Garden of the Gods, Cheyenne Mtn Zoo, Olympic Training Center all good places to visit.

There are great restaurants at the Broadmoor, steaks at Tavern are good. We also like MacKenzie's Chop House www.mackenzieschophouse.com . Another good place not just for steaks is Margarita at Pine Creek.

A few places we want to try next visit include: Craftwood Inn www.craftwood.com , Briarhurst Manor, www.briarhurst.com and Pepper Tree www.peppertreecs.com , tho I am not sure how good they are!

Grocery stores close by are Albertson's and Safeway. Take Lake Ave east from Broadmoor to Hwy 115, either turn right for about 1/2 mile to Albertson's or left for 1 mile for Safeway and Vitamin Cottage (Natural Foods Grocery)

I'll also add to the suggestions above: The Famous - perhaps the best spot in town for a steak! But bring your wallet. Although if you don't want to leave the Broadmoor, any of their restaurants will be just fine! Great food there.

Nearest supermarket is probably the Safeway at Nevada Ave. and Cheyenne Rd. There is also a specialty foods store (Par Avion) in the shopping center at Southgate, which is right across Nevada from there.

Since you're into fencing, you might find the Olympic Traiing Center of interest. Consider visiting/taking a tour. Also, Garden of the Gods is a must.

Isn't Colorado Springs going to be snowed under by mid- December? What's to do at Garden of the Gods in the snow?

Isn't there a Figure Skating Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, or am I confused?

Colorado Springs is rarely ever snowed under. We will get snowstorms that drop a few inches but we also have 300+ days of sunshine and just one of those days will melt everything off. So usually within 48 hours of the snow falling, it has melted and there is no sign of it. All of that sunshine makes for year-round outdoor activities if you don't mind 30 degree temperatures.

The Figure Skating Hall of Fame is right at the Broadmoor Hotel. I can't tell you much about it because I haven't been there yet. It just opened this year.

Right near the Broadmoor hotel is the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (a personal favorite of mine), Seven Falls, and Cheyenne Canyon (if you are interested in hiking). Garden of the Gods is a great place to visit whether you just drive through, or get out and hike.

If you like shopping, then a trip to Manitou Springs is also fun to hit the shops and there are many good restaurants up there.

For steaks plus unusual Colorado fare (elk, antelope, buffalo, etc) I love the Craftwood Inn and is a favorite place to take people from out of town. Sonterra Grill (buffalo ribeye), The Famous, and The Chophouse are all in the downtown area on Tejon Street and great steak places too.

As mentioned above, Colo Springs is not covered in snow all winter long. We visit there often, and rarely have we had snow covering everything in December. Even if there is snow, Garden of the Gods is beautiful.