Welcome to Colorado Fun!
Whether you’ve just arrived in the greater Pikes Peak Region or have lived here for a lifetime, I know you’ll enjoy our fun-focused mag. Now that the pandemic has finally run its course, our cities, towns, restaurants, galleries, bars, museums, and other cultural/recreational attractions are completely open for business! We’re proud (and more than somewhat amazed) by the completion of multiple ambitious and culturally transformative projects in the last couple of years, all many years in the making. The scale and breadth of these undertakings is literally unbelievable, especially to long-term residents.
Thirty years after it was first conceived, the $75 million Olympic & Paralympic Museum is happily open in downtown Colorado Springs. It’s architecturally stunning and brilliantly imagined – don’t miss it! It’s one of the keystones of the city’s revived downtown, featuring two new sports arenas, four new medium-rise hotels, half a dozen new apartment complexes, and hundreds of restaurants, bars, and locally-owned retailers.
Heading west from downtown, make sure to stop in Old Colorado City, our region’s first settlement. The restored 19th century commercial center is on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s ideal for strolling, shopping, lingering, and dining, and is the beating heart of the Westside, the largest Victorian neighborhood in Colorado.
Next stop: Manitou Springs. From there, you have three options for getting to the top of Pikes Peak. If you’re fit & fearless, you can leave early in the morning, walk 12 miles up the Barr Trail, stay for an hour and walk back. You might want to ride the completely rebuilt Cog Railway instead or drive up Highway 24 to Cascade and take the Pikes Peak Highway.
The summit views are astonishing, especially from the newly built Summit Complex. From the summit, our region lies before you; Cripple Creek, Woodland Park, Buena Vista, Salida, Canon City, and Pueblo. So as our lead story suggests, get going – there’s river rafting, dinosaur museums, hot springs, historic cities large and small, the coolest coffee shop in the world, fishing, climbing, cycling…welcome to our home towns!
Publisher
Karen Hazlehurst
Karen Hazlehurst’s three-decade journey in publishing has covered all the bases and then some. Beginning
Editor
Julie Martin Sunich
A native of Michigan, journalism grad from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and former
Art & Marketing
Colin Christie
Colin is a graphic designer and co-owner of Neon Pig Creative, based in Colorado Springs,
Matt Morris
Matt Morris is a 23-year-old photographer, born and raised in Colorado. He loves adventuring and
Laura Schnarr
Laura is a marketing strategist, graphic designer, and co-owner of Neon Pig Creative. An avid
Mike O’Caña
While Mike’s true skill lies within the web world, he is an equally accomplished print
Rob Ladefoged
Rob Ladefoged cut his chops in the visual communications world while previously working in-house for
Contributing Writers
Jessica Eaves
Jessica Eaves is an adventurer. Coffee lover. Listener. Principal’s secretary. Cook. Advocate for social justice.
John Hazlehurst
Veteran Colorado Springs journalist John Hazlehurst has sailed around the world on a 40-year-old wooden
Ashley Hamershock
Ashley Hamershock considers herself fantastically fortunate to have called writing her career for more than
Robin Intemann
Robin Intemann’s passions include food, books, friends and family (although not necessarily in that order).
Kristian DePue
Born and raised in rural Indiana, Kristian DePue has worked as a contributing writer for
R. Scott Rappold
Freelance journalist R. Scott Rappold has more than 20 years of experience writing about the
Melanie Hexter
Melanie Hexter writes from Colorado Springs where she lives with her husband of 30 years,
Kelly Branyik
Growing up in the small town of Florence, Colorado, Kelly has always had a deep
“Hiking Bob” Falcone
“Hiking Bob” Falcone is an avid hiker, outdoorsman, professional photographer, and retired firefighter. He is
Zach Reynolds
Zach Reynolds wrote and took photographs for the An Alpine Stroll Down Broadway article in
Amanda Miller Luciano
Amanda Miller Luciano grew up in Colorado Springs. But she had to leave to realize