In the 1870s, Dr. Edwin Solly downplayed the Indigenous legend that brought fame to the town called Manitou Springs. Nonsense, Solly seemed to suggest of the people, “believing as they did that the Good Spirit breathed into the water the breath of life.”
Manitou Springs has rescinded Stage 1 fire restrictions that were adopted June 3, officials announced Friday.
Manitou is the name derived for that Good Spirit, said to have blessed the bubbly, mineral-rich waters of the area. Solly opted for more practical applications in a widely dispersed pamphlet, laying out treatments that could be contended today.
True or not, “Solly’s waters and his promotion of them made the Pikes Peak region a well-known health center a whole decade before Saranac,” historian Marshall Sprague wrote, referring to America’s first tuberculosis lab in New York.
Now, Manitou is a well-known tourist retreat. It’s a charmed, mountainous hamlet, and antithesis to Colorado’s second-biggest metro down the road, Colorado Springs.
The attractions are several, from the trail and train leading up 14,115-foot Pikes Peak, to the mountainside fitness challenge called the Incline, to a retro arcade, to a host of quirky shops. Yes, along Manitou Avenue, you’ll see traces of the old “Hippie Mayberry.”
Larry Smith focuses intently on Strikes 1945, an old arcade game he hadn’t seen since the 1980s. Smith stumbled across the game while wandering through The Penny Arcade in Manitou Springs.
And yes, the springs are still celebrated. Their tastes vary at eight wells scattered around town.
Go ahead, take a sip. Take it from John Fremont, the explorer who journaled about the end of a hard day with his party in the 1840s: “We encamped immediately at the springs, and spent there a very pleasant day.”
Have yourself a pleasant day along Manitou Avenue:
Stop in
Take your pick of odd stores. Will it be the Quacker Gift Shop for rubber duckies? The Sasquatch Sign Co. next door? Or Christmas in Manitou? Or Glassblowers of Manitou?
Across the way is incense-smelling La Henne Boheme, one of several boutiques for surprising finds. The Ten Spot promises laughs and gifts for $10 or less. High-end gifts at The Vault, housed in the historic bank. Quality also at Mountains West, where recent inventory has included a local mountain man’s hand-carved walking sticks.
Colorful beads, some allegedly as old as the fur trade, hang from the walls of The Mountain Man shop in Manitou Springs on Wednesday, June 29, 2022.
Speaking of which, the shop called Mountain Man is a step back in time. Old guns, knives, hats and attire that would’ve suited the likes of Fremont.
Anna’s Apothecary stocks lotions, tinctures, candles, crystals and more to meet your remedy. Local art at Commonwheel.
Kids and kids-at-heart will appreciate Theo’s Toys and CK Comics.
Food and drink
The Keg is a long-going, family-owned favorite for locals and visitors. Recently renovated, it maintains its dive-y feel and its fresh burgers and salads.
Other staples are Townhouse Sports Grill, where you can catch a game and feast on juicy, saucy wings, and The Loop, the Mexican joint with massive margaritas. Around the corner is Hell’s Kitchen, New York-style pizza by the slice.
Manitou Brewing Co. hides along the main street in an old burro barn. The beer list is long and ambitious, best enjoyed with some hulking, doughy pretzel bites.
Fountain Creek weaves its way through downtown Manitou Springs as tourists stop for a bite to eat at Border Burger Bar on Wednesday, June 29, 2022.
If wine is your preference, Swirl’s menu is carefully curated by the owning sommelier. More at D’Vine Wine by the creek. A local, record-setting trail runner will greet you with a smile at his tasty stand, Colorado Custard Co. More sweets at Totally Nuts & Co., housed in an old tuberculosis hut.
Entertainment
You can’t leave town without trying your hand at skeeball, pinball, Pac-Man, air hockey or any of the other favorite games of your youth. The Penny Arcade is a whimsical time capsule. Win your tickets and pick your prizes.
For history buffs, the Manitou Springs Heritage Center and Museum is a trip through some of the town’s bizarre tales (see the peanut supposedly pushed by nose up Pikes Peak). Another intrigue is the Cliff House, said to be Colorado’s oldest hotel. To find yourself and your friends in a picture frame from yesteryear, dress up and pose at Olde Tyme Photography.
On Wednesdays starting at 6 p.m., families lay out blankets on the library lawn for free concerts. On Thursday nights, a drum circle takes over Memorial Park.
SunWater Spa stands by Memorial Park. The spa calls itself “a sanctuary of wellness,” with tubs of steaming water on the deck overlooking the mountains.
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