did — or had things changed?

© Carley Thornell

It turns out the city and its surroundings are even better. The introduction of new air carriers at Colorado Springs Airport translates to more plentiful (and less costly) options than before. The youthful energy that’s always been here thanks to the U.S. Air Force Academy’s campus has been amplified by an influx of young residents eager for rugged fun. Since our last visit six years ago, the city welcomed brand-new Ford Amphitheater, an 8,000-seat, open-air live music venue. A new ADA-accessible Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center proves just as welcoming as it is beautiful, blending into the natural terrain as an architectural extension. And work at the Air Force Academy campus — home of the striking Cadet Chapel, meant to mimic the shape of planes in formation — adds an even greater footprint. Ongoing construction of Hosmer Visitors Center includes the brand-new Hotel Polaris, an homage to the city’s imprint on pilots and aeronautics aficionados alike. Design touches include navy and silver color schemes, themed food and drink outlets like Aviator Rooftop Bar, and two thrilling flight simulators.

We decided to heed the call of the wild on an adventure of a different sort: fly-fishing at Emerald Valley Ranch. Jimmy’s first cast — and pony ride — awaited us after a trek seemingly back in time on the winding and mostly unpaved Old Stage Road. Unlike the miners and lumberjacks who traversed these valleys via horse, wagon or on foot more than a century ago, however, we rode in cushy style via included shuttle.

Surrounded by 100,000 acres of Pike National Forest, the ranch provides the ultimate escape, marrying seclusion and style. Our phones stopped working shortly into the 40-minute drive, and ranch guests can only connect to the outside world via WiFi. There are no restaurants to walk to (although hiking trails abound), so every reservation is all-inclusive.

We got a taste of what awaited us immediately. Our warm welcome from staffmembers included piping-hot cookies and barista drinks with an optional spike from Olde Swan Tavern inside the Lodge. All meals are served here, but they are far from the canned beans of Colorado’s original frontiersmen. Everything is sourced locally — three-course lunches and dinners featuring mountain trout and desserts made with fresh raspberries, wild and abundant in the flowering fields surrounding the ranch.

© Carley Thornell

Delightfully full, we slept blissfully each night in one of 10 preserved log cabins with modern accoutrements. Surely, the Girl Scouts who used these cabins in the 1920s couldn’t have dreamed of today’s gas fireplaces, spa showers and radiant bathroom heating. What’s notably absent are TVs, intended for guests’ total connection with nature. That we did over three days, checking off a number of “firsts” for our preschooler.

Jimmy beamed like the sun peeking through the surrounding mountains when he climbed aboard a pony for the first time, handling the reins like a pro thanks to patient ranch hand Piper. Mom — a more experienced rider — explored a longer wooded path in a small group. One of the biggest advantages to adventuring at Emerald Valley is its intimacy; a smaller number of guests means every activity (like archery, mountain biking and kayaking) is customized to each person’s abilities.

This was especially true during Jimmy’s first fly-fishing lesson. His instructor, Emiliano, was like a big brother, carefully baiting the hook on a child-sized rod and demonstrating how to cast and disturb the surface of the water only slightly (making a splash is most kids’ inclination, after all). Within minutes, Jimmy caught a foot-long rainbow trout, admiring the sheen of its scales before Emiliano gingerly released it. They repeated the magic, Jimmy catching several more fish.

“Can we do it again, Mom?” he asked.
“We can take you fishing at home, buddy, no problem.”
“No, come back here,” Jimmy said. “I love the ranch.”
It was clear he fell for Colorado hook, line and sinker — just like Mom and Dad several years ago.

LODGING
Hotel Polaris
Aviation aficionados, buckle up: This brand-new, 375-room property (part of the Air Force Academy’s new visitor center) is the only U.S. hotel to offer flight simulators. The flight deck experiences include 220-degree HD wraparound screens along with switches, seats and throttles from real aircraft.
8989 N. Gate Blvd.,
Colorado Springs
$$$

Kinship Landing
Want to stay in the heart of the city but still enjoy stellar mountain views? Prefer locally owned and operated boutique hotels with regional art, a funky café/bar and meeting new friends at social events in a greenhouse gathering space? Kinship Landing offers it all.
415 S. Nevada Ave.,
Colorado Springs
$$$

The Ranch at Emerald Valley
Rusticity meets refinement nestled among 100,000 acres of Pike National Forest, with log cabins featuring radiant heating and gas fireplaces. All-inclusive rates include meals, drinks and unlimited activities like fly-fishing and horseback riding that allow you to channel your inner cowboy.
7855 Old Stage Road,
Colorado Springs
$$$$$

DINING

Four by Brother Luck
Celebrity toque Brother Luck (Top Chef, Chopped) draws on the culinary influences of the Four Corners region: Western European, Spanish Colonial, Native American and Latin American. Expect surprising twists like hominy tahini with pueblo chile vinaigrette or blue cornbread with wojapi Native American berry sauce.
321 N. Tejon St.,
Colorado Springs
$$$$

Grand View at the Garden of the Gods
Garden-fresh fare such as salads and Colorado-sourced vegetables meet a garden of another kind: the iconic red sandstone formations, in full glory thanks to new floor-to-ceiling windows. Fine dining and an epic wine list make Grand View the ultimate
toasting destination.
3320 Mesa Road,
Colorado Springs
$$$$

Restaurant 1858
It’s dinner (or lunch) with a show here thanks to the thunder of Seven Falls. Try to snag an outside table at the waterfall’s base and enjoy frontier-influenced cuisine such as rainbow trout, bison burgers or signature wild boar green chili.
1045 Lower Gold Camp
Road, Colorado Springs
$$$

© Carley Thornell

INFO TO GO
While it’s easy to get toColorado Springs from Denver via a car ride of just over an hour, three more carriers now offer air service into Colorado Springs Airport, increasing options while decreasing prices. Since 2021, Sun Country Airlines, Avelo Airlines and Southwest Airlines fly into Colorado’s second-largest city, mostly with direct service. Other carriers include United Airlines, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines. The Broadmoor’s shuttle booth at baggage claim makes transfers to each resort property easy.