Tourist to Tour Guide — Colorado — Day One
I left San Antonio for a few days to visit friends in Colorado, so I thought I’d share some information for anyone from San Antonio looking to do the same. Flights from San Antonio or Austin to Denver or Colorado Springs are relatively inexpensive; some are nonstop. I tried Frontier Airlines for the first time. Although the flight seemed less expensive in the beginning, I found the additional fees to be a hassle. You must pay an extra fee for carry-ons, checked baggage, to choose your seat, and snack service. A Coke on my fight was about $3.00. This works if you don’t mind doing the extra leg-work, but honestly, I didn’t find it worth the potential savings.
On my first day in Colorado Springs I had breakfast at the Village Inn. I normally opt for local restaurants, but Village Inn was a favorite of mine when I lived in Virginia and there aren’t any in San Antonio, so I enjoyed a Chicken Fried Steak Skillet.
Public transportation in Colorado Springs is not easily accessible; Mountain Metro only travels through certain parts of town, so renting a car is probably your best option. I did take the bus to pick up my rental car and it was just my luck the bus dropped me off right by Pikes Peak Greenway. Since it was still too early to pick up the car I used that opportunity to walk the trail.
During the evening a friend took me out for a beer and tacos at Manitou Brewing Company. The idea of eating tacos outside of San Antonio was a little scary, but these were good. I paired the beef tacos with a glass of the CZ Premium.
Afterward, we visited Red Rock Canyon Open Space. I had been warned about the challenges of hiking in higher elevations, so altitude sickness is something to consider when hiking in Colorado Springs; especially if you’re not acclimated. Our friend over at Bookmundi put together an excellent guide to help you prepare which you can find HERE. Don’t forget to bring water! It may not seem as hot as it is in San Antonio, but don’t let that fool you into dehydration!
Otherwise, there were a lot of options as far as trails and they are clearly defined so you don’t have to worry about getting lost. We happened upon a mule deer which was fun because I had never seen one before. It was nice to see one in its natural environment.
Originally published at CheckOut San Antonio.
