Sometimes, you take the path more traveled

[yendi]

Booking a hotel for my business trip to CO later this year, speaking to the sales rep in the central office for the major hotel chain:

Me: It's for [Conference name]

Rep: Okay, I've got a special rate for that. I can offer you a king-sized bed at [conference rate] with a mountain view, or a king-sized bed at [conference rate] with a stunning view.

Me: What does a "stunning" view entail.

Rep: I don't know. It just says "stunning" on the description.

Me: Tempting as "stunning" sounds, I think I'll go with the known quantity here, and take the mountain view.

Rep: Yeah, that seems like the smart choice to me.

Comments

[jcfiala.livejournal.com]

It's stunning how many cars are backed up on the highway.

[zeyr.livejournal.com]

It might be a window up against a wall with an auto-taser attached for whenever you open the curtain?

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

Where in Colorado? I'm in Colorado Springs, thus the curiosity.

[imortalscot.livejournal.com]

What place would you recomend to go to? I'm going to be there for 4 days in August.

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

In Colorado? Or in Colorado Springs specifically?

[imortalscot.livejournal.com]

Colorado Springs. We will be there 4 days with the inlaws. Once they leave we will be in Denver for another 3.

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

Much of the cool "to see" stuff is outdoorsy (of course). Given the time of year, I'd say:

Garden of the Gods (http://www.gardenofgods.com/home/index.cfm)
Pikes Peak (you can ride the Cog Railway instead of hiking it: http://www.cograilway.com/)

Seven Falls is still closed because of flood damage, but you might check in and see if they have re-opened by the time you get here - I remember them saying they expected to re-open in 2014.

Cave of the Winds is a treat if you like caves (http://caveofthewinds.com/)

If you like gambling, you can always take a day trip up into the mountains and head to Cripple Creek.

There are the Manitou Cliff Dwellings (http://www.cliffdwellingsmuseum.com/)

And if you just want to have a day where you walk around and visit interesting shops, try Old Colorado City (you can have a proper tea there at Willy's Emporium) or Manitou Springs. Technically, you could do both OCC and Manitou Springs wandering on the same day since you could hit OCC and then just keep heading west on Colorado Avenue and you'll run right into Manitou Springs and their main little shopping area.

A great place to eat for lunch is Marigold's Cafe and Bakery. I've never had a bad thing on their menu - the husband is a chef from France, the wife is a pastry chef, and the lunch menu prices are a lot cheaper than dinner (and the food is just as good). It gets crowded during prime lunch time, but if you do an early lunch around 11am or a late lunch around 1pm, the crowds are thinning and you likely won't have to wait for a table. some of my favorites from there include the Amish pizza, the Reuben, and any of the daily soups. They always have daily specials (if the Quiche Lorraine shows up, it is SO good) that include fresh seafood.

[yendi]

Westminster (outside of Denver, based on the airport they're having me fly into).

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

Cool! Westminster is essentially a suburb of Denver (basically, Denver swallowed up a bunch of small towns/cities/what-have-you as it expanded outward).

[greylistening.livejournal.com]

YES! OmNomNomiCon II!!!!!!

[yendi]

:-)

(I'll be dropping you a line as I get more details firmed up, of course!)

[greylistening.livejournal.com]

Hurrah!

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

It's next door to the cattle chute at a slaughterhouse.

[imortalscot.livejournal.com]

Cool. I'm heading to CO in August to visit my wife's family.

[yendi]

Excellent! I'm heading there in late fall.

[silme.livejournal.com]

Envy. I miss Colorado!

[yendi]

It's my second visit (I attended the same conference a couple of years ago), and I really enjoyed it.

[rubian77.livejournal.com]

Ordinarily I'd ask the rep to look out the window, but knowing major hotel chains, you were probably talking to someone in North Dakota or Canada.

[yendi]

Oh, unquestionably! They didn't even pretend to be local.

[dark-blade.livejournal.com]

.. On pondering various implications of "stunning" I'd have to agree with you and the Rep.

[imortalscot.livejournal.com]

I assume you wouldn't be up for a bar scene but there is this cool bar called 1Up. It has all of the old arcade games. At the old arcade prices. I had a blast when I was there last year.

[yendi]

Alas, I won't have a car, so anything not in the next-door shopping center (I supposed I could go to my first-ever Dave and Busters) is probably something I'd skip.

[greylistening.livejournal.com]

If you wanted to go, I might be cajoled into driving you there. :)

I'm not sure how long it would take to get there from Westminster -- it probably depends in part on the time of day.