Colorado’s outdoors offers beauty and often the unusual. In 2018: A burning dinosaur at a tourist attraction on the edge of Canon City; a moose on the loose at the edge of downtown Colorado Springs; and a bear stuck in a storm drain in a Colorado Springs neighborhood, are just a few fitting the description unusual.
An unexpected archaeological site was uncovered during flood mitigation work through Garden of the Gods Park. The site is where Colorado Springs founder General William J. Palmer discarded items from his Glen Eyrie estate. The find brings insight into the everyday life of the visionary and his family, who created an aristocratic lifestyle in the west.
Colorado tourism relies heavily on outdoor attractions. In 2018 concerns arose when a decision was made to shut down the popular Pikes Peak Cog Railway that takes people to the top of America’s Mountain. An assessment of upcoming maintenance needs showed expenses, raising questions about keeping the more than a century old railway running. Local community and business leaders who believe the Cog is a major tourist attraction rallied trying to find ways to supplement a railway restoration by its owner The Broadmoor Hotel.
Then a groundbreaking at the top of Pikes Peak started construction on an unprecedented tourist stop. A new multi-million dollar summit house is underway. Building above 14,000 feet is difficult. The size and scope of the summit house magnifies the challenge.
