Why You Should Visit Colorado Springs

Photo credit: VisitCOS.com

With plenty of direct and affordable flights from Indy to Denver, especially on Southwest Airlines, Colorado Springs makes a great vacation destination for Indiana -- and all -- families. This beautiful town about an hour south of Denver is not only home to America's mountain, Pikes Peak, but offers plentiful outdoor activities year-round to keep families active and having fun!

Here are just four of many reasons you should consider a visit to Colorado Springs:

Take the Cog Railway to the Top of Pikes Peak

You'll most certainly want to see the mountain that inspired the song "America the Beautiful" and from which you can see five states. Take the cog railway, which has been in operation since 1891, to the top where you can keep an eye out for wildlife on your way up and take in jaw-dropping views. When you make it to the peak, dash to the donut line, where you can snack on some homemade donuts make at the very top of the mountain.

Hike the Garden of the Gods

A free state park, the Garden of the Gods are a definite bucket list natural wonder. These jagged rocks -- in varying shapes and sizes -- jut out of the earth in stark contrast to the blue Colorado sky. See the rocks by horseback ride, hike or even Segway and try and spot the Sleeping Giant and Siamese Twins formations, so named for their shapes.

Colorado Springs offers plenty of natural beauty, including these not-to-miss waterfalls.

Tour the Olympic Training Center

Olympic athletes train in this beautiful city, supposedly because of the high elevation and lower oxygen levels, which can improve their performance when competing at lower elevations. Colorado Springs is the national headquarters for USA Swimming and USA Shooting and the flagship of the U.S. Olympic committee training centers. You can take a one-hour tour of the Olympic Training Center to see where all the action happens.

See the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Check out America's only mountain zoo located at 6,800 feet and offering great views of the surrounding mountains, city and scenery. The zoo is home to hundreds of animals including reticulated giraffe and wallabies. Just a mile from the zoo -- and included in your ticket -- is the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun at an even higher elevation and a tribute to the famous entertainer.

Here are even more ideas for things to do in Colorado Springs, including how to step back in time to the Wild West.